Posts by: Amy LaVertu

 

September workshop logo

 

Welcome back! We missed you! Start off this academic year on the right note and enhance your research skills with workshops@Hirsh. This month, we are kicking off our Fall workshop series by presenting three workshops that cover fundamental skills and resources.  If you need a refresher or feel overwhelmed, these workshops are for you. We hope you will join us!

Workshops will be held on Wednesdays from 12noon-1pm via Zoom.

Registration for workshops is required.  A Zoom link and password will be emailed to you after you register.   Please note that workshops are open to only Tufts-affiliated individuals.

September 14 – Approaching the Lit Review

Description:
In this workshop, students will learn how to approach the literature review. Topics covered include database selection, devising effective search techniques, limiting articles to relevant study-types, and tools for keeping track of results.

Instructor(s):
Amy E. LaVertu (she/her) is the librarian liaison to the Friedman School of Nutrition, as well as the departments of Geographic Medicine & Infectious Disease, and Psychiatry at the Tufts Medical Center. 

Register: https://tufts.libcal.com/event/9584669?hs=a 


September 21 – PubMed: An Introduction

Description:
This workshop will introduce you to PubMed, the world’s premiere biomedical literature database.  We will review the content of this database, planning and executing a search strategy, narrowing search results, finding full-text, and exporting results to a citation management program.

Instructor(s):
Allie Tatarian (they/them) is a data librarian, liaison for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and former biologist with over 5 years of wet lab experience. Their experience as a researcher sparked an interest in scientific communication, particularly in the ways scientists communicate with each other (and their future selves). Contact them for help with search strategies, data management, or finding molecular biology tools.

Register: https://tufts.libcal.com/event/9620364

 

September 28 – EndNote: the Basics 

Description:
This one-hour session will introduce you to the basics of using the citation management program EndNote.   EndNote allows you to create a library of references, attach and read PDFs, and generate in-text citations and bibliographies in Word documents.  This session is for beginners – no previous experience required!

Instructor(s):
Paige Scudder (she/her) is Hirsh Library’s Data and Educational Technology Librarian.

Register: https://tufts.libcal.com/event/9591551?hs=a

 

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In this post, we want to focus on two alternative transit modes that you may (or may not!) be as familiar with: “rails and sails,” aka, Commuter rail and Ferry service.

“Ridin’ the Rails”: the Commuter Rail

MBTA commuter train

By MBTafan2011 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24525677

According to the MBTA’s A Rider’s Guide to Planning Ahead:

“Riders can simply show their CharlieCard or CharlieTicket to conductors to ride the Commuter Rail in Zones 1A, 1, and 2 on ALL Commuter Rail lines at no charge.”

The Commuter Rail stops at the following Orange Line stations:

  • Forest Hills > South Station
  • Ruggles > South Station
  • Back Bay > South Station
  • Oak Grove > North Station (with connecting shuttle bus to Government Center)
  • Malden Center > North Station (with connecting shuttle bus to Government Center)

Because the MBTA providing service to Zones 1A, 1, and 2 on ALL Commuter Rail (with your CharlieCard or CharlieTicket), you might also want to do a bit of exploring! Check out which stations in Zones 1A, 1, and 2 are accessible at: https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2021-03/2021-03-23-cr-fare-zones.pdf

“Ships Ahoy!:” the Charlestown Ferry

MBTA boat

By Eric Kilby from Somerville, MA, USA – Glory, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81422537

If you live in Charlestown, there’s another transit option available to you: the Ferry. Ferries have run between the Boston’s North End and Charlestown since colonial times…and they’re still going strong!

The Charlestown Ferry makes frequent trips (about 10 minutes in duration) between the Charlestown Navy Yard and Rowes Wharf near the New England Aquarium.  Fares are $3.70 one way and you can ride the Ferry using your monthly subway or commuter rail pass.  Plus, the harbor views are GORGEOUS!

To learn more about the Charlestown Ferry, visit the MBTA’s Beginner’s Guide to the Ferry.

 

Image: Giant smug Capybara standing in a hoolahoop in a pool | https://imgur.com/gallery/7ZsSf

As you well know, it has been HOT lately! So, it’s the perfect time to re-up this post about finding places to go swim in the Boston-Area

You don’t have to be the world’s largest rodent to stay chill this summer! The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the City of Boston  maintains dozens of pools, spray parks and beaches in and around the greater Boston-area for free. So, go grab a suit, some sunblock and get swimming (but leave the cabybara at home)!

 
group of flowers

lilies photo by A. LaVertu, 2022

Spring is busting out all over…and so are opportunities to learn!  Workshops@Hirsh are designed to help your research skills blossom, so please join us for a workshop (or two or three) this month!

Workshops will be held on Tuesdays from 12noon-1pm via Zoom. Registration for workshops is required.  A Zoom link and password will be sent to registrants one hour prior to the start time of the Workshop. Please note that workshops are open to only Tufts-affiliated individuals.

PubMed: An Introduction 

Register: https://tufts.libcal.com/event/9041217?hs=a

Date:             Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Time:             12:00pm – 1:00pm

This workshop will introduce you to PubMed, the world’s premiere biomedical literature database.  We will review the content of this database, planning and executing a search strategy, narrowing search results, finding full-text, and exporting results to a citation management program.

JumboSearch

Register: https://tufts.libcal.com/event/9041247?hs=a

Date:             Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Time:             12:00pm – 1:00pm

In this workshop, you will learn how to use JumboSearch, Tufts Libraries’ discovery tool. JumboSearch is your gateway to full-text articles, books, theses and dissertations, videos, music, images, and more!

Documenting your literature search methods 

Register: https://tufts.libcal.com/event/9041255?hs=a

Date:             Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Time:             12:00pm – 1:00pm

There are many reasons to document your literature search methods, including:

  • Some publication types require it (i.e., systematic and scoping reviews)
  • Having a record for future search updates
  • Transparency and increased understanding of one’s discovery process

This workshop will discuss the reasons why it is important document your literature search methods. It will also review how to draft a narrative description of one’s search methods, tools for documenting one’s search strategy and results, including PRISMA flowcharts.

 

Data carpentry

Confused or overwhelmed by the prospect of working with data? Not sure where or how to acquire the skills you need to work effectively with research data? Then, look no further!

The Hirsh and Ginn libraries at Tufts are hosting a three-day Data Carpentry workshop on Mar 30-31 and Apr 1, 2022 all online.

What is Data Carpentry you ask?

Data Carpentry develops and teaches workshops on the fundamental data skills needed to conduct research. Open to all, including learners who have little to no prior computational experience. Lessons build on learners’ existing knowledge to enable them to quickly apply skills learned to their own research. Participants will be encouraged to work together and share experiences, with an eye toward applying what they have learned to their own research problems.

So, if you’re hoping to learn more about organizing data in spreadsheets, data cleaning with OpenRefine, and gaining an introduction into R, please register at this link!

All learners, including those with little to no prior experience with these tools, are welcome to participate. If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact Andrea Kang. We look forward to seeing you all there!

 

 
spring flowers

Spring flowers, photo by A. LaVertu, 2021

 

Are you done with winter? Us too! Time to shake off the cold temps and winter blues and get ready for Spring! Why not start put some of that Spring ‘energy’ into learning some new skills?  This month’s workshops present some wonderful opportunities for learning new skills and updating some skills that might have gotten, you know, ‘under used’! Come join us!

Workshops will be held on Tuesdays from 12noon-1pm via Zoom. Registration for workshops is required.  A Zoom link and password will be sent to registrants one hour prior to the start time of the Workshop. Please note that workshops are open to only Tufts-affiliated individuals.

 

Essentials of Data Management

Register:      https://tufts.libcal.com/event/8919110?hs=a

Date:             Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Time:             12:00pm – 1:00pm

In this workshop, we will review best practices for naming, organizing, storing, depositing your research data, and creating a Data Management Plan. Managing your data before you begin your research and throughout its life cycle is essential to ensure its current usability and long-run preservation and access.

 

***Special Event***
Writing Personal Statements

Register: https://tufts.libcal.com/event/7524356

Date: Monday, March 7, 2022

Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm

Join us for a special workshop with Christine Smith, MS, RD, a Health Sciences Writing Consultant on the Boston Campus, adjunct lecturer at the Friedman School and former Senior Editor of the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter. Christine will provide advice on writing personal statements, as well as her top writing tips. We will also share resources on application writing and interviewing.

 

EndNote: Advanced
Register:       https://tufts.libcal.com/event/8919117?hs=a

Date:             Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Time:             12:00pm – 1:00pm

This one-hour session explores more advanced features of EndNote. During this session we will discuss using EndNote to create figures with captions, how to find updated citation information for records already in EndNote, how to modify output styles and more.


Systematic Reviews: Laying the Groundwork

Register:      https://tufts.libcal.com/event/8919125?hs=a

Date:             Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Time:             12:00pm – 1:00pm

Come to this workshop to learn about systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and other types of high-level research reviews. We will discuss topics such as the elements of a systematic review, protocols, resources, timelines, and suggested databases.

 

How to Read a Paper
Register:       https://tufts.libcal.com/event/8933112?hs=a

Date:             Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Time:             12:00pm – 1:00pm

Understanding a study is an essential first step before critical appraisal. In this workshop, attendees will learn strategies to efficiently read and understand an academic research paper in the health sciences.

 

 

Nothing says “I love you” more than chocolates and…improving your  research skills! Sure, it’s not romantic – but – it will make getting that lit review done a much sweeter experience! So, we invite you to ‘make a date’ with one of the workshops offered this February!

Workshops will be held on Tuesdays from 12noon-1pm via Zoom. Registration for workshops is required.  A Zoom link and password will be sent to registrants one hour prior to the start time of the Workshop. Please note that workshops are open to only Tufts-affiliated individuals.

Chocolates in heart-shaped box

By Stewart Butterfield,

Approaching the Lit Review

Register:       https://tufts.libcal.com/event/8751835?hs=a

Date:             Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Time:             12:00pm – 1:00pm

Description:   In this workshop, students will learn how to approach the literature review. Topics covered include database selection, devising effective search techniques, limiting articles to relevant study-types, and tools for keeping track of results.

 

 Searching Basics: Strategic Searching using Concepts, Terms, & Boolean Operators

Register:     https://tufts.libcal.com/event/8751861?hs=a

Date:             Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Time:             12:00pm – 1:00pm

Description:   With strategic searching, you can rapidly set yourself up to either find more articles and other resources that might potentially be useful or to narrow down a search that has an overwhelming number of results. Yes, basic search strategies can meet either need! Get your intro to search logic with this workshop.

 

Beyond PubMed

Register:      https://tufts.libcal.com/event/8751867?hs=a

Date:             Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Time:             12:00pm – 1:00pm

Description:   Have you tried out your search on PubMed and are wondering if there’s something more? Did you get the advice you need to try another database in addition to PubMed and aren’t sure where to go next? Are you curious about what the most cited article is for your question? Do you want to know who has cited the articles you’ve selected so far?

While PubMed covers the biomedical sciences thoroughly, there are many other databases that cover all of the Sciences and Social Sciences broadly. This workshop will introduce you to resources beyond PubMed that will enrich your research.

 

Zotero: the Basics

Register:      https://tufts.libcal.com/event/8751886?hs=a

Date:             Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Time:             12:00pm – 1:00pm

Description: This session will introduce you to Zotero, a free citation management tool. With Zotero, you can:
•    collect references from web sites via your browser of choice
•    drag and drop PDFs to create references
•    generate in-text citations and bibliographies in Word documents

This session is for beginners – no previous experience required!

 
seven-eleven store front

Image source: Creative Commons – Calvin Teo, May 2006

Everyone knows that if you wait to long to do your holiday shopping, you will be gifts at the corner “7-11.” Trust us, “Slim Jims” and a gallon of blue anti-freeze are NOT on most folks’ holiday “wish lists”!  If you wait too long to start your research, you could be stuck using the resource equivalent of the corner “7-11”   – and yes, we’re looking at you Wikipedia and Google Books!

The good news is that you still have time to discover high-quality resources and to get help from the right people!  That is way we want to share with you  the following list of resources and services.  It’s not too late to get your research going in the right direction! Check out these resources and don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you need help!

 

Research Guides by Subject
https://hirshlibrary.tufts.edu/find/resources-by-subject
Need to subject specific resources, such as article databases, books and key web sites? Visit the Hirsh Library’s Research Guides by Subject to find the just right resource that has been carefully curated by the Hirsh’s research & instruction librarians.

Librarian Assistance
https://hirshlibrary.tufts.edu/research/assistance
“Our Research & Instruction librarians provide a wide range of informational and instructional services to the Tufts community. We offer instruction on biomedical resources individually, in small groups, and through course-related instruction.”

Health Writing Consultants
https://researchguides.library.tufts.edu/writingconsultants
“Free writing assistance is available to all current health sciences students at Tufts’ downtown campus. Health Sciences Writing Consultants support projects such as research papers, clinical articles, personal statements, theses, doctoral dissertations, conference papers, proposals, posters, and abstracts. ”

Data Lab Assistants
https://hirshlibrary.tufts.edu/services/data-lab
“Data Lab Assistants provide walk-up help at the Tufts Technology Services Support Desk on the 5th floor of the Medical Education Building.  Lab Assistants can answer questions about using GIS, statistical and data visualization software. “

 
data

DARPA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commonshttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/DARPA_Big_Data.jpg

This is just a  friendly reminder that you don’t want to miss next Tuesday’s (11/9 12noon-1pm) Workshop@Hirsh, Essentials of Data Management! In this workshop, we will review best practices for naming, organizing, storing, depositing your research data, and creating a Data Management Plan. Managing your data before you begin your research and throughout its life cycle is essential to ensure its current usability and long-run preservation and access.

Zoom link and password will be sent to registrants one hour prior to the start time of the Workshop. To register for this workshop, please visit: https://tufts.libcal.com/event/8156301

 
pumpkin pie

Peggy Greb, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Pumpkin_Pie.jpg

Gobble! Gobble! November is here, which means there will be a feast of…workshops@Hirsh!!! This month come and get your fill of the skills and resources you need to enhance your research. While there won’t be dessert, we promise that you won’t need to take a nap after!

Workshops will be held on Tuesdays from 12noon-1pm via Zoom. Registration for workshops is required.  A Zoom link and password will be sent to registrants one hour prior to the start time of the Workshop. Please note that workshops are open to only Tufts-affiliated individuals.

Zotero: the Basics
Date: Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Registration: https://tufts.libcal.com/event/8156311?hs=a

Description:

This session will introduce you to Zotero, a free citation management tool. With Zotero, you can:
•    collect references from web sites via your browser of choice
•    drag and drop PDFs to create references
•    generate in-text citations and bibliographies in Word documents

This session is for beginners – no previous experience required!

Essentials of Data Management
Date: Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Registration: https://tufts.libcal.com/event/8156301?hs=a

Description:

In this workshop, we will review best practices for naming, organizing, storing, depositing your research data, and creating a Data Management Plan. Managing your data before you begin your research and throughout its life cycle is essential to ensure its current usability and long-run preservation and access.

VisualDx
Date: Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Registration: https://tufts.libcal.com/event/8156489?hs=a

Description:

This workshop will introduce you to VisualDx, a diagnostic clinical decision support system designed to enhance diagnostic accuracy and aid therapeutic decisions. VisualDx is a database that uses images of common and rare medical conditions to assist with diagnosis. VsualDx includes more than 3,000 diagnoses and over 41,000 images, to aid in diagnosing infectious, immunologic, metabolic, nutritional, psychiatric, and genetic diseases.

Research Metrics
Date: Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Registration: https://tufts.libcal.com/event/8156421?hs=a

Description:

In this workshop, we will show you how to find the number of times an article has been cited, create a citation report for a set of articles or an author, and compare citation statistics for authors, journals or articles in a particular field.  We will also discuss emerging metrics (‘altmetrics’), such as the number of times an article has been viewed or downloaded. Finally, we will show you how to choose the right journal for your manuscript.

 
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