Want to request a Search Savvy Seminar for your course or a group of five or more? 

We're happy to offer sessions for classes or groups. Use the form below to select a topic and request a session.

Sessions available:

Search Skills

Getting Started @ the Libraries
Are you a new student, staff, or faculty member? Would you like to learn more about the services and tools the University Libraries offer? In this short session, we’ll cover what the library can do for you, tips for efficient searching, how to get items the Libraries don’t have, and where to get help.

Get Better Search Results: Optimal Search Strategies for Google and Databases 
Different search tools can interpret the same searches in different ways, giving you surprising and sometimes irrelevant results. In this session, get tips for searching search engines and databases that will help you get the results you want.

Speed Dat(abase)ing: Finding Great Journal Articles
URI subscribes to over 250 different databases, but how do you know which is the right one for you? Come learn about the differences between different research databases, and leave with a list of databases that hold promise for your research. 

Getting the Most from Google
Did you know that Google automatically ignores some of the search terms you type in, and changes the results based on your location, previous searches, and other factors? Learn how to dig deep in Google search results to get the best information for your professional and personal research.

Managing Citations

Choosing and Using a Citation Manager: An Introduction to Mendeley, RefWorks, and Zotero
Would you rather spend more time writing, researching, and creating, and less time managing and citing your sources? There are tools to help with that! Come learn about three popular citation managers to see which fits your workflow the best. You’ll leave this session with an understanding of which tool will work best for you, and you’ll be ready to get to work with the tool of your choice.

Managing Research and Citations with RefWorks
The RefWorks reference manager helps you efficiently collect research, manage and share citations, and build bibliographies. The Microsoft Word and Google Docs plugins allow you to sync your citations and seamlessly insert them into your work. (If you’d like assistance in installing the Word plug-in, please bring a laptop with you to this session.)

Manage Research and Citations with Zotero
Zotero is a reference and research manager that has recently undergone a major upgrade. In this session, learn how to use this free, open-source tool to organize your research and create citations. Works with Microsoft Word to make writing and citing easier.

Manage Research and Citations with Mendeley
Mendeley is a citation and research manager that also helps you connect with other researchers in your field and share your data. Learn about these major functions in this introductory session, and bring your laptop if you’d like assistance setting up the Microsoft Word plugin.

Academic Integrity

Plagiarism as Research Misconduct: What Faculty and Grad Students Need to Know 
Literature reviews and proposals are frequently based on the published and unpublished work of other researchers in the field. But how do you know if you’re attributing work and citing it correctly? This session will cover common forms of plagiarism and strategies to avoid it.

Research "Hacks"

Get What You Need, Fast: Interlibrary Loan, Institutional Repositories, and More
What's the best way to get a book or article you need for your research if URI doesn't have access? Join us to learn how to use our new Interlibrary Loan system and get additional tips and strategies for locating materials not at URI.

Save Time Searching with Database Search Alerts and Feed Readers
Do you find yourself searching for the same topics repeatedly in various databases and search engines? Do you want to know when a review of your book has been published or someone has cited you? This session will show you how to use search alerts to keep up on these and more, with a minimum of effort on your part!

Tools for Organizing Your Research
Want to learn more about how to organize the materials you've found in a way that works for you? This session will introduce you to citation managers and software that can help you keep your research materials organized. Tools covered include RefWorks, Mendeley, Zotero, Evernote, OneNote, Google Drive, Dropbox, the Open Science Foundation and more.