Brock’s Building Better Research (BBR) professional development series is back for the 2023-24 academic year.

Hosted by the Brock University Library and the Office of Research Services, the biweekly online workshops cover a wide array of topics related to the research process.

Jayne Morrish, Knowledge Mobilization Officer with the Office of Research Services, says the series is important because it is becoming increasingly complex to conduct research.

She says the workshops are designed to support novice and experienced researchers at every step of the research process and that topics reflect requests from Brock’s research community as well as emerging trends in research funding.

“It’s crucial to consistently adapt to the dynamic nature of academic research, focusing on essential topics like equity, diversity and inclusion, research data management and an expanded understanding of research impact,” says Morrish. “Through these efforts, the BBR series can contribute significantly to supporting Brock University’s prominent position within the evolving research landscape.”

Denise Smith, Head of Research Lifecycle at the Brock University Library, says she hopes the series will lead to impactful research projects and teams by helping researchers understand critical issues and find out about opportunities for growth.

“These sessions are a great way to connect with other researchers on campus and to learn about all the expertise available to Brock researchers as they navigate the research lifecycle,” says Smith, adding that the workshops will be of interest to faculty, post-doctoral fellows, students and staff.

“Those attending the workshops will get time with experts in their own right, including librarians, technical experts, Office of Research Services staff, our Indigenous partners on campus and research ethics board experts,” she says.

Organizers encourage researchers to sign up for the Office of Research Services’ biweekly newsletter by e-mailing orsadmin@brocku.ca to get updates on upcoming BBR workshops and other relevant information.

Those interested in participating can register on ExperienceBU through the links below. All workshops take place from noon to 1 p.m.

• Tuesday, Oct. 3: ORS Internal Research Funding Opportunities
• Thursday, Oct. 5: Host it yourself! How to post and monitor your work on GitHub
• Tuesday, Oct. 17: An Introduction to Research Ethics @ Brock
• Thursday, Oct. 19: Research Security Updates @ Brock
• Tuesday, Oct. 24: Community Over Commercialization: New Frontiers in Open Access
• Thursday, Oct. 26: How to plan for open access without breaking the bank
• Tuesday, Oct. 31: An Introduction to Plain Language Communication
• Thursday, Nov. 2: Introduction to evidence synthesis research – including systematic reviews and scoping reviews
• Tuesday, Nov. 7: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at Brock
• Thursday, Nov. 9: Research Data Management
• Tuesday, Nov. 14: Publish, Don’t Perish: How to Evaluate Journals and Avoid Predatory Publications