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📋 Two-Day Virtual Workshop

Research Excellence
Workshop

Mastering Database Searching, Information Retrieval & Journal Selection — a live, hands-on programme by DRC, New Delhi

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🗓️ 2-Day Programme
⏱️ 2 Hours / Day
💻 Virtual — Live + Hands-on
🎓 E-Certificate
📁 Study Materials
📶 Beginner Friendly
About the Programme

What Are Research Support Services?

Modern librarians are not just custodians of books — they are key partners in the research lifecycle. This 2-day intensive virtual workshop equips library professionals with the skills to provide high-impact research support services, from advanced database searching and precision information retrieval to ethical journal selection and predatory journal awareness.

Whether you work in an academic, research, or special library, this programme will sharpen your expertise and enhance the value you bring to researchers, faculty, and students.

🔍
Advanced Database Searching

Learn to search Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed & Google Scholar using structured strategies and Boolean logic.

📰
Journal Selection & Metrics

Understand impact factors, journal indexing, predatory journals, and how to recommend the right journals to researchers.

🧠
Ethical Research Practices

Guide users on publication ethics, COPE guidelines, and responsible scholarly communication in a digital age.

2Days of Training
4 hrsTotal Live Sessions
6Content Modules
5+Study Materials
Goals

🎯 Workshop Objectives

1Deliver effective research support services in academic libraries
2Perform advanced database searching using structured strategies
3Apply Boolean logic, search techniques and operators efficiently
4Retrieve relevant, high-quality scholarly information
5Identify and recommend appropriate journals for publication
6Guide users in ethical and impactful research practices
Participants

👥 Who Should Attend?

📚 Library Professionals
🔬 Research Scholars
🎓 LIS Students (UG & PG)
👨‍🏫 Faculty Members
Curriculum

📚 Workshop Schedule

Day 1
Information Retrieval & Database Searching
⏱️ 2 Hours  ·  Virtual, Live Session
🔍
📖
Session 1: Introduction to Research Support Services 60 Min
  • Role of librarians in the research lifecycle
  • Types of research support services:
    • Literature search and discovery services
    • Research data management (RDM) services
    • Research metrics and impact services
    • Reference and citation management support
    • Academic integrity, ethics & plagiarism
    • Open access support
    • Journal finder & selection guidance
    • Researcher profile and visibility services
  • Understanding user information needs
  • Case-based discussion: "From query to research solution"
🗄️
Session 2: E-Resources and Information Retrieval
  • E-Resources and Databases
  • Types of databases:
    • Scopus
    • Web of Science
    • PubMed
    • Google Scholar
  • Key IR concepts — Precision vs Recall, Relevance ranking
  • Controlled vocabulary vs free-text searching
  • Demonstration: Basic vs Advanced search comparison
⚙️
Session 3: Advanced Search Strategies & Search Techniques
  • Core concept: Boolean Operators (AND / OR / NOT)
  • Search techniques: keyword, phrase, truncation (*, ?), field searching, proximity operators
  • Use of filters: date, document type, subject area
  • Concept mapping & citation tracking and chaining
  • Alerts and saved searches
🔨 Demonstration & Hands-On Practice
  • Advanced search in e-Resources: DOAJ, SSRN, Scopus / Web of Science
  • Convert a research topic into a search query
  • Build search strings step-by-step
  • Compare results across multiple databases
Day 2
Open Access, Journal Selection & Ethics
⏱️ 2 Hours  ·  Virtual, Live Session
📰
🌐
Session 4: Open Access Publishing & Avoiding Predatory Journals
  • Open Access Publishing — types and benefits
  • Identifying predatory publishers and red flags:
    • Fake indexing claims
    • Rapid acceptance promises
  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines
  • Discussion: Real vs fake journal examples
📰
Session 5: Choosing the Right Journals
  • Criteria for journal selection: scope & subject relevance, impact factor & indexing, peer-review process
  • Understanding Impact Factor & h-index
  • Tools for journal selection:
    • Journal Finder (Elsevier)
    • Springer Journal Suggester
    • Journal Suggester from Various Publishers
  • Overview of journal indexing databases
🤝
Session 6: Role of Librarians in Journal Recommendation
  • How to suggest journals to users
  • Creating journal recommendation reports
  • Supporting faculty & research scholars
🔨 Final Activity (Optional if time permits)
  • Identify keywords for a research topic
  • Build a complete search strategy
  • Suggest 2–3 suitable journals
Core Skill

⚡ Boolean Operators — At a Glance

AND
Narrows Search

"climate AND agriculture" — both terms must appear; fewer, more focused results

OR
Broadens Search

"librarian OR archivist" — either term; more results, wider coverage

NOT
Excludes Terms

"library NOT digital" — excludes results containing the second term

🔤 Keyword Searching
💬 Phrase Searching (" ")
✂️ Truncation (*, ?)
📋 Field Searching
📏 Proximity Operators
🗺️ Concept Mapping
📅 Filters & Limits
🔔 Saved Alerts
🔗 Citation Tracking
Journal Intelligence

📰 Journal Selection — Know Your Tools

📊 Key Journal Metrics
  • Impact Factor (IF)
  • h-index — author & journal level
  • Journal indexing in Scopus / WoS / UGC CARE
  • Peer-review process assessment
  • Publisher reputation & ISSN verification
🔎 Journal Finder Tools
  • Elsevier Journal Finder
  • Springer Journal Suggester
  • Journal Suggester from Various Publishers
✅ Selection Criteria
  • Scope & subject relevance
  • Impact factor & indexing
  • Peer-review process
  • Open Access vs Subscription
  • Publisher reputation & ISSN verification
🌐 Open Access Types
  • Gold Open Access
  • Green Open Access
  • Diamond / Platinum OA
  • Hybrid Open Access
  • DOAJ — Directory of Open Access Journals
⚠️ Red Flags of Predatory Journals — Know Before You Publish
✗ Rapid acceptance within 24–48 hours
✗ Fake or unverifiable indexing claims
✗ No genuine peer-review process
✗ Unsolicited email invitations to publish
✗ Vague or non-existent editorial board
✗ Misleading impact factor claims
Resources

📁 Training Materials Provided

📋
Search Strategy Templates
🔤
Boolean Search Cheat Sheet
🗂️
List of Indexed Journals & Databases
✅
Journal Selection Checklist
📝
Practice Exercises
After the Workshop

💡 Learning Outcomes

✔Practical expertise in database searching & retrieval
✔Confidence in supporting faculty & student research queries
✔Ability to recommend high-quality, suitable journals
✔Awareness of ethical publishing and predatory journal pitfalls
Methodology

📐 Delivery Approach

📢 Live Demonstration
🖱️ Hands-on Exercises
📂 Case Studies
🙋 Interactive Q&A

Become a Research-Ready Librarian

Join this 2-day virtual workshop and master the skills that make librarians indispensable to researchers, faculty, and institutions.

Register Now →

📅 2-Day Programme  ·  ⏱️ 2 Hours/Day  ·  💻 Online  ·  Limited Seats

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Get in Touch

📲 Contact & Connect

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Motto: Strengthening the LIS Community