Unabridged: Training for the Twenty-first Century Scholar

Unabridged is a library research intensive for graduate students, designed to help you lay the groundwork for a career in academic research.

Adapted from our in-person workshops for Harvard affiliates, our On Demand modules are available to all.

These self-paced lessons can be taken anytime, anywhere, and offer tips and tools for all stages of your research. Whether you are just starting out with a research project, in the middle of a long list of research tasks, or ready to publish your work, our modules have something for everyone.

“carefully designed, meticulously prepared, beautifully executed…the curriculum was rigorous in a really positive way”

-2020 workshop participant

On Demand Module Collections

Getting Started Modules

Know Your Field

Dig into your discipline by identifying key works, scholars, journals, and more. Discover where you can fit within your field.

Frame Your Question

Construct a strong and clear research question. Practice pitching your research project.

Improve Your Search

Use database features and search options to your advantage. Learn how to make the most of controlled vocabularies.

Self-Care for Scholars

Understand how to care for your mental health. Learn how to adopt a learner’s mindset and free yourself from imposter syndrome.

Media & Technology

A series of mini-lessons on a variety of technologies and media that you can use to build and present your research.

Go to top of page

Presenting and Publishing Modules

Your Online Presence

Reflect on how various online platforms help you present your work and engage with readers and with colleagues. Get tips on digital privacy and protecting your safety.

Where to Publish

Learn how to select journals to consider for submission. Use an evaluation tool to rank and compare journals.

Own Your Rights

Learn about copyright and publishing contracts. Explore sample contracts to understand elements of important clauses.

Fair Use and Your Scholarly Rights

Learn about copyright and the four factors of fair use. Practice arguing for your right to excerpt copyrighted material.

Advice From Our Keynote Researchers

Get advice and tips from our past researcher Q&A panels.

Go to top of page

Best Practices Modules

All ABOUT

A series of tip sheets that cover a range of library practices. Get access to glossaries of library terms, as well as curated advice and resources for a range of topics.

Discover Your Databases

Get tips on how to find and access databases in your field. Assess your specific database needs to prepare for your search.

Keep Track

Boost your productivity by staying on task and organized. Try out different tools and find what works best for you.

What is a Database?

Explore and compare top databases and library catalogs. Dive deep into how databases work and what you can do with them.

Specialized Reference Sources

Get the most out of academic encyclopedias, bibliographies, directories, and other highly specialized reference sources.

Advanced Search Lab

Learn about advanced search options common across databases. Get tips for constructing better search queries.

Find Your Materials

Gain confidence tracking down hard-to-find citations. Learn how to use catalog record information to find citation clues and library access services.

Go to top of page

Archives and Primary Sources Modules

The Research Before Your Research

Get tips and highlights from our panel of researchers and experts to prepare yourself for research travel. Find out who you can ask for help at your institution.

Search for Archival Materials

Tips and methods for finding archival collections. Learn about major search engines for collections in the U.S., and strategies for finding collections internationally.

Handling Special Materials

Learn how to assess the vulnerabilities of special collections materials. Practice handling methods with items around your home.

Digital Collections and Finding Aids

Explore the relationship between archival collections and finding aids. Deconstruct a finding aid and navigate through a digitized collection.

Go to top of page

A note about our database links:

For licensed library resources, we link to the descriptive entry in Harvard’s databases explorer. If you are not a Harvard affiliate, note information such as the database name and producer. Use this information to search your home institution’s databases page for a link you can access. Your institution may license this database, a competitor's similar database, or no database of this type. If your academic institution doesn’t have an option, you might be able to get access via your national library, or, for U.S. residents, your state’s public library system and/or state university’s library.

Go to top of page

Unabridged On Demand was designed by Ashleigh Kenworthy (Unabridged Learning Design Assistant) with Anna Assogba and Odile Harter (Unabridged Program Coordinators). The Unabridged program is the product of years of iterative development and the contributions of many librarians as well as staff from across Harvard: you will find individual credits in each module. We’d like to thank our Unabridged instructors for their assistance in adapting their materials to the On Demand format.

Unabridged: On Demand