"An invaluable resource for postgraduate researchers..."

The Graduate School Media Zoo is now open for postgraduates who want to get to grips with technologies that are essential for the 21st century researcher. 

Located within the Graduate School Reading Room, postgraduates can visit the Zoo weekday afternoons between 14:00 and 17:00 - or email gsmz@le.ac.uk to make an appointment. Alternatively, become a follower of the Zoo on Twitter.

Why visit the Zoo?

Many new technologies and devices that are not research-specific are nevertheless widely used for research purposes because they make life easier! The Graduate School Media Zoo gives postgraduates the opportunity to explore new platforms for academic networking, collaboration, presentations, and research dissemination.

At the Zoo you can learn how to:

• make you research come to you with RSS feeds of database searches
• keep track of things you find online and access them from any computer with social bookmarking technologies
• create a customisable homepage that downloads updated content of all your favourite database searches, blogs, CFPs, journals, etc. as well as allowing you to use email, Facebook, Twitter, and all of your social networking from one place
• download e-books and use e-book readers
• podcast and blog your research for publicity, feedback, and networking
• keep all your PDFs in one online research management library where you can highlight and annotate them
• use wikis and shared documents to collaborate with other researchers
• use social bookmarking to see what other researchers in your area are reading

How does it work?

The Zoo is a  free flowing environment within the Graduate School Reading Room. Visitors can use the dedicated workstations to access Media Zoo services - alternatively, they can try out the Zoo's "sandpit" to explore new devices and technological platforms and see how these might be of use in their own work.

Our expert Zoo Keeper, Emma Kimberley, is on hand to answer any questions about using the platforms or the role they can play in research today.

Emma also hosts regular interactive workshops. These give visitors a "hands on" opportunity to explore new technologies in more detail and to practice using them in a supported and informal environment. The workshops cover topics such as:

• Keeping up to date with research in your field using RSS feeds
• E-book readers: a tool for postgraduate researchers
• Social media and social networking in the research world
• Second Life: a virtual research environment
• The Academic Research Blog
• Podcasting for researchers
• Online Research Management: Mendeley and Zotero                   

For details of up-coming workshops, visit the Graduate School Events Diary or become a follower of the Zoo on Twitter. Alternatively drop in any weekday afternoon between 14:00 and 17:00.

If you have suggestions or requests for other innovations you would like support with, please email Emma Kimberley on ek36@le.ac.uk or just stop by the Zoo for a chat.

For more information on the background to the Graduate School Media Zoo and the role it plays in the University's postgraduate skills development provision, please click here.