UAB Libraries: A Leading Reference in Cross-Disciplinary Training for Doctoral Students

During the 2024–2025 academic year, the UAB Libraries played an active role in the Cross-Disciplinary Training Plan for Doctoral Students, organising a variety of training activities in collaboration with the Doctoral School.

The programme featured 34 cross-disciplinary sessions aimed at developing key skills for doctoral students across all academic fields. These optional sessions are designed to support professional development and contribute to high-quality research. The full training offer is published and regularly updated on the Doctoral School’s Cross-Disciplinary Activities webpage, ensuring easy access and consultation.

The training covered a range of essential topics, including:

• Subject-specific information sources (10 sessions): an overview of major information resources, search strategies, and result management techniques.
• Web of Science and Scopus databases (3 sessions): an introduction to two fundamental bibliographic and bibliometric tools.
• Zotero (3 sessions): in-depth training in using the Zotero reference manager for organising and managing bibliographic data.
• Intellectual property in thesis writing (3 sessions): guidance on copyright issues and publishing in institutional repositories.
• Open access publishing and funding (3 sessions): exploration of publishing options and the financial support available at UAB.
• Publishing open research data (6 sessions): insights into the benefits, policies and requirements of sharing research data.
• Data Management Plans (DMPs) for doctoral students (6 sessions): training on creating and maintaining a DMP as a vital tool for responsible research data management.

The programme attracted 1,015 participants and achieved an average satisfaction rating of 4.62 out of 5 in post-course surveys, reflecting a high level of student satisfaction.

These outcomes reinforce the UAB Libraries' role as strategic partners in the comprehensive training of early-career researchers and highlight their ongoing commitment to open, responsible, and high-quality research.