From academics, to physical and mental well-being, our brand new Exam Survival Guide is full of resources from the Library and campus partners to support you.
At exam time and always, do your best, and forget the rest.
Systematic reviews, scoping reviews and other forms of evidence synthesis are increasingly popular in many academic disciplines because they generate powerful data used to guide policies, programming, patient care and other practices.
Join Brock University Librarians Ian Gordon, Chelsea Humphries, and Elizabeth Yates for a new three-part workshop series which will help participants gain the knowledge and skills needed to conduct a systematic or scoping review from start to finish. These in-person workshops are suitable for Brock faculty, librarians, graduate students and staff. Hands-on activities, and some pre-work/follow-up work – e.g. readings, watching short video modules – will be involved. Each workshop will build on skills and information from previous sessions; attending all three is ideal, but not required. Participants must bring their own laptop/device.
Registration is via ExperienceBU at the links above. These workshops are part of the Building Better Research series in collaboration with the Office of Research Services.
Research, Research methods, Workshops
Categories: Main
To support researchers conducting evidence synthesis reviews – systematic reviews, scoping reviews, etc. – the Library subscribes to Covidence: software which streamlines the process of screening citations, assessing risk of bias and/or extracting study characteristics and outcomes.
Covidence is presenting two webinars focused on the data extraction process at 11 am EST or 4 pm EST on Feb. 3.
This session includes a live Q&A session on how to set up your template, organize your process, define your outcomes, resolve consensus, and the opportunity to get your specific questions answered.
Please be sure to register here for the 11:00 am session or here for the 4:00 pm session if you’d like to join, or if you’re unable to join but would like to receive a recording of the session ~24 hours after it commences.
While the Library Open Access Publishing Fund is fully expended for the 2021-22 budget year, the Library continues to support Brock authors in making their research openly accessible – in many cases, at low or no cost.
Researchers can make their scholarly articles open access – for free – by depositing a copy in the Brock Digital Repository, an online archive of Brock research which can be freely accessed by anyone. Authors can submit papers themselves or use the Library’s supported-deposit process.
The Library has negotiated open access agreements and discounts with a growing number of publishers which allow Brock authors to publish in their journals for free, or at significantly lowered costs.
And finally, researchers can search the Directory of Open Access Journals to select one of more than 12,000 scholarly, peer-reviewed open access journals which do not charge article processing fees.
Questions? Contact Liaison and Scholarly Communication Librarian Elizabeth Yates ~ eyates@brocku.ca
Faculty, Graduate students, Open Access, Research, Scholarly Communication
Categories: Main
If you love to read, you may already know the many benefits of reading for fun. For instance, one 2009 study from the University of Sussex found that reading for just 6 minutes can significantly reduce stress! Reading also has the power to improve sleep, increase emotional intelligence, and enhance overall wellbeing.
Brock students are invited to sign up for a Wellness Book Club that will run virtually during the month of November. Hosted by Humanities Liaison Librarian, Justine Cotton, the details are as follows:
As part of the Club, students will also have the option of participating in a research study exploring the impact of reading on stress levels in university students.
Sign-up now or email jcotton@brocku.ca for more details about the Club and/or the research study (REB# 21-058-COTTON).
*please note Brock University’s COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for On-Campus
The Office of Research Services will present a timely workshop for Brock researchers on the Canadian Common CV (CCV). This session is part of the Building Better Research series, a joint effort by the ORS and Brock University Library
The Canadian Common CV Workshop, held Friday, November 6 from 12 to 1 p.m., will include an overview of CCV basics with lots of time for questions. It will be led by retired research officer Josie Reed.
Register for this online workshop via ExperienceBU.
Faculty, Graduate students, Research, Workshops
Categories: Main
In collaboration with the Office of Research Services, Brock University Library begins the Building Better Research series with an online workshop focusing on research data management.
Professionals and researchers alike increasingly rely on accurate and comprehensive information describing the data they create and use, as well as secure and reliable storage options where data may be safely stored and readily discovered.
Data management principles enable the best means to document, protect, preserve, and reuse all kinds of data, whether that be before, during or after the completion of a project.
This workshop will give you the foundation to understand the value of data management expertise in a wide range of contexts, including academia, business, government, and industry.
Register for this online workshop via ExperienceBU.
Faculty, Graduate students, Research, Workshops
Categories: Main
With Brock becoming the 12th university in Canada to adopt an Open Access Policy, the Library is here to support researchers in making their work openly accessible.
The policy, recently adopted by Senate, calls for Brock researchers and scholars to deposit an electronic copy of their academic journal articles into the Brock University Digital Repository, an online collection of scholarly output produced by the Brock community and managed by the Library.
Researchers can submit work themselves to the repository or use a Library service called Support for Sharing Your Work – complete a form, attach your articles and Library staff will deposit them on your behalf.
More information about the open access policy, including answers to frequently asked questions and an opt-out form, can be found on the policy webpage.
For more information, contact Liaison and Scholarly Communication Librarian Elizabeth Yates – eyates@brocku.ca or your Liaison Librarian
Faculty, Open Access, Research, Scholarly Communication
Categories: Main
Did you know that ORCID® is the most widely used method for researchers to assert their online identity?
A new report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) notes that ORCID “has become a de facto standard” in higher education and government sectors, with more than 60 per cent of researchers in those fields reporting using an ORCID iD to digitally identify their research.
ORCID – Open Researcher and Contributor ID – is what’s called a researcher identifier: a unique numeric identifier that persists over time. Your ORCID id distinguishes you from other researchers and compiles a record in one spot that supports all of your professional activities – including career development, promotion and tenure processes and research funding applications.
The Brock University Library supports the use of ORCID and now offers a step-by-step tutorial which will help you sign up for this important research tool.
For more information, contact Liaison and Scholarly Communication Librarian Elizabeth Yates ~ eyates@brocku.ca
Research, Scholarly Communication
Categories: Main
Academic publishing is a hugely profitable enterprise, so it’s no surprise that some dubious companies take advantage of researchers by charging publishing fees but then failing to deliver quality outcomes.
These publishers are called “predatory” because of their unscrupulous business practices, which may include:
It can be challenging to avoid these problematic outlets, but a new quick guide from the Library can help.
For further information, check the Library’s Journal Evaluation Strategies or contact your Librarian or Scholarly Communication Librarian Elizabeth Yates, eyates@brocku.ca
Research, Scholarly Communication
Categories: Main