The library offers extensive support throughout your doctoral studies, from information searching and academic writing to publishing and managing research data. This guide provides tips on using the library, links to our courses, and additional information.
Courses and counselling for doctoral students
The library offers teaching and individual counselling throughout your doctoral programme. We can support you in developing your academic literacies including:
streamlining and systematising your information search strategies;
scheduling and organising your work;
developing your academic reading skills and taking better notes;
getting started with your writing and improving your academic texts;
managing your references; and
creating interesting presentations of your research.
You can register for library courses, workshops, and seminars, and we can customise content for specific groups of doctoral students. You can also attend drop-in sessions and lectures for students or book individual counselling. The library participates in several doctoral courses across different faculties.
Get the writing done in the library writing group
In "Shut up and Write!", the library's writing group for doctoral students, we help you establish routines and provide a space for academic writing so that you can focus on getting the writing done. The group also helps reduce the feeling of loneliness that is common during the writing process. Read more and register your interest here: Shut up and Write!
Information on the courses offered by the faculties in the doctoral programmes.
Find what you need in our collections
Our libraries provide access to many collections, both digital resources and physical materials. These include the latest scientific literature, unique archival and specialised collections, fiction, and much more. If you cannot find the material you are looking for in the library collections, you can request what you need for your research. We will purchase what you request or order it as an interlibrary loan.
Managing research data throughout the doctoral studies
You can find information and resources about research data on the library website. We offer personalised counselling on how to manage your data.
Set up a data management plan
As a doctoral student at Umeå University, you can easily create your data management plan with the tool DMPonline. DMPonline contains templates that fulfil several funders' expectations for data management plans. You can share the plan with your colleagues during the process.
Research data should be as open and accessible as possible. It is important that your data are well described through metadata. A comprehensive metadata description makes your data searchable even if the data itself cannot be openly accessible.
The library can assist you in finding the right platform to describe your data and, if possible, make them openly accessible. Umeå University is a member of the consortium Swedish National Data Service (SND) and primarily uses the SND data catalogue for this purpose.
You can turn to the library if you have questions about publishing, such as
choosing a publication channel;
open access;
copyright; and
registration in Umeå University's publication database DiVA.
Publish your research with open access
The research community is transitioning to open science; thus, you are expected to publish your research results with open access. As a doctoral student at Umeå University, you can publish open access free of charge or at a reduced cost in many significant journals thanks to the library's publishing agreement. Our search function allows you to check if a journal you are interested in is covered by our agreements.
As a doctoral student, you must register everything you publish at Umeå University in the publication database DiVA. To ensure that your publications appear on your personal page on umu.se, you need to fill in your Umu-id.
In DiVA, you can publish and long-term archive full texts to enhance the visibility of your research. Many publishers permit the accepted version of a publication to be made available in a publication database.
Once you have completed your thesis, it is time to make it publicly available through posting. Apply for your public defence first - the library will book a date for posting once your defence date is set.
In connection with your posting, remember to:
order the ISBN for your thesis;
book a posting ceremony if you wish to have one;
register and publish your thesis in the university's publication database, DiVA; and
submit three printed copies of your thesis to the library.
