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International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications

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FAQs: training section

The following are frequently asked questions that INASP have been asked in relation to our training activities.

Q: How are INASP workshops organised and run?

Wherever possible, INASP ICT workshops follow a methodology that has proved to be successful in University libraries and research institutions for a number of previous ICT related training programmes. This methodology can best be described as "travelling" or "cascading" workshops, which utilise the skills and expertise of regional and local facilitators.

Full details of the methodology and the organisational process for workshops are available online.

Q: What does the workshop facilitator do and what support do they get?

To facilitate means 'to make easy'. A facilitator creates the conditions in which learning can naturally take place. In practice facilitation should involve getting participants to share and reflect upon their past experiences, providing them with opportunities to experiment and practice with the skills being covered, acknowledging your role as a co-learner, and engaging in a dialogue with the group, rather than monologue to them.

A detailed document outlining the facilitator's responsibilities, tasks and the support they are offered is available for reference.

Q: What does a workshop co-facilitator do and what support do they get?

The co-facilitator's role is one of support for the facilitator and an provides an opportunity to learn from the facilitator with regards to the workshop materials and process. The co-facilitator has valuable local knowledge that can be usefully shared with the facilitator and used to improve the workshop materials.

A detailed document outling the co-facilitator's responsibilities, tasks and the support they are offered is available for reference.

Q: What does a workshop administrator do and what support do they get?

The administrative role is crucial to the success of a workshop. Although it has been carried out by a single person for some workshops, many people have found it useful to take a team approach which allows the utilisation of specific skills and expertise. The administrative team should work closely with the co-facilitator of the workshop.

A detailed document outling the administrator's responsibilities, tasks and the support they are offered is available for reference.

Q: Can I participate in an INASP workshop?

Participants for each workshop are chosen by the workshop co-facilitator and administrator. For details of who these people are for your country then you should consult the relevant PERI country coordinator via your PERI country page.

Q: I am unable to attend an INASP workshop - is any other support available to me?

All of INASP's training materials are available for free for any not-for-profit use. They can be downloaded from the INASP training Web pages.

Many countries also run follow-on workshops that may be suitable for you and details of these can be found by contacting your 'Country Co-ordinator. Their details can be found by following the links above.

Q: Where can I get information about using a particular resource?

Details of the resources available through PERI in your country can be found by visiting your PERI Country page.

INASP's training materials contain package-specific modules covering:

  • African Journals Online (AJOL)
  • Blackwell Synergy
  • Cochrane Medical Library
  • EBSCO
  • Emerald
  • Oxford University Press

All of these training materials are available for free to any not-for-profit organisation or institute, and presentations and exercises about these packages can be downloaded from the electronic journals and electronic library resources management workshop section.

Q: Can you send me a copy of your workshop training materials?

Generally, we do not send out copies of our workshop materials, as this is costly and timeconsuming. However, all of our workshop materials are available to freely download and use for non-commercial use. All of our materials are available under a standard Creative Commons License and so are free to modify and use as you see fit for non-commercial use.

Some simple guidelines on adapting the INASP training materials are available for reference.

Q: Are funds available to support local training initiatives?

Limited funds are available to support local training activities. If you are interested in seeking some funding support for local training activities then you should liaise with your PERI Country Coordinator (CC) to prepare a short proposal outlining the training activities and estimated funding support required. The proposal needs to include the following information:

  • Where the training will take place
  • Who will participate in the training
  • What content will be included in the training
  • Who will lead and facilitate the training
  • A draft budget for the training, with a clear indication of what funding is being sort from INASP.

It should be noted that preference will be given to proposals that receive at least match funding from local sources

You should then work with the PERI CC to forward that information to the for consideration.