Research Symposium
Every year in the spring, Western Libraries hosts a symposium to showcase the research of Western’s librarians, archivists, and library staff. Participants share their work in lightning talks, research talks, panel discussions, posters, and more.
If you have any questions, please contact the Research Symposium Committee at larsn@uwo.ca.
Proposal Details
Eligibility requirements
All full-time workers in Western Libraries, the FIMS Graduate Library, and university-college affiliate libraries are eligible to submit proposals for the symposium.
Submission types
Lightning Talks
Presentations between 5 and 7 minutes that introduce the audience to your research project at any stage. Share a brief overview of findings from a completed project, a peek at a research method you used, or give us a taste of an idea you are currently workshopping.
Research Talks
Presentations of 15 minutes that dig deeper into your research, findings, experiences, or methods, which is followed by a period of questions and answers.
Panel Discussions
Guided discussions comprised of groups of colleagues exploring similar research topics or methods, which is followed by a period of questions and answers.
Posters
Visual displays of your research that will be available throughout the symposium for attendees to view. Please note that we can only display physical posters, not digital ones.
Wildcards
If you have an idea that does not fit with the other session types, contact the Research Symposium Committee at larsn@uwo.ca.
Selection process
Review
Proposals will be reviewed by the Research Symposium Committee based upon the following criteria:
- Is the applicant a staff member of Western Libraries, the FIMS Graduate Library, or an affiliate university-college library?
- Does the proposal deal with research?
- Is the proposal comprehensible and coherent?
- Does the proposal description work with the proposed format?
Organization
Proposals will be counted to see if there is enough space for all applicants. After this, they will be organized based on the type of presentation and theme.
Adjustments
Proposals will be reviewed to see if any adjustments can reasonably be made so that the combination of submissions allows the greatest number of applicants to participate. To achieve this end, some applicants may be asked to consider giving a different type of presentation.
