Summer workshops in the Libraries are here! It’s like a little slice of IAP, only warmer.

Pre-registration is required for some, but not all sessions. See below for details.

Research Data Management: File Organization – Register
Thu July 10, 1:00 – 2:00 pm, 14N-132
Contact: Katherine McNeill, mcneillh@mit.edu

Do you struggle with organizing your research data? Wonder if there’s a better way to arrange and name your data files to optimize your work? This workshop will teach you practical techniques for organizing your data files. Topics will include: file and folder organizational structures and file naming.  Will include hands-on exercises to apply the concepts to your particular data project.

Introduction to GIS – Register
Mon July 14, 1:00 – 4:00 pm, 14N-132
Contact: Jennie Murack, murack@mit.edu

Learn the basics of visualizing and analyzing geographic information and creating your own maps in a Geographic Information System (GIS). We will introduce open source and proprietary GIS software options and let attendees choose to work through exercises using ESRI ArcGIS (proprietary) and/or Quantum GIS (QGIS) (open source). Learn to work with data from the MIT Geodata Repository, analyze the data, and create maps that can be used in reports and presentations.

GIS Level 2 – Register
Tue July 15, 1:00 – 4:00 pm, 14N-132
Contact: Jennie Murack, murack@mit.edu

Expand your experience with GIS software and learn how to create and edit GIS files, geocode addresses onto a map, re-project data, and use tools like Clip, Buffer, and Spatial Join. Prerequisite: Intro to GIS workshop or basic knowledge of ArcGIS

Getting Started, Getting Funded: Obtaining Research Funding – Register
Tue July 15, 1:00 – 5:00 pm, E17-139
Presenter: Dr. Micah Altman
Contact: Randi Shapiro, shapiror@mit.edu

Increasingly, conducting innovative research requires resources that exceed those readily on-hand to the individual scholar. You can use research funding to access a wider set of research methods, to accelerate your research project, expand its scope and depth, and increase its impact. This short course provides an overview of the types and sources of funding available for research support, and introduces the fundamental elements of planning, proposal writing, and management for “sponsored” projects. The course is geared toward junior faculty, postdocs, and graduate students (in late stages or on the job market), who are new to the funding process, are considering whether to seek funding from new sources, or who would like a systematic review of the grant writing and review process. The course will be presented in a half-day format, followed by an individualized consulting session focused on each attendee’s research project. Schedule individual consultations with Randi Shapiro at shapiror@mit.edu.

For more information, please consult the Program on Information Science Website.

Business Information for Engineers and Scientists – Register
Thu July 17, 4:00 – 5:00 pm, 14N-132
Contact: Howard Silver, hsilver@mit.edu

This session will introduce engineers and scientists to business information resources that will help you understand the commercial potential for your ideas, how to find partners, and sources for financial support. We will use realistic examples and hands-on exercises with key resources to demonstrate how to match your ideas and discoveries with the opportunities and realities of the marketplace.

Managing Your References: Overview of EndNote, Zotero, and Mendeley – Register
Mon July 21, 12:00 – 1:00 pm, 14N-132
Contact: Anita Perkins, perkins@mit.edu

Using citation management software to create and maintain a collection of references or PDFs is common and important in today’s academic world. These tools will help you to save citations from your favorite databases and websites, store related PDFs or attachments, and quickly build a bibliography for your papers and publications. We’ll compare and demo 3 tools (EndNote, Mendeley, & Zotero), so you’ll leave the session knowing which tool might work best for your needs.

Current and Emerging Uses for Wikipedia in Research – Register
Tue July 22, 1:00 – 2:00 pm, 14N-132
Contact: Stacey Snyder, ssnyder@mit.edu

“Well, actually…” you begin when the topic of Wikipedia’s accuracy comes up in conversation. If you’ve found yourself in this position, come share ways you have effectively used Wikipedia in your own research or in consultation with students and professors. Learn how to use complementary applications to guide you to valuable library resources. Join the discussion on the future of Wikipedia and the information landscape.

NIH Public Access Compliance Hands-on Working Session – Register
Thu July 24, 1:00 – 2:00 pm, 14N-132
Contact: Courtney Crummett, crummett@mit.edu

Missing a PMCID? Can’t figure out why a paper isn’t in compliance? Lost in NIH manuscript system? Join us for a problem solving session. This session is designed to provide an opportunity for hands on problem solving in the systems that need to be navigated in the process of submitting and authorizing manuscripts and reporting progress on NIH Funded Grants (eRA Commons; NIHMS, and MyNCBI). Please bring your NIH compliance problems and logins to this session to work through together. Registration encouraged.

Patent Searching Fundamentals – Register
Friday July 25, 1:00 – 2:00 pm, 14N-132
Contact: Anita Perkins, perkins@mit.edu

This session will enable you to successfully find patent references from all over the world, and obtain patent text and diagrams. This hands-on session will help de-mystify the patent literature and show key resources for finding patents.