Workshops

Shut Up and Write is an event for researchers to come together for a fixed amount of time and write. The aim is not to put pressure on you to be productive, rather, to help you carve out some dedicated time to write and to present a chance to connect with other researchers. It is a great way make progress on those thesis chapters, journal articles, or grant applications.

Whilst two hours doesn't sound like much, it is amazing what you can get done if you really focus. There will be short, scheduled breaks in between writing sessions of 30 minutes, to help keep you motivated and on-task. During the breaks there will also be time to reflect on some of the challenges we are facing as a research community and how we might support one another.

Learning objectives

By the end of this session, you will:

• Make progress on a piece of writing or other research-related work during dedicated focus time.
• Experience the Pomodoro Technique and consider how it could support your writing practice.
• Develop strategies for maintaining focus and reducing distractions when writing.
• Connect with other researchers and reflect on common challenges and approaches to overcoming them.
• Identify further support and resources to help with academic writing and researcher development.

Intended audience

All researchers who are looking for protected writing time, community, and to develop productive and sustainable writing habits.

How to book on

This event will take place online via Teams. Booking onto the event is essential to receive the link to join.

Further support

Find out more about the workshops and online resources offered by My Research Essentials on the library webpage.

Online resources related to this workshop include:

• Library support for writing
• Library support for Dissertations
• My Research Essentials Medium: writing strategies
• My Learning Essentials: writing online resources

This online information session gives prospective Open Research Fellows the opportunity to find out more about the Fellowship Programme, the application process and the support available. There will be time to ask questions and discuss potential Fellowship ideas.

The session will also share learning and perspectives from previous Open Research Fellows, offering practical insight into the Fellowship experience and the activities and outputs Fellows have developed.

We welcome applications from academic, professional and technical services colleagues across the University who meet the eligibility requirements set out on the Fellowship webpage.

Shut Up and Write is an event for researchers to come together for a fixed amount of time and write. The aim is not to put pressure on you to be productive, rather, to help you carve out some dedicated time to write and to present a chance to connect with other researchers. It is a great way make progress on those thesis chapters, journal articles, or grant applications.

Whilst two hours doesn't sound like much, it is amazing what you can get done if you really focus. There will be short, scheduled breaks in between writing sessions of 30 minutes, to help keep you motivated and on-task. During the breaks there will also be time to reflect on some of the challenges we are facing as a research community and how we might support one another.

Learning objectives

By the end of this session, you will:

• Make progress on a piece of writing or other research-related work during dedicated focus time.
• Experience the Pomodoro Technique and consider how it could support your writing practice.
• Develop strategies for maintaining focus and reducing distractions when writing.
• Connect with other researchers and reflect on common challenges and approaches to overcoming them.
• Identify further support and resources to help with academic writing and researcher development.

Intended audience

All researchers who are looking for protected writing time, community, and to develop productive and sustainable writing habits.

Further support

Talk to us online via the 24-hour Library Chat service. Alternatively, you can email us for advice or to book one-to-one appointments at tls@manchester-uk.libanswers.com.

Find out more about the workshops and online resources offered by My Research Essentials on the library webpage. Online resources related to this workshop include:

• Start to finish: writing
• Start to finish: dissertations
• My Research Essentials Medium: writing strategies
• My Learning Essentials: writing online resources

This hands-on session will introduce you to EndNote desktop reference management software, a tool to help with collecting, managing and organising your references and creating citations and bibliographies in different formats. You will reflect throughout on how reference management software can fit into your existing research workflows.

In the session you will gain practical experience of managing an EndNote Library including using the Cite While You Write function to insert and format in-text citations and bibliographies within Microsoft Word documents, and an introduction to using EndNote with Overleaf.

How to book on

Due to popularity, booking onto the event is essential to ensure a place.

Further support

Talk to us online via Library Chat now, or send us an email: tls@manchester-uk.libanswers.com.

Your name is not always a reliable way for the world to identify your research - names repeat, they change, and the systems that index scholarly work get confused. Researcher profiles fix that, and most of them are created for you automatically, whether you know about them or not.

This session introduces the researcher profile landscape at Manchester and beyond: Pure, ORCID, Scopus, Web of Science, OpenAlex and Google Scholar. It explains which profiles are created for you and which you create yourself, how they connect to each other, and what each one needs from you.

The practical core of the session is setting up your ORCID from within Pure, which is a key PGR progression task, and knowing where to find the guidance to finish the job in your own time.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Explain what researcher profiles are and why maintaining an accurate research identity matters.
• Understand the role of key researcher profile systems, including ORCID, Pure, Scopus, Web of Science, OpenAlex and Google Scholar.
• Distinguish between profiles that are created automatically and those you create and manage yourself.
• Create or connect an ORCID through Pure and understand its role in PGR progression.
• Identify where to find, check and maintain your researcher profiles across major scholarly systems.

Intended audience

Staff and postgraduate researchers producing research outputs.

How to book on

This event will take place online via Teams. Booking onto the event is essential to receive the link to join.

Further support

Talk to us online via the 24-hour Library Chat service. Alternatively, you can email us for advice or to book one-to-one appointments at openresearch@manchester.ac.uk.

Find out more about the workshops and online resources offered by My Research Essentials on the library webpage. Online resources related to this workshop include:

• Raising awareness of your research

In this interactive workshop you will reflect upon and discuss ways to improve your public speaking skills, helping you to present your work more effectively. Using some improvisation techniques we will look at ways we can become more relaxed about public speaking, and practice responding to unexpected questions with confidence, which will support you when at academic conferences or presenting your research to peers. We will provide you with practical exercises to help you build confidence in communicating with a variety of audiences.

Open Access is an important consideration for all Manchester researchers. This short 30 minute workshop provides a practical introduction to Open Access publishing, explaining what Open Access is, why it matters, and the steps you can take to make your research outputs openly available. You'll learn about the different routes to Open Access, funder and institutional requirements, and the support available to help you publish with confidence.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Explain what Open Access is and the benefits to you as a researcher and to wider society.
• Distinguish between the main routes to Open Access publishing.
• Identify the most appropriate Open Access method for your research.
• Know how to ensure compliance with institutional and funder Open Access requirements.
• Understand how the Library can help you.

Intended audience

All researchers and research support staff across the University of Manchester.

How to book on

This event will take place online via Teams. Booking onto the event is essential to receive the link to join.

Further support

Talk to us online via the 24-hour Library Chat service. Alternatively, you can email us for advice or to book one-to-one appointments at uml.teachingandlearning@manchester.ac.uk.

Find out more about the workshops and online resources offered by My Research Essentials on the library webpage. Online resources related to this workshop include:

• Raising awareness of your research

Managing your research data can be complex, but a little planning at the start of your project can save you time, raise your research profile and help you work more effectively.

This workshop aims to provide you with confidence in data and information management, and introduce you to tools, resources and expert support available to you at Manchester.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Understand the key principles of Research Data Management (RDM) and why they matter.
• Organise research data using effective folder structures and file-naming conventions.
• Recognise the importance of documentation and metadata in making research data understandable and reusable.
• Identify appropriate ways to manage confidential and personal research data.
• Choose suitable storage, backup and sharing options.
• Access expert RDM support and guidance at Manchester.

Intended audience

Postgraduate researchers, early career researchers, and anyone new to research data management at the University of Manchester.

How to book on

This event will take place online via Teams. Booking onto the event is essential to receive the link to join.

Further support

Talk to us online via the 24-hour Library Chat service. Alternatively, you can email us for advice or to book one-to-one appointments at uml.teachingandlearning@manchester.ac.uk.

Find out more about the workshops and online resources offered by My Research Essentials on the library webpage. Online resources related to this workshop include:

• Research data management
• Research data explained

In this workshop we will explore the ways we can communicate our research to different audiences and the benefits this can have in developing our understanding of our own research. You will have the opportunity to reflect on the forms of research communication that have or haven't worked for you, as well as the consideration of impact and appropriateness of research output formats for different audiences. This includes but is not limited to written, visual, audible and immersive mediums and will touch upon the idea of Open Research. You will get to explore why these have or haven't worked for you and as a result, look at new and existing ways in which you can communicate your research.

Open Research is a broad and evolving field encompassing various practices, all of which contribute to a more transparent, responsible, and ethical research culture. In this interactive workshop, we will explore some of the research practices that enable Open Research, under the University's Open Research Skills Framework.

We will discuss what these practices entail within different research disciplines, the tools and systems that enable open and transparent research, and how a more open research culture can benefit researchers, the sector, and society in general. We will reflect on how Open Research can be applied to your own research, and signpost to the University's Open Research communities, activities, support and training, via the University of Manchester Office for Open Research.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• understand Open Research practices
• Identify Open Research practices that can apply to your research
• reflect on the value and challenges to implementing Open Research

Intended audience

All postgraduate researchers, research staff, and research enabling professionals curious to learn more about Open Research and its benefits

How to book

This session will take place on campus.

Raise the visibility of your research and connect with the audiences that matter.

In this workshop, discover practical ways to promote your research through Open Access publishing, ORCID, research profiles, social media, and research data sharing. Learn how to track online attention and engagement, helping you understand the reach and influence of your work.

You'll leave this workshop with a better understanding of how to promote your research effectively, and build a professional online presence.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Explain how Open Access can increase the visibility and reach of your research.
• Use ORCID and other profile tools to showcase your research activities and receive appropriate credit for your work.
• Identify audiences for your research and appropriate channels for reaching them.
• Evaluate tools for tracking online attention, engagement and research impact.
• Develop a plan for managing and promoting your online research presence.

Intended audience

All researchers looking to extend the visibility and reach of their research.

How to book on

This event will take place online via Teams. Booking onto the event is essential to receive the link to join.

Further support

Talk to us online via the 24-hour Library Chat service. Alternatively, you can email us for advice or to book one-to-one appointments at uml.teachingandlearning@manchester.ac.uk.

Find out more about the workshops and online resources offered by My Research Essentials on the library webpage. Online resources related to this workshop include:

• Raising awareness of your research

The aim of this one-day writing retreat is to provide a quiet space where staff and researchers can make progress with their writing. It is a great way to carve out dedicated time to get on with those journal articles, thesis chapters, HEA Fellowships or grant applications.

The majority of the day will be spent in concentrated writing sessions where there should be no talking, no internet, no research - just writing! There will be short, scheduled breaks (with free tea, coffee and snacks) in between these blocks of concentrated writing time, to help keep you motivated and on-task.

Don't forget your laptop!

Programme for the day:

9.00-9.20 Tea, coffee and registration

9.20-9.50 Set your writing goals for the day, and learn some useful writing strategies

9.50-12.00 Concentrated writing time

12.00-13.00 Lunch and optional wellbeing activity

13.00-13.10 Reflect on your progress so far, re-evaluate your goals

13.10-15.20 Concentrated writing time

15.20-15.35 Coffee break

15.35-16.50 Concentrated writing time

16.50-17.00 Reflection

Choosing where to publish your research can be challenging. This workshop with an expert Open Research Librarian will help you assess the credibility of journals and publishers, understand the characteristics of so-called predatory publishers, and make informed decisions about where to submit your work. Through real-world examples and practical tools, you'll learn how to evaluate journals with confidence and avoid common publishing pitfalls.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Feel confident in your ability to identify credible journals.
• Understand the motivations behind 'Predatory Publishing'.
• Understand the consequences of submitting your work to non-reputable journals.
• Spot the common characteristics of non-reputable publishers.
• Use established tools and processes to check the credibility of a journal.

Intended audience

All researchers who are new to academic publishing.

As part of this workshop we will be running an activity where a personal device (mobile phone, laptop, tablet etc.) would be useful but is not essential.

This session will take place on campus.

Sharing research data can increase the visibility, impact and credibility of your research, while supporting collaboration, reproducibility and compliance with funder requirements.

This workshop aims to provide you with the confidence to share your data. You will explore the principles of FAIR data, learn how to prepare data for sharing, and discover how to use the University of Manchester's Figshare repository to make your research outputs more discoverable and reusable.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Explain the benefits of sharing research data and the role it plays in Open Research.
• Understand the FAIR principles and how they support effective data sharing and reuse.
• Use the University of Manchester's Figshare repository to publish and describe research outputs.
• Apply metadata and other techniques to improve the discoverability of research data.
• Recognise how sharing data can increase the visibility and impact of research.

Intended audience

All researchers who are collecting research data and are interested in the management and sharing of their research data at the end of their projects.

How to book on

This event will take place online via Teams. Booking onto the event is essential to receive the link to join.

Further support

Can't make this session? Talk to us online via Library Chat now, or send us an email: uml.teachingandlearning@manchester.ac.uk.

Find out more about the workshops and online resources offered by My Research Essentials on the library webpage. Online resources related to this workshop include:

Research data management

Research data explained

Help and support with using Teams is provided by IT Services. Find out more about Teams and other Office 365 applications on the IT Services website: https://www.itservices.manchester.ac.uk/students/office365/

Undertaking a PhD can be rewarding, but it also brings challenges that can affect your confidence, motivation and wellbeing. This interactive workshop explores three common aspects of the postgraduate research experience: managing motivation and procrastination, dealing with setbacks and failure, and building effective relationships with your supervisory team. Through discussion, reflection and practical activities, you'll develop strategies to help you navigate challenges, maintain resilience, and support your progress as a researcher.

Learning objectives

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Recognise common patterns of procrastination and identify strategies to improve your motivation and focus.
• Reflect on setbacks and challenges as opportunities for learning and growth.
• Apply practical approaches for developing resilience during your PhD.
• Understand the importance of effective communication and trust within supervisory relationships.
• Identify strategies for working productively with your supervisory team and managing research challenges.

Further support

Can't make this session? Talk to us online via Library Chat now, or send us an email: tls@manchester-uk.libanswers.com.

A Data Management Plan (DMP) is a vital part of good research practice and is mandatory for all research studies at the University of Manchester, whether funded or not.

This interactive session begins with an overview of a DMP, including why they matter and how to approach key sections of the plan. You'll then have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss challenges, and receive guidance from an expert Research Data Management Librarian.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Understand the purpose and benefits of a DMP.
• Recognise the key sections commonly included in a DMP.
• Navigate the University's DMPonline system and available guidance.
• Identify sources of support for developing and reviewing your DMP.
• Apply DMP principles to your own research project through discussion and Q&A.

Intended audience

Postgraduate researchers, early career researchers, and anyone new to research data management at the University of Manchester.

How to book on

This event will take place online via Teams. Booking onto the event is essential to receive the link to join.

Further support

Talk to us online via the 24-hour Library Chat service. Alternatively, you can email us for advice or to book one-to-one appointments at uml.teachingandlearning@manchester.ac.uk.

Find out more about the workshops and online resources offered by My Research Essentials on the library webpage. Online resources related to this workshop include:

• Research data management
• Research data explained