From 2 to 6 November, TalTech Library will host Thesis Week, supporting students at different stages of their thesis work – from finding and evaluating relevant scholarly sources to referencing, managing sources and using artificial intelligence.
The week’s short training sessions offer practical skills and useful tips. We will introduce TalTech Library’s search tools and a range of research databases, discuss effective information searching and search strategies, and explain how to find relevant, reliable scholarly sources for your topic.
On Monday, we will begin with effective information searching and using databases, introducing the library’s updated search portal, Primo. We will also explore how academic AI tools can broaden literature searches and help turn research questions into effective prompts.
On Tuesday, we will focus on finding and evaluating scholarly sources. We will introduce the ESTER online catalogue and explain how to recognise scholarly journals and articles. In the afternoon, Professor Tiia Plamus will share practical advice in the session “From lecturer to student: how to write your thesis successfully”, while psychologist Kadri Kriiskman will discuss motivation and ways to overcome obstacles during the writing process.
On Wednesday, we will focus on referencing and managing sources. We will introduce numerical referencing using the IEEE style and provide an overview of reference management tools to help participants find a solution that suits them. Terje Paomets will also discuss standards as reliable sources, and we will revisit ways to make searches in research databases more effective.
On Thursday, we will explore how databases and AI tools can help you find and cite relevant scholarly sources, and take a closer look at how Knovel can support thesis research and evidence-based decision-making. A practical session will cover organising research sources systematically in Zotero, and we will return to crafting effective prompts for finding high-quality research articles.
On Friday, we will bring together the week’s themes and revisit the features of the Primo search portal. In the workshop “A brain-free thesis? Pros and cons”, we will discuss the role of AI in thesis writing with Professor Janika Leoste. We will also explore how to read research articles systematically and with a clear purpose. The day will conclude with the practical session “Smart reference management: Zotero in the age of AI”, which will explore how modern reference management tools can support your research.
Throughout the week, you can also book an individual consultation on using research databases. If you need help finding suitable databases for your thesis topic, developing a search strategy or locating scholarly sources, HERE.
Check out the whole schedule and register here
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