Data management plans (DMPs) are vital to help you efficiently manage your data during your research. It’s also a requirement to write a DMP to take to your progress review.

These sessions are designed to give you time to work on your DMP with Library staff on hand to give advice. You are welcome to join the session whatever stage your DMP is at – we can help you to get started or you can bring a draft DMP for discussion.

RDF categories: 2.3 Information and data literacy; 3.3 Risk management.

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at all stages.

Facilitators: The Library Research Support team support researchers with their research data management.

This workshop introduces core techniques for literature searching. We'll start by exploring connections between research outputs and authors to uncover new sources. Building on this, we’ll demonstrate how to carry out structured, systematic searches, getting you familiar with the advanced techniques that can be applied across different academic databases.

By the end of the workshop, you will be able to:

• construct and refine literature searches using effective strategies that move from unstructured exploration to structured database searching
• apply advanced search techniques across a range of databases and resources to locate relevant literature
• evaluate the reliability, relevance, and authority of sources retrieved through different search methods
• implement effective techniques for monitoring and staying up-to-date with newly published research.

RDF categories: 2.3 Information and data literacy.

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at all stages.

Facilitators: Nicholas Heavey is a Teaching and Learning Librarian and leads on the development and delivery of the Library’s teaching strategy.

Through activities and tutorials, you’ll learn techniques for getting your writing into shape. After the workshop, you will have a polished chunk of writing and a clear strategy for tackling the rest of your publication.

By the end of the workshop you will:

• know how much time you need for editing
• improve your structure
• learn to signpost your argument
• maintain consistency, clarity and connections
• manage wrangling with grammar and style
• proofread your own work
• solicit and implement feedback.

RDF categories: 2.5 Critical thinking and analysis; 1.7 Reflexive.

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at the mid to late stage of their degree.

Facilitators: Dr Fez Sibanda is an Assistant Professor in Education at the University of Sussex, teaching across both BA and MA programme.

This hands-on workshop will help you to stay organised and reference accurately using Zotero. You will learn how to add items to your Zotero Library, how to start creating collections, how to automatically add citations from Zotero to your work, and more.

By the end of the workshop, you will have:

• learnt how to add items to your Zotero library
• learnt how to create collections
• learnt how to add citations from Zotero into your work.

RDF categories: 2.3 Information and data literacy; 2.4 Digital and technological capabilities.

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at all stages.

Facilitators: Nicholas Heavey is a Teaching and Learning Librarian and leads on the development and delivery of the Library’s teaching strategy.

This workshop introduces the key platforms used to create and manage researcher profiles and explores how they can support your professional reputation and raise research visibility. Focusing on Elements, the University's research information system, the workshop will demonstrate how to build and maintain an effective profile to present your research, professional, publication and teaching activities.

By the end of the workshop, you will be able to:

• recognise the role of online profiles in enhancing research visibility and credibility
• identify key platforms for creating and managing an online researcher profile
• create an ORCID ID
• apply best practices in curating your Elements profile
• locate sources of guidance and support.

RDF categories: 4.1 Communication; 1.5 Collaborative; 5.6 Networking; 3.4 Open research.

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at all stages, early career researchers and academics.

Facilitators: The Library Research Support team support researchers at all levels across the University.

Writing a data management plan (DMP) is useful for researchers in all disciplines. Research data is produced by most projects, and can be anything: interview recordings, sensor data, economic models and more. A DMP covers how data will be collected, organised, managed, stored, secured, backedup, preserved and, where applicable, shared.

By the end of the workshop, you will be able to:

• describe what a data management plan is and explain the benefits of writing one
• identify the core elements of a DMP
• use DMPOnline to locate suitable templates and guidance to begin a DMP
• outline a DMP for your own research project.

RDF categories: 2.3 Information and data literacy; 3.3 Risk management.

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at all stages, early career researchers and academics.

Facilitators: The Library Research Support team support researchers with their research data management.

How safe is your research data? What would happen if you lost it all? This session will help you consider how to keep your research data organised and secure.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• implement effective file naming conventions to improve the organisation and retrieval of your research data
• develop a backup strategy to minimise the risk of data loss
• evaluate the security strengths and weaknesses of various data storage options (e.g. cloud, local, institutional)
• adopt secure working practices to prevent putting data and participants at risk.

RDF categories: 2.3 Information and data literacy; 3.3 Risk management.

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at all stages, early career researchers and academics.

Facilitators: The Library Research Support team support researchers with their research data management.

Qualitative data has rich potential for re-use in future research, but it can be challenging to navigate routes for data sharing. This session will support attendees with data management planning that will help embed consideration of data sharing principles throughout the research process.

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• understand best practice in using consent forms and participant information sheets to seek consent for data sharing
• identify common pitfalls in phrasing that prevent data sharing
• consider a range of options for sharing qualitative data, including using embargos or restricted access.

RDF categories: 2.3 Information and data literacy; 3.4 Open research.

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at all stages, early career researchers and academics.

Facilitators: The Library Research Support team support researchers with their research data management.

This intensive one-day writing retreat can help you get back on track and make significant progress with your chapter, article or book. You get the time and space to focus. With guidance from an experienced facilitator, you’ll set realistic goals and achieve them in a supportive environment.

By the end of the session, you’ll have:

• a better understanding of your writing process and habits
• strategies for improving your focus
• techniques for planning and measuring progress
• a peer group
• a big chunk of writing!

RDF categories: 4.1 Communication; 4.2 Research outputs.

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at all stages and early career researchers.

Facilitators: This retreat is facilitated by Dr Perpetua Kirby and Dr Emily Danvers, from the School of Education and Social Work.

This workshop will introduce the concept of open research and explore opportunities for implementing open research principles into your own practice. It will cover open access publishing, open data, open source software, open peer review and tools and techniques to help you discover open access materials.

By the end of the workshop, you will be able to:

• define key concepts of open research
• describe the benefits of open research for researchers, institutions and society
• assess how open research practices align with and support your chosen research methodology
• identify and apply relevant open research practices and locate sources of support and guidance to help you implement them effectively.

RDF categories: 3.4 Open research; 1.9 Responsible.

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at all stages, early career researchers and academics.

Facilitators: The Library Research Support team support researchers at all levels across the University.

This session provides advice and guidance on a variety of approaches to writing a thesis. As well as content on planning and structures, there will be space to write and to reflect together as part of a supportive writers' network.

By the end of the workshop, you will:

• appreciate the requirements and elements of a postgraduate thesis
• reflect on what you've already achieved, set goals for the next steps and feel energised about the next stages of writing
• receive guidance on a variety of approaches to structuring the content of your thesis
• share tips for planning and scheduling the writing (and finishing) of your thesis.

RDF categories: 3.2 Project management; 1.3 Organised.

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at the early to mid stage of their degree.

Facilitators: Dr Fez Sibanda is an Assistant Professor in Education at the University of Sussex, teaching across both BA and MA programme.

There's so much to fit into your final year and careful planning is essential. With clear guidance, individual exercises, and group discussion, this practical workshop helps you prepare for the last stages of your research degree, including submission, the viva, and what happens next.

By the end of the session, you’ll have:

• a strategy for the successful completion of your thesis
• more confidence in your ability to get through the final year
• a clear idea of the skills you need to develop.

RDF categories: 3.2 Project management; 1.3 Organised; 1.8 Motivated.

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at the mid to late stage of their degree.

Facilitators: Dr Catherine Pope supports researchers in overcoming obstacles and achieving their goals, working with clients from PhD students to Professors.

The viva can be a daunting experience for which you need to be well-prepared. This workshop will de-mystify the viva process and requirements, and provide you with useful guidance on preparing for the big day. You'll also hear examples of real questions and experiences from recent successful vivas across different Schools, and benefit from the opportunity to participate in a mock viva.

By the end of the session, you will:

• understand the viva process and possible outcomes
• have received practical guidance on familiarising yourself with your thesis and preparing for potential questions
• have gained useful insights on what to expect and how to get ready for your viva.

RDF categories: 4.1 Communication; 4.2 Research outputs.

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at the mid to late stage, from any Arts, Humanities or Social Science subject.

Facilitators: Dr Fez Sibanda is an Assistant Professor in Education at the University of Sussex, teaching across both BA and MA programme.

The viva can be a daunting event for postgraduate researchers. This workshop will de-mystify the viva process rules and requirements and provide you with useful guidance about how you can prepare for the big day throughout your PGR journey. You will also learn how to craft effective preparation questions that fit your PGR project, receive tips on how to interact with your examiners, and benefit from an opportunity to participate in a mock viva.

By the end of the session, you will:

• understand the viva process and possible outcomes
• have received practical guidance on familiarising yourself with your thesis and preparing for potential questions
• have gained useful insights on what to expect and how to get ready for your viva.

RDF categories: 4.1 Communication; 4.2 Research outputs.

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at the mid to late stage, from any Science subject.

Facilitators: This workshop is delivered by Dr Ronald Grau, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (Informatics).

The literature review forms a substantial part of your postgraduate thesis and is also an ongoing process. Through clear examples, individual exercises, and group discussion, this workshop gets you started with your review or helps you reflect on your draft review.

By the end of the workshop, you will:

• understand the purpose of the literature review and the process behind it
• have developed your research questions and identified keywords
• have discovered the tools available for your literature search and techniques for effective reading and notetaking
• have understood how to write critically to build an argument.

RDF categories: 2.3 Information and data literacy; 2.5 Critical thinking and analysis

Target audience: Postgraduate researchers at the early stage of their degree.

Facilitators: Dr Sophie Valeix is Senior Operations Officer for the ESRC Centre for Digital Futures at Work (Digit) at the University of Sussex.