Doing Library Research: Strategies and Tools
Facilitated by Donna Ziegenfuss
FRI, Jan 18^th 3:30 – 4:30 pm  
Sill 120

In this session, you will learn how to navigate the Marriott Library’s online resources and how to efficiently do library research.  You will be introduced to many library resources relevant to your individual field of research including field-specific journals and citation management tools.  This seminar is useful for students at any point in their project and can be revisited as online resources continue to develop.

Student feedback from this session:

"Good tips for narrowing your search when looking for journal articles. Also helpful to learn how to get access to articles the university does not already have access to."
"Especially for those with little to no research experience, the resources and walk-through would be very useful. Even if you are experienced, there are new nuances of researching and resources to learn about. A must go if you wish to engage with scholarly work."
"Donna was so helpful! I didn't realize how much I didn't know about properly using resources. She showed us a lot of great tips with various resources & showed us the easiest/quickest way to find articles, save them, & properly use them. Her presentation was very organized & nice. I would HIGHLY recommend this URES!"

Creating Effective Research Posters
Facilitated by Taylor Sparks
FRI, Jan. 25^th 12:30 – 1:30 pm
Sill 120

In this session, you will learn about the characteristics of effective research poster design.  This session covers content and aesthetics of research posters.  This seminar is most useful for students currently needing to create a research poster, but is also helpful for students thinking about how to talk about their project.

Resources for this session can be found here: https://uofu.app.box.com/files/0/f/27263941512

Student feedback from this session:

"Learning how to convey data is just as important as collecting the data. I highly recommend this URES session for students new to research understanding how to explain their research to someone not involved."
"This isn't something that's taught in classes, all the information presented was new and helpful. Since every UROP student needs to make a poster I feel as if every UROP student should have the option to access this info."
"Some things presented I wouldn't have thought about when making a poster. Such as line colors that are friendly to colorblindness."

Public Speaking – How to Present
Presented by Sydney Cheek-O’Donnell
THURS Jan. 31^st 10:30 – 11:30 am
Sill 120

In this seminar, you will hear about techniques for and issues with effective public speaking.   You will learn how to present in a variety of formats.  This seminar is useful for any student, as public speaking is both necessary in research dissemination and takes a lot of practice. 

Student feedback about this session:

“There is no better way to teach others about public speaking than having someone present a good example. That was done is spades today."
"This presentation covered a lot of great things, especially focusing on the basics of giving a presentation. I never thought simply focusing on my breathing and my voice could help so much in keeping me focused in giving a presentation."
"-was very knowledgeable when giving advice/tips - thorough but not overly detailed to an extreme - BEST UROP presentation I've been to - Had useful example tasks.”

Intro to the Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Facilitated by Gary Henderson
WED, Feb. 6^th  3 – 4 pm
Sill 120

In this session, you will learn the basic history of the Institutional Review Board (IRB), what counts as Human Subjects research, and how and when you might need to use the IRB while doing research here at the U.  This session is good for anyone who is or is interested in doing research with Human Subjects at any stage of their research.

Student feedback on this session:

"I did not have a clear idea about what the IRB did or under what instances I would need to involve them. This presentation was very helpful for future research projects."
"It helped clear information that would be needed to be reviewed by the IRB. As well as the application process."

Data Management
Facilitated by Daureen Nesdill
MON, Feb. 11^th 11:15 – 12:15 pm
Sill 120
                                                           

Effective data management is not intuitive.  In this seminar, you will learn about basic issues with data management (e.g. naming files, file storage, etc.) and you will be directed to useful data management resources.  As everyone who is doing research deals with some kind of data, this seminar is relevant to all researchers.

Student feedback about this session:

"Data management skills can help me organize my school work, profession information, and research data collections.  After this class I will be able to find all the papers I've written without having the open every single one. No more "Where did I put that file" panic!!"
"i learned a lot about ways to stay organized, even when working w/ data from multiple people.  i also learned about using encrypted servers/storage locations.  it was a very helpful session to attend and its very important to doing research."
"The lecture gave explicit examples of how to manage data: file name examples, folder storage, storage systems. The examples make it easier to implement data management."

Writing an Abstract
Facilitated by Christie Toth
WED, Feb. 20^th 2:30 – 3:30 pm
Sill 120

In this session, you will learn about how to write an effective research abstract.  You will work on framing your research project concisely and accurately.  You will leave ready to write your research abstract.  This seminar is most useful for students currently needing to write an abstract.  It is also useful for students developing how to think about their project.

Student feedback about this session:

"This session really helped in breaking down the pieces of an abstract in a way that develops easy-to-follow system to apply to one's own work."
"It was helpful analyzing or hearing others analyze abstracts from another field. In this way, the components of an effective abstract become clearer and the differing structures and why you might use them more apparent."
"I like that we had hands-on practice analyzing abstracts to understand their components. Observing abstracts across many fields gave a broad understanding of their use."

Letters of Recommendation
Presented by Matt Haber
MON, Feb. 25^th 11:30 – 12:30 pm
Sill 120

In this seminar, you will learn about how to approach your faculty mentor about writing you a letter of recommendation.  This is an art all its own and many students are not aware that there are professional parameters for this request.  This seminar is appropriate at any point in a student’s education.

Student feedback about this session:

"-Great intro to what a letter is, especially for students who haven't seen letters of recommendation. -Good breakdown of how to ask for a letter. - Important insight on the professor's experience writing a letter."
"This information surprised me & made me feel more comfortable about this new realm. Letters of recommendation have been scary and after talking with Professor Haber I feel like I can navigate this process well. I would like this knowledge to be give to freshman!"
"good advice about who to ask, when to ask... and highlights the competitive nature of application process so that students are aware & know how to get strong letters of recommendation."

Personal Statements
Presented by Ann Engar
TUES, Mar. 5^th 3:30 – 4:30
Sill 120

In this session, you will learn about what content goes into an effective personal statement and how to structure your personal statement.  Personal statements are necessary for graduate, medical, and professional school applications, as well as for many job applications.  This seminar will be useful to students at any point in their education.

Student feedback from this session:

"Dispelled many myths and tangibly clarified effective methods of approaching, structuring, and writing personal statements."
"This gave me a clear understanding of what a personal statement is & makes me feel more confident in writing my own."
"Prof. Engar is one of the best & most influential prof. I've had. Her lectures are always engaging and informative. She gives lots of examples and engages her large audience well."

Mentorship Workshop
Facilitated by Doug Mackay
TUES, Mar. 19^th 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Sill 120

Good mentorship is crucial to a successful research experience and cultivating a strong relationship with your mentor is a two-way street. In this workshop expect to discuss

-what to expect from your mentor
-boundaries
-problem solving when issues with your mentor come up

Please read the articles located in this folder: https://uofu.box.com/s/iesy4j8ntyxg9926tpp97kkjr92n5k92 before coming to the session.

Student feedback from this session:

"Lot helpful advice on how to better the relationship of mentor-mentee.  The contents of the workshop directly apply to my situation and will be useful for me get more out of research." "Although me research experience has been positive thus far, I recognized areas in which I can improve. I am excited to go into the lab and strengthen my relationship with my PI." "Educational. Brings light to how mentor-student relationships can be successful. It's important to know how to get the most our of your research experiences throughout school, prior to entering the professional field. Very insightful workshop."

Queering Research
Moderated by Gabriella Blanchard; Panelists TBA
MON, Mar. 25^th 12 – 1 pm
Sill 120

This panel’s topic is queer experiences in research, from both the researcher’s and participant’s perspective. Panelists will address topics concerning past experiences in research and future outlooks. Topics might include: what it’s like to both do and participate in research as a queer person; some common microaggressions we come across and how best to deconstruct them; and what we as queer people would like to see in the future in research.

Please submit questions for panel discussion HERE.

Imposter Syndrome
Facilitated by Pearl Sandick
THURS, Mar. 28^th 3- 4 pm
Sill 120

Have you ever felt like you don’t belong at the University, in your lab, at your job? Do you feel like one day everyone will figure it out and you’ll be exposed as a fraud?  You might be experiencing imposter syndrome.  In this session, you will earn more about imposter syndrome and a few ways to help combat it.

Student feedback from this session:

"Because imposter syndrome is applicable to so many people, it's good to know that a lot of the self-doubt you feel is made-up/experienced by nearly everyone. This talk will make you more positive towards yourself and your talents. "
"Knowing is half the battle. The more you are aware of yourself, the more your feelings of being an imposter subside. Dr. Sandick provides scholarly evidence on the basis on "imposter syndrome," as well as other related feelings. If you feel like you don't belong, feel inadequate, or have a similar sentiment, you must go."
"Pearl Sandick is one of the most approachable faculty members I've ever heard. She's a theoretical particle physicist, yet she is passionate and knowledgeable about issues bigger than any one field. She uses research to guide her points and prove the importance and consequences of our unconscious attitudes, biases, and actions."

How to Read a Research Article
Presented by Behrad Noudoost
FRI, Apr. 5^th 12 – 1 pm
Sill 120

In this seminar you will learn about how to read a research article effectively.  You will be given tips and strategies for how to read scholarly journal articles.  This seminar in appropriate for any student who needs to read contemporary research in their field.

Student feedback from this session:

"Speaker does a good job of presenting how papers are actually written and how that informs how you should read one. Gives good techniques on how to read a paper in your field vs. not in your field."
"This talk is a good way to learn about how to look at a paper an understand it w/o being overwhelmed. he takes complicated papers and shows us how to simplify what we see and focus on only what's significant/important for us."
"The presenter was very knowledgeable and it is a good thing to know how to do. Also gives us tips on how to write a good paper, knowing how to read a paper and what makes a good paper."

Leveraging Your Research Experience in Industry
Career Services Panel
WED, Apr. 10^th 12 – 1 pm
Sill 120

This is a panel of local employers who actively seek out employees with research experience.  In this panel discussion, you will learn about why research experience is so valuable in industry and how to leverage your own research experience when applying to jobs. This session will be beneficial to any student who is currently seeking or who will soon be seeking employment.

Student feedback about this session:

"This session gave great information and advice not just about using your research experience, but about resumes, interviews, and getting a job overall. So I think this is a very useful session for every student."
"Many students will not go on to conduct research after graduations, but will utilize the skills gained from research experience later in their career. Its important for people to know which skills they can bring to a company."
"Its extremely helpful to learn how to translate what I'm doing w/ my research to fields outside of my degree or my lab + apply my skills to potential careers."

How to Translate Your Research into a Resume
Presented by Career Services Ambassadors
 FRI, Apr. 12^th 2 – 3 pm
Sill 120

In this session, you will learn which parts of and how to highlight your research experience on an academic resume.  It is all about marketing! Please come prepared with a draft of your resume so that you may workshop it in the session.  This session will be helpful to students at any point in their research, as keeping up a resume is a constant project.

Student feedback about this session:
"Very helpful in understanding proper resume formatting and the conditions and wording that makes a strong impact on an employer."
"The information provided in this URES was something that will help in many ways in the future. It is important to know how to best market yourself and learning how to make a well-formed resume that best shows what was done is very beneficial to learn."
"It was good to see examples of how they had written different sections. Resumes are a big part of getting a job so it is good to learn as much as possible."

Reflection as Part of the Research Process
Presented by Seetha Veeraghanta
THURS, Apr. 18^th 9:15 – 10:15 am
Sill 120

Reflection, though a necessary part of the research process, is not often explicitly discussed or taught.  This session will help you intentionally incorporate reflection into to your daily research and at the end of an experience. This session is useful for any student at any point in their research experience.

Student feedback from the session:

"Dr. V is interesting, engaging, & funny. I thought this session was especially useful at the end of 2 semesters of research. I also appreciated her encouraging us to practice using the questions on the final report; because it made me think about the implications of my research (even though the results were not as quantitative as I hoped.) They were still meaningful!"
"I think she is funny and her stories are quite entertaining. I thought she tied her stories and the presentation tied together very well."
"Especially for an engineer, it was a very interesting perspective to think of things about. We are very analytical thinkers, so it was a cool experience to view things from a sociological perspective."

Contextualizing Your Research
Facilitated by Shane Macfarlan
FRI, Apr. 19^th 12:15 – 1:15 pm
Sill 120

In this session, you will work to identify several perspectives outside of the immediate perspective of the lab or project from which you can view your work, how your work fits in with those viewpoints, and how to explain those larger perspectives of your work to an audience (in a paper, presentation, or to a community member).

Student Feedback from this session:

"Showed me that my research is actually significant. It can help other in different communities and even improve my own community. Research is not for just myself and the people I research with."
"It was great to hear about strategies - e.g. think bigger - for contextualizing research on larger groups such as the community or the discipline as a whole."
"Nice presentation that brought up aspects of research I had not previously considered."