Training and events

This Copyright for Researchers course aims to convey copyright essentials to Imperial PhD students. It is focused on UK law only. The structure of the course reflects your research lifecycle and aims to provide clarity on copyright issues you will encounter at each of the stages of the lifecycle. This course will equip you with a working knowledge of copyright and licensing so that in your career as a researcher you use and can share information in a copyright safe way.

Duration: Approximately 3 hours 
Format: Self-paced online Blackboard course

Learning outcomes

On completion of this workshop you will be able to:

• Identify how copyright and licences are relevant at different stages of the research lifecycle.
• Recognise how UK copyright laws affect the affects the works researchers produce.
• Employ a working knowledge of UK copyright law and licensing.
• Develop a sufficient knowledge and understanding to produce a copyright compliant thesis.
• Assess and understand how the publishing process affects the ownership of copyright.

How to book

To self-enrol onto the course, please follow the instructions: Ensuring Integrity: Copyright (all academic years)

• Wed 19 February 2025, 14:30-16:30, MS Teams

• Wed 07 May 2025, 14:30-15:30, MS Teams

In this session we will explore your thesis being made open access in Spiral as required by Imperial, the exemptions available and the benefits of open access more generally.

• The requirement to make your thesis Open Access via Imperial’s open access repository for research, Spiral.
• Open access and dissemination of your research
• What Embargoes can I use for my thesis online?
• Creative Commons licences for your thesis

This session is not for credit and will not count towards the attendance requirement.

How to book

To book your place please visit the following: Early Career Researcher Institute (ECRI): The Open Access Q&A

Wednesday 11 June 2025 14:00 - 16:00, MS Teams

In this course, you will learn about the principles, practices and benefits of Open Research. We will then focus on publishing methods, peer review systems and innovative open models. We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different models and the practical steps you need to take before posting a preprint or submitting to an open peer review journal. We will discuss how you can use preprints responsibly and explore the future of Open Research.

Learning outcomes

After completing this workshop, you will be better able to:

• Explain the principles, practices and benefits of Open Research
• Recognise different systems of peer review and preprints
• Recognise the new peer review and preprint policies used by research funders in assessment
• Identify the practical  implications of submitting a preprint or using open peer review models
• Judge how preprints and open peer review may benefit your research, including how you can be recognised and rewarded for your efforts

How to book

Please register via the Early Career Researcher Institute (ECRI) Open Research: Preprints and Peer Review

To be confirmed, MS Teams

Research publishing models are changing. Authors are increasingly choosing to share preprints ahead of the sometimes-lengthy wait for journal publication and funders are responding with new preprint policies for immediate access to results. There are also new types of peer review available that offer different levels of confidentiality and transparency to authors, reviewers and readers.

Learning outcomes

In this course you will learn about traditional publishing methods as well as these innovative new models. We will discuss the benefits and disadvantages of the different models and all the practical steps that you need to consider before posting a preprint or submitting to an open, transparent or post-publication peer review journal.

How to book

This course is aimed at doctoral students but all staff and students are welcome to register. Doctoral students can register through the ECRI: Preprints and Open Peer Review.

Monday 19 May 2025 10:00 - 11:30, MS Teams

This workshop provides an insight into preparing your thesis to be made Open Access (OA) and the benefits of open access more generally. This workshop will provide you with a general introduction to the topic, with specific reference to your PhD thesis, and related research outputs that may arise from PhD study.

Learning outcomes

You will be introduced to: 

• Open Access repositories
• Practice of Open Research
• Open access publishing
• Online tools to find open access research material

The course will cover Imperial's new Research Publications Open Access Policy, which allows authors at Imperial to make peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings available on an open access basis without post-publication embargoes. The course will also cover UKRI’s and other funder's open access policies. 

Please note this course was previously named ‘Introduction to Making Your Thesis Open Access’

How to book

To book your place please visit Early Career researcher Institute (ECRI): Publishing Open Access: Your Research and Thesis.

For more information or any questions please email the Open Access team.

• Friday 28 February 2025 10:00 - 12:00, South Kensington Campus

• Tuesday 06 May 2025 10:00 - 12:00, MS Teams

Research data is increasingly a first-class research output, and a little bit of planning will enable you to take advantage of this shift.

This course will highlight key considerations for managing research data to help you minimize the risk of data loss, maintain data reliability and accuracy, ensure that your data are findable, accessible, and reusable, and facilitate data sharing with colleagues and the wider research community.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this workshop you will be able to: 

• Organise, document and safeguard data in a straightforward research project
• Identify areas where you need additional help managing your data
• Explain the benefits of sharing research data and reasons it might not be appropriate to do so
• Assess what data you need to archive for the long term and why
• Choose where to deposit your data for preservation and, optionally, sharing

How to book

Visit the Early Career Researcher Institute (ECRI): Research Data Management webpage to book your place.

For more information or any questions please email the Research Data Management Team.

• Tuesday 11 March 2025 10:00 - 11:30, MS Teams

• Tuesday 20 May 2025 10:00 - 11:30, MS Teams

Research data is a key research asset and planning how to manage data outputs is increasingly becoming a requirement of applying for grants and funding. Having a data management plan will help you manage costs and responsibilities, keep your data safe and secure during the project and prepare your data for archiving and (where appropriate) sharing at the end of the project.

Learning outcomes

This webinar will introduce you to the online data management planning tool DMPonline and cover some of the more practical elements of creating a data management plan.

The webinar is designed to accompany the Early Career Researcher Institute (ECRI): Research Data Management workshop. Prior attendance of that workshop is not mandatory but is recommended.

How to book

Visit the Early Career Researcher Institute (ECRI): Research Data Management Plans webpage to book your place.

For more information or any questions please email the Research Data Management Team.

Thursday 30 January 2025 10:00 - 11:30, MS Teams

Publishing research is a key step towards achieving impact within and beyond academia. This course will explain how traditional publication metrics including the Journal Impact Factor and the h-index, and alternative publication metrics (altmetrics) are calculated and explore biases & weaknesses of each metric. We will then discuss responsible use of publication metric initiatives and how organisations are adopting these for assessing research. Lastly, the course will explore how these metrics relate to demonstrating your research impact

Learning outcomes

On completion of this workshop you will be able to:

• Identify different metrics and research assessment methods used by research organisation and funders
• Critically reflect on the strengths, weaknesses and biases of a range of popular metrics including citations, the Journal Impact Factor and the h-index
• Assess the value of using altmetrics to demonstrate research impact
• Evaluate the utility of applying publication metrics responsibility to your own research and publications

Please note that this course was previously called ‘Bibliometrics and demonstrating academic impact.'

How to book

Please register via the Early Career Researcher Institute (ECRI) Using Publication Metrics Responsibly.

The open access team offers one to one consultations on open access related topics.

You can book a one to one if you need support with open access and the REF, paying for open access from your Wellcome or RCUK grant, using Symplectic, options for open access, making your research open access, or require any other advice about open access publishing.

Pictured: Kim Blake (L), Open Access Assistant, provides a one-to-one to Alexandra Williams (R), Centre Support Manager, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

To be confirmed, MS Teams

Research publishing models are changing. Authors are increasingly choosing to share preprints ahead of the sometimes-lengthy wait for journal publication and funders are responding with new preprint policies for immediate access to results. There are also new types of peer review available that offer different levels of confidentiality and transparency to authors, reviewers and readers.

In this course you will learn about traditional publishing methods as well as these innovative new models. We will discuss the benefits and disadvantages of the different models and all the practical steps that you need to consider before posting a preprint or submitting to an open, transparent or post-publication peer review journal.

This course is aimed at doctoral students but all staff and students are welcome to register. Doctoral students can register through the Graduate School: Preprints and Open Peer Review.

Friday 17 May 2024 10:00 - 11:30, MS Teams

This workshop provides an insight into preparing your thesis to be made Open Access (OA) and the benefits of open access more generally. This workshop will provide you with a general introduction to the topic, with specific reference to your PhD thesis, and related research outputs that may arise from PhD study. You will be introduced to: 

• Open Access repositories
• Practice of Open Research
• Open access publishing
• Online tools to find open access research material

Please note this course was previously named ‘Introduction to Making Your Thesis Open Access’

To book your place please visit Publishing Open Access: Your Research and Thesis.

For more information or any questions please email the Open Access team.

Tuesday 07 May 2024 10:00 - 12:00, MS Teams

Data is a key research asset, underpinning almost all published research conclusions. In recent years, new technology has enabled us to:

1. Generate and record far more data than ever before; and
2. Share, reuse and combine that data in new ways to generate new insights.

Research data is increasingly a first-class research output, and a little bit of planning will enable you to take advantage of this shift.

This course will highlight the key considerations for students and researchers to help them assess when it is appropriate to share your data and how, and how to write a data management plan.

Visit the Graduate School: Research Data Management webpage to book your place.

For more information or any questions please email the Research Data Management team.

Tuesday 21 May 2024 10:00 - 11:30, MS Teams

Research data is a key research asset and planning how to manage data outputs is increasingly becoming a requirement of applying for grants and funding. Having a data management plan will help you manage costs and responsibilities, keep your data safe and secure during the project and prepare your data for archiving and (where appropriate) sharing at the end of the project.

This webinar will introduce you to the online data management planning tool DMPonline and cover some of the more practical elements of creating a data management plan.

The webinar is designed to accompany the Graduate School: Research Data Management workshop. Prior attendance of that workshop is not mandatory but is recommended.

Visit the Graduate School: Research Data Management Plans webpage to book your place.

For more information or any questions please email the Research Data Management Team.

Tuesday 04 June 2024 10:00 - 11:30, MS Teams

Publishing research is a key step towards achieving impact within and beyond academia. This course will explain how traditional publication metrics including the Journal Impact Factor and the h-index, and alternative publication metrics (altmetrics) are calculated and explore biases & weaknesses of each metric. We will then discuss responsible use of publication metric initiatives and how organisations are adopting these for assessing research. Lastly, the course will explore how these metrics relate to demonstrating your research impact

Please register via the Graduate School Using Publication Metrics Responsibly.

To be confirmed, MS Teams

In this session we will cover the basics of organising and managing research data that will help you now and in the future. Whether you have created the data yourself or are reusing data from existing resources, making sure research data are well managed can help prevent data loss, ensure research transparency and reproducibility, and enable data sharing and reuse.

To book your place visit the Library Workshops page and see Introduction to research data management.

For more information or any questions please email the Research Data Management team.

• Wednesday 08 May 2024, 14:30-15:30, Microsoft Teams

• Wednesday 20 November 2024, 14:30-15:30, Microsoft Teams

This session will explore how your thesis can be made Open Access in Spiral as required by Imperial, the exemptions available and the benefits of Open Access more generally.

• The requirement to make your thesis Open Access via Imperial’s Open Access repository for research, Spiral.
• Open access and dissemination of your research
• What Embargoes can I use for my thesis online?
• Creative Commons licences for your thesis

This session is not for credit and will not count towards the attendance requirement.

How to Book

Please select a date and book on via Inkpath using your Imperial Single-Sign-On.

Tuesday 26 November 2024

Members of the Open Access team delivered an overview and Q&A session on Open Access and the processes and policies at Imperial, for staff from the Research Impact Management Office.

To arrange a similar session for your team or department please contact us.

Thursday 28 November 2024, MS Teams

This training session aimed at researchers new to Imperial included an introduction to open research, and its principles, practices and benefits. It situated research data management (RDM) and open access (OA) within the context of open research, and gave further details on RDM and OA policies and procedures, including data management plans, funder and institutional policies, information about depositing papers in Imperial’s repository Spiral, open access funding available at Imperial, and advice on using Symplectic Elements.

A similar session currently runs approximately twice a year. Please email Ruth Hibbert if you would like to ask about future sessions, or receive a recording of the most recent session.