Research Workshops, Spring 2013
The UCLA Library offers researchers helpful workshops on a variety of topics. Unless otherwise noted, sessions are open; no advance registration is required.
Data 101: Introduction to Research Data Management (sixty minutes)
Friday, April 5, 1 p.m.
Drowning in data? Need to write a data management plan? Responsible for your lab’s research data? The Library can help you learn how to manage your research data more effectively. Taught by Tony Aponte, librarian, Science and Engineering Library. Meet in the Science and Engineering Library/Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Collection, Boelter Hall, room 8270. RSVP by email.
Endnote (sixty minutes)
Wednesday, April 17, 2 p.m.
This hands-on session offers an overview of EndNote, a citation management software program that helps researchers manage and organize their references and automatically create and format citations and bibliographies. Taught by Gabriella Gray, librarian for education and applied linguistics, Charles E. Young Research Library. Meet in the Research Library East Classroom, room 21536.
Introduction to Zotero (sixty minutes)
Tuesday, April 23, noon
Find out about the purpose, uses, and features of Zotero, a free, open-source application that helps researchers manage references and notes and create formatted bibliographies. Taught by Margarita Nafpaktitis, librarian for Slavic and East European studies and instruction coordinator, Charles E. Young Research Library. Meet in the Research Library Research Commons Classroom, room 11630F.
Writing a Successful Data Management Plan (sixty minutes)
Wednesday, April 24, noon
Tuesday, April 30, 1 p.m.
Whether you’re writing a formal data management plan (DMP) to meet a funder requirement or you just want to think ahead about how to best manage your data, this workshop will walk you through the steps to writing a successful data management plan. We’ll discuss how to use the DMPTool, a free, interactive website for writing DMPs, and cover resources to help you answer the questions you’ll need to think about in writing your DMP. Taught by Lisa Federer, Research Informationist, Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library. Meet in the Biomedical Library Classroom. Seating is limited, please RSVP (April 24 or April 30) to reserve a space. If you're not able to attend either session, check out our Data Wednesdays page after the session to get slides, video, handouts, and other materials.
Introduction to Text Markup Using TEI (ninety minutes)
Tuesday, April 30, 11 a.m.
This session gives a quick introduction to the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) standard, which is used by humanities scholars and librarians to create digital editions of documents, books, manuscripts, and other material. Taught by Lisa McAulay and Jennifer Weintraub, librarians for digital collections. Meet in the Charles E. Young Research Library Research Commons Classroom, room 11630F.
Management of Research Data (sixty minutes)
Tuesday, May 7, 1 p.m.
This workshop focuses on managing research data generated in the field of education, though it may also be of interest to scholars in other social sciences fields. It addresses video, audio, and both qualitative and quantitative data formats. Taught by Libbie Stephenson, data archivist, and Rebekah Cummings, intern assistant, UCLA Social Science Data Archives. Meet in the Charles E. Young Research Library Research Commons Classroom, room 11630F.
Intermediate Zotero (sixty minutes)
Thursday, May 9, 1 p.m.
Already a Zotero user? Explore more features in this session, including working with groups, sharing bibliographies, generating reports, and more. Taught by Margarita Nafpaktitis, librarian for Slavic and East European studies and instruction coordinator, Charles E. Young Research Library. Meet in the Research Library Research Commons Classroom, room 11630F.
Data Visualization for the Web (ninety minutes)
Friday, May 10, 1 p.m.
Part of the “Data Visualization for the Web” series; see description and location information below
Managing Research Assets (sixty minutes)
Tuesday, May 14, noon
There’s research, there’s writing, and then there’s that netherworld in between: wrangling all the digital files gathered over the course of your work. Designed for researchers in the humanities, this workshop covers tools for gathering, sorting, and citing this information so that you can focus on your writing. Taught by Miriam Posner, UCLA Digital Humanities Program coordinator. Meet in the Charles E. Young Research Library Research Commons Classroom, room 11630F.
Visualization and Network Analysis (ninety minutes)
Friday, May 17, 1 p.m.
Part of the “Data Visualization for the Web” series; see description and location information below
How to Formulate Your Research Question (ninety minutes)
Thursday, May 23, 12:30 p.m.
This workshop covers how to move from your own interests to a topic, determine a possible research question, and make a case for the significance of that question. You’ll also learn the components of a strong argument and where to start searching for evidence. Taught by Kelly E. Miller, director of UCLA Library Teaching and Learning Services and head of the College Library. Meet in the Charles E. Young Research Library Research Commons Classroom, room 11630F.
Interactive Visualization for the Web (ninety minutes)
Friday, May 24, 1 p.m.
Part of the “Data Visualization for the Web” series; see description and location information below
From Paper to 3D: Viewing Historical Maps in Google Earth (ninety minutes)
Wednesday, May 29, 1 p.m.
Learn to use and visualize a scanned print map in GIS applications and Google Earth. The first part will focus on georeferencing a scanned map using ArcGIS, and the second part will show how to visualize maps in Google Earth for a fully immersive 3D interaction. Taught by Ryan Chen and Yoh Kawano, UCLA’s GIS gurus. Meet in the Center for Digital Humanities Learning Lab, Rolfe 2118.
New Series: Data Visualization for the Web
This series of three ninety-minute workshops on “Data Visualization for the Web” has been designed so that each workshop builds on information and activities covered in previous sessions, and participants are encouraged to attend all three. If you can only make it to one workshop, you are still welcome to attend; you will be provided with the tools and instruction necessary for participating.
Data Visualization for the Web (ninety minutes)
Friday, May 10, 1 p.m.
Learn the basics of data visualization and charts to present data sets on the web, including the proper format in which to structure data for use with common web tools and popular charting and visualization frameworks including Google Charts. Data sets will be provided. Knowledge of basic web technologies like HTML and Javascript will be helpful but is not required. Taught by Kristian Allen, programmer/analyst, UCLA Digital Library Program. Meet in the Charles E. Young Research Library Laboratory for Digital Cultural Heritage (northwest alcove).
Visualization and Network Analysis (ninety minutes)
Friday, May 17, 1 p.m.
This workshop will introduce the basics of network analysis: how to use Gephi to create network data and visualize and analyze it. Essential features Gephi will be demonstrated, and attendees will participate in an exercise to create a visualization of their Facebook friends. Taught by Zoe Borovsky, librarian for digital research and scholarship, Charles E. Young Research Library. Meet in the Research Library Laboratory for Digital Cultural Heritage (northwest alcove).
Interactive Visualization for the Web (ninety minutes)
Friday, May 24, 1 p.m.
This workshop will introduce more advanced data visualization frameworks available for web presentation, reviewing and comparing popular options including D3 and Raphael. Some programming knowledge is recommended but not required. Taught by Kristian Allen, programmer/analyst, UCLA Digital Library Program. Meet in the Charles E. Young Research Library Laboratory for Digital Cultural Heritage (northwest alcove).
Other Resources
Research Guides
Online subject guides, course guides, and general research guides are available that link to key resources and reference books for certain courses and disciplines.
Research Appointments
Graduate Students and Faculty
Graduate students and faculty are encouraged to contact the Library's subject specialists for more specialized and personalized assistance with research, library resources, and subject databases.
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate students may request an appointment to discuss their research projects by writing to college-ref@library.ucla.edu. If you need help in identifying useful resources for an assignment, project, or paper, schedule a thirty-minute consultation.
Copyright Questions
Contact the Library's copyright experts for assistance with copyright, publishing, intellectual property, and other related issues at copyright@library.ucla.edu.
Graduate Writing Center
The Graduate Writing Center offers graduate students many helpful workshops on a variety of research- and writing-related topics. The workshop schedule is available online.
Undergraduate Writing Center
The Undergraduate Writing Center offers one-on-one appointments with a Peer Learning Facilitator (a fellow undergraduate who is trained to help with writing). Peer Learning Facilitators (PLFs) can assist with any kind of paper for any class, and at any stage of the writing process. Appointments can be made in multiple locations, including the Powell Library Inquiry Lab. See http://www.wp.ucla.edu/services.html for more information or to make an appointment.