News & Blog

UCF Libraries, in partnership with the College of Graduate Studies and the Pathways to Success program, offers several graduate workshops each semester.  Check out this semester’s schedule below, and plan to attend and learn more about library research strategies, publishing options, managing sources with citation tools, apps to organize your research life, and more. Registration for the workshops is required through myUCF (Student Center → Graduate Students → Pathways to Success).

Library Research & Literature Review Strategies
What strategies are you using to conduct literature searches for your research or projects? This session highlights effective strategies to locate related sources using citation tracking and search strategies, tips to customize Google Scholar, and options to organize sources and stay updated on publications.

Please bring a laptop to follow along with the presentation. Consider also attending the related topic, Where to Publish: Finding the Right Venue to Publish Your Research that follows this session.

Graduate Student Center, Trevor Colbourn Hall, TCH 213
⋅ Thursday, 1/30/20 5:00pm-6:00pm
⋅ Tuesday, 2/25/2020 12:00pm-1:00pm

Library Research & Literature Review Strategies – Online
After registering in myUCF, you will receive an email with a link to participate in the online session.
⋅ Wednesday, 3/25/20 5:30pm-6:30pm

Where to Publish: Finding the Right Venue to Publish Your Research
How do you decide which journals are the best fit for your manuscript? Are there other potential publishing venues that might be a good fit for your research? This workshop covers criteria to consider when planning where to submit your work for publication. We will look at factors like acceptance rates, audience, indexing, cost to publish, and open access, among others. This session is part one of a two-part workshop that explores where to publish and author rights.

Graduate Student Center, Trevor Colbourn Hall, TCH 213
⋅ Thursday, 1/30/20 6:00pm-7:00pm
⋅ Tuesday, 2/25/20 1:00pm-2:00pm

Optimizing Your Online Presence
Learn more about evaluating research impacts and managing your online research profile. This session will cover citation metrics & measuring your publishing Impact. Citation metrics provide quantitative data used to evaluate the impact of a scholar’s research. Learn about methods and tools to obtain citation counts and impact data (ISI Web of Science, Google Scholar, and others), and metrics to assist scholars in identifying key journals and notable researchers in your field. The session will also discuss why it’s important to develop an online profile as a researcher, how to promote your work and connect to other researchers, using sites such as ORCID, Research Gate, Academia.edu, PIVOT, Plum Analytics, and Google Scholar.

Please bring your laptop to follow along with the presentation. Consider also attending the related topic, Author Rights: Understanding & Protecting Your Rights that follows this session.

Graduate Student Center, Trevor Colbourn Hall, TCH 213
⋅ Thursday, 2/18/20 4:00pm-5:00pm
⋅ Thursday, 3/26/20 2:00pm-3:00pm

Author Rights: Understanding & Protecting Your Rights
Learn to be a savvy author! Do you know that all rights to a work are often assigned to publishers when a manuscript is accepted? Are there other options that allow you to retain the copyright of your work? This workshop will provide an overview of general copyright and what author rights mean to you, as a researcher. We will also explore how these rights may be negotiated when publishing and how you can use your works post-publication. This session is part two of a two-part workshop that explores where to publish and author rights.

Graduate Student Center, Trevor Colbourn Hall, TCH 213
⋅ Thursday, 2/18/20 5:00pm-6:00pm
⋅ Thursday, 3/26/20 1:00pm-2:00pm

Endnote & RefWorks: Citing Made Easy!
Citation Management Tools allow you to dedicate more time to research! Join us to learn how to export citations from library databases, organize citations, generate bibliographies, and format citations in a Word document. Endnote & RefWorks can help make managing your references and formatting citations easy! Sessions will cover BOTH products.

Please bring your own laptop if you would like to follow along with the presentation.

Graduate Student Center, Trevor Colbourn Hall, TCH 213
⋅ Tuesdsy, 1/21/20 5:30pm-6:30pm
⋅ Thursday, 1/30/20 12:00pm-1:00pm

Endnote & RefWorks: Citing Made Easy! – Online Sessions
After registering in myUCF, you will receive an email with a link to participate in the online session.
⋅ Monday, 2/3/20 12:00pm-1:00pm
⋅ Wednesday, 2/18/20 6:00pm-7:00pm
⋅ Monday, 3/2/20 12:00pm-1:00pm

Presentation Skills
Does the idea of giving a presentation freak you out? I have good news and bad news. Bad news – presentations are unavoidable in your courses and in your future career path. Good news – presentation skills are something you can easily improve! This session provides tips, tricks, and ideas for how to become a better presenter. There will also be time at the end of the session for Q&A (and practice speaking to a crowd!).

Graduate Student Center, Trevor Colbourn Hall, TCH 213
⋅ Thursday, 1/23/20 10:00am-11:00am
⋅ Tuesday, 3/17/20 1:00pm-2:00pm
⋅ Thursday, 4/9/20 10:00-am-11:00am

Presentation Skills – Online Session
After registering in myUCF, you will receive an email with a link to participate in the online session.
⋅ Tuesday, 2/11/20 12:00pm-1:00pm

Planning Poster Presentations
Planning a research poster session? Learn the basics of poster design and tips for editing free PowerPoint poster templates. This session reviews poster elements for layout, graphics, printing, and includes examples of well-designed posters.

Please bring your laptop if you would like to follow along with the presentation.

Graduate Student Center, Trevor Colbourn Hall, TCH 213
⋅ Tuesday, 2/4/20 12:00pm-1:00pm
⋅ Thursday, 3/5/20 5:30pm-6:30pm

Apps to Help Organize Your Research Life
Do you ever wonder if there is a great app out there that you are missing out on? Need help staying organized, taking notes, or need a better way to communicate with classmates over shared projects? Well look no further as this session will introduce helpful and important apps that all grad students should love and use! We will cover organization, project management, reference, and science apps that will keep you at your best while you are in grad school and beyond.

Please bring your mobile device or laptop as we test drive the apps during the presentation.

Graduate Student Center, Trevor Colbourn Hall, TCH 213
⋅ Tuesday, 1/28/20 1:00pm-2:00pm
⋅ Thursday, 2/13/20 12:00pm-1:00pm

Apps to Help Organize Your Research Life – Online Session
After registering in myUCF, you will receive an email with a link to participate in the online session.
⋅ Wednesday, 3/4/20 5:00pm-6:00pm

Introduction to Data Documentation
Join us for an introduction to data documentation and metadata. Learn basics about research data, datasets and data documentation for data sharing, re-use and long-term preservation. This session introduces best practices and recommendations for documenting research data, including types of documentation needed, appropriate data formats, kinds of materials to be collected in the research lifecycle, and especially data documentation at study level and data level. The session also includes real-world examples and a discussion of data tools for data documentation, such as NVivo for qualitative data and SPSS for quantitative data.

Graduate Student Center, Trevor Colbourn Hall, TCH 213
⋅ Monday, 2/10/20 3:00pm-4:00pm

Flights of Fancy: Joy Postle’s Birds
April 2019
UCF Library Main Floor
Artist, Poet and Entertainer Joy Postle was one of Florida’s pioneering Naturalists, but perhaps is best known for her entertaining and educational stage shows titled “Glamor Birds” in which she would paint Florida’s birds while sharing bird songs, music and poetry. This exhibit highlights some of her bird painting and poetry.

Nature Poetry on Display
April 2019
UCF Library – Featured Bookshelf
Main Floor – Knowledge Commons
Stop by the John C. Hitt Library main floor to peruse or check out books about nature poetry to help celebrate National Poetry Month. Get inspired to write your own poetry or feel connected to the Earth by looking through our featured selections. You’ll find the nature poetry on the bottom two shelves of the display next to the bank of two elevators.

Plant Pressing Workshop
Thursday, April 11, 2019
10:30-11:30
UCF Arboretum Nature Pavilion
Join Arboretum Staff for a fun and educational hands-on experience learning plant collection, and pressing techniques in our beautiful campus natural lands. This imPRESSive workshop will focus on the history, and value in preserving plant specimens for education and art! We will begin with a brief introduction, followed by our staff leading participants in a plant collection adventure, and ending with guiding you through plant pressing techniques that you can do on your own!  You will be able to collect, press, and preserve your specimens then retrieve them from the library once they are dry! We look forward to seeing you in the woods!

Nature Writing on Display
April 22-26, 2019
UCF Library – Featured Bookshelf
Main Floor – Knowledge Commons
Stop by the John C. Hitt Library main floor to browse featured selections on Nature Writing. Come to read about how to write about nature, why we should protect our lands, and what benefits nature can add to our busy lives! Feel free to check out these books or enjoy them at the library.

Arbor Day Hike
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
UCF Arboretum
Join the Arboretum in celebrating Arbor Day! We will be hosting a fun-filled day of activities including a guided trail hike, and tree planting event in the Arboretum.  Help us plant trees, and celebrate our beautiful campus natural lands!  Nature pavilion activities will include FREE FOOD (please RSVP through Knight Connect), native Florida flora and fauna education, personalized tree ring “crafting” fun, seeding activities, and geocaching!  See our flyer and social media outlets for activity times.  See you in the woods!

The Unseen Arboretum Workshop
Thursday, April 25, 2019
5:00-7:00 pm
UCF Arboretum Nature Pavilion
Come join us for a hands-on workshop at the UCF Nature Pavilion to observe nature in the flesh! Based on the book by David G. Haskell, “The Forest Unseen,” participants will head into the woods around the UCF Arboretum to observe a 1 meter square space. Participants are encouraged to utilize photography, sketching, or audio/video recordings to document their observations led by the guidance from a naturalist. Come find out about the natural history of our area and to produce a brief guidebook commemorating your experience.

Sea-Level Rise Planning in Central Florida Talk & Discussion
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
11:00 am -12:30 pm
UCF Library, Room 223
Come join Stetson University Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Studies and Faculty Director for the Institute of Water and Environmental Resilience, Dr. Jason Evans, on an engaging and thought provoking lecture and discussion regarding Central Florida’s plan for sea-level rise. Trained as a landscape and systems ecologist, most of Dr. Evan’s recent research has focused on climate change adaptation within coastal communities, with a particular focus on seal-level rise. Largely through research support provided through the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), over the past several years he has conducted flood vulnerability assessments for numerous local governments in the southeast United States. Some of these communities include Monroe County, the Village of Islamorada, Satellite Beach, and New Smyrna Beach, FL; Tybee Island and St. Mary’s, GA; Hyde County, NC; and Beaufort, SC. Dr. Evans also serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Environmental Management, a leading international publication within the fields of environmental science, engineering, and planning.

For more information about Naturally UCF visit: guides.ucf.edu/naturally-ucf

You know your subject area and want to share that knowledge. So you think about writing a textbook but how do you even get started? Join UCF Libraries and the College of Health Professions and Sciences for a panel discussion with four faculty who have all been in your shoes. Find out the who, what, why, and where plus see if Open Access publishing is for you.

Thursday, April 18
1:00 – 2:00pm
John C. Hitt Library, 223

Featuring faculty authors from the College of Health Professions and Sciences, School of Communication Sciences & Disorders:

Dr. Richard Zraick
Dr. Jack Ryalls
Dr. Linda I. Rosa-Lugo
Dr. Anthony Kong
with Scholarly Communications Librarian, Sarah Norris

Join UCF Libraries and the Department of Women and Gender Studies for the third annual WomanFest on Thursday, March 21, in library room 223.

Film Screening and Discussion of Miss Representation, 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Miss Representation explores the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America, and challenges the media’s limited portrayal of what it means to be a powerful woman. The film will be followed by a discussion facilitated by Dr. Anne Bubriski-McKinzie, Women and Gender Studies.

Zine Workshop, 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm

zine (noun): a noncommercial often homemade or online publication usually devoted to specialized and often unconventional subject matter.

Learn to inspire and transform at our zine workshop by creating your own page as part of the group zine created by the participants of the workshop, and view our special collection made by UCF students.

FWAF Quilt Squares, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Students, staff and faculty are welcome to join crafting quilt squares to honor the lives of Apopka farmworkers and their plight for safe working conditions, better pay and a life free of pesticides in the crops.

Knights we need your help! Our dear friend Alice was doing research on the history of alternate realities and she has gone missing! Can you help us trace her research path and scholarly conversations? Join us February 18-21st on our quest to find Alice. At each event participants will be given a clue to help locate Alice. Collect all four clues for the ultimate prize! Can’t make all four events, no worries! The more events you attend the more prizes you will receive.

Monday, February 18, 10 am – 1 pm: Are you mad enough to join the Academic Alice Search Team?
Stop by the library lobby between 10-1 and take our quiz to see if you have the skills to join our search team! Participants will receive a snack to fuel their search as well as the first clue to finding Alice.

Tuesday, February 19, 10 – 11 am: READ ME: Understanding the Clues all around you.
In this workshop participants will uncover the secret codes embedded in scholarly conversations that can help readers quickly identify the information they need to know, who to trust, & where to start their investigations. Participants will find another clue in our hunt for Alice. Location: RM 235A

Wednesday, February 20, 1:30 – 2:30 pm: Falling Down the Rabbit Hole.
In this workshop participants will discover how to follow the clues to trace a scholarly conversation through time from the beginning to the present and beyond. Participants will receive the penultimate clue in our quest to find Alice. Location: RM 235A

Thursday, February 21, 10 – 11 am: Returning from Wonderland.
When is a tweet as important as a journal article? Does it matter which journal an article is published in? Are books always better? Join us as we explore how the context in which a scholarly conversation happens can provide important clues about who can be trusted and when you are being hoodwinked. The final clue to Alice’s location will be revealed! Location: RM 235A