The Catholic University of America Libraries and Department of Information Sciences are excited to announce our Digital Scholarship Workshops designed to equip students, faculty, and staff with the essential skills for modern research. These workshops will cover a range of topics from working in Tableau to building your AI literacy. Whether you are looking to enhance your citation management with tools like Zotero or RefWorks or dive into the ethical and legal aspects of text data mining, these sessions will provide practical guidance in expanding your digital scholarship toolkit.
Register through the Events page at the Nest (CU members only) or by contacting Kevin Gunn (gunn@cua.edu). All workshops will take place on Zoom, recorded, and made available on the Catholic University Libraries’ YouTube Channel. Can’t make it? Register for the workshop and we will send you the link after.
Instructors: Benjamin Cushing, Research and Instruction Librarian; Charles Gallagher, Research and Instruction Librarian; Kevin Gunn, Coordinator of Digital Scholarship.
Getting Started with Tableau (Fri., Sept. 19, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm)
This workshop will introduce the most basic functions of Tableau Public (https://www.tableau.com/products/public) such as connecting to a dataset and building sheets, dashboards, and stories. This session will also cover how to publish your work to Tableau Public Online and how to share and download it from there. Instructor: Kevin Gunn, Coordinator of Digital Scholarship
Introduction to AI Literacy (Fri., Oct. 3, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm)
Artificial intelligence tools are rapidly transforming the digital information landscape. This workshop will explore strategies for evaluating and selecting AI tools, examine their limitations, and provide guidance on using AI ethically and effectively in academic and professional contexts. Instructor: Charles Gallagher, Research and Instruction Librarian
Getting Started with RefWorks (Mon., Oct. 6, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm)
RefWorks is a web-based reference management tool that allows you to manage your references as you do research in our databases. You can use RefWorks to organize, store and share your references, and to instantly create citations and bibliographies. Come and check out some of its features! Instructor: Benjamin Cushing, Research and Instruction Librarian
Citation Management with Zotero (Fri., Oct. 10, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm)
Zotero is a powerful citation management platform designed to streamline the creation of in-text citations and bibliographies. Beyond citation management, it is an invaluable tool for conducting research. This workshop will provide a comprehensive guide to installing Zotero and demonstrate the most effective ways to utilize its features. Participants are encouraged to register for a free Zotero account and download the client prior to the session at https://www.zotero.org/user/register. Instructor: Kevin Gunn, Coordinator of Digital Scholarship
Using OpenRefine for Cleaning Data (Mon. Oct. 20, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm)
When working with a dataset, have you wondered how to remove ‘null’ or ‘N/A’ from fields, handle different spellings of words, or determining whether a field name is ambiguous? For this workshop, we will use the open access software, OpenRefine, to clean, manipulate, and refine a dataset before analysis (https://openrefine.org/). Instructor: Kevin Gunn, Coordinator of Digital Scholarship
Introduction to QGIS (Fri., Oct. 24, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm)
Are you curious to learn GIS but don’t know where to start? This event will provide hands on experience with the open-source GIS program QGIS and allow you to learn the basics of map creation/geospatial data visualization. Instructors: Kevin Gunn, Coordinator of Digital Scholarship; Charles Gallagher, Research and Instruction Librarian
Mapping with Tableau (Fri., Nov. 7, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm)
This workshop will introduce the most basic functions of mapping using Tableau Public. We will cover how to connect to and join geographic data; format that data in Tableau; create location hierarchies; build and present a basic map view; and apply key mapping features. Download it here (https://www.tableau.com/products/public). Instructor: Kevin Gunn, Coordinator of Digital Scholarship
AI and the Artist: Tools, Techniques, and Ethics (Fri., Nov. 14, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm)
The rise of generative AI has brought AI-generated art into the spotlight as both a visually striking and often controversial development. When used thoughtfully, AI art can enhance class presentations, support creative exploration, and serve as a powerful tool for brainstorming visual concepts. This workshop will introduce the fundamentals of AI art creation, explore prompt engineering techniques for producing more effective images, and examine the ethical considerations involved in generating and using AI-created content. Instructor: Charles Gallagher, Research and Instruction Librarian
Legal and Ethical Issues in Text Data Mining (Tue., Dec. 2, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm)
There are a number of issues, problems, encumbrances, and obstacles in working on a text data mining project. Before embarking on a project, know what your options are and limitations you may encounter. We will explore best practices in copyright, fair use, licensing agreements and terms of use, privacy and ethical issues, digital rights management, and other issues involving non-consumptive use of text for research. Instructor: Kevin Gunn, Coordinator of Digital Scholarship