A collaborative approach to building graduate research foundations
Libraries support every stage of the research process, so we know setting a strong foundation is important to success. Faculty librarian Mike Chee recently collaborated with Professor Heather Whiteside (Faculty of Arts) to design PSCI 601: Research and Writing in Political Science for the winter 2026 term. Their approach prepares students for research success while building key professional development skills.
Rethinking how students begin research
Graduate students often develop major research projects independently, outside the classroom. For new researchers, this can be daunting. Moving quickly from selecting a topic to finding sources to completing their project can feel isolating and overwhelming, all while learning new research skills.
Chee and Whiteside addressed this challenge by creating a structured, supportive learning environment. Their approach helps students build a solid foundation for their research projects while developing transferable skills and receiving feedback.
Learning together in the classroom
Throughout the term, Chee joined classes to teach literature reviews, an essential step in the research process. “The literature review can be viewed as a process which underpins a research project. Laying the foundation in a strategic way can help researchers throughout the rest of the research lifecycle,” says Chee.
The course emphasized experiential learning and collaboration. Students worked together, asked questions and learned from each other as they went through the foundational steps.
Practising research communication
As a final step, students participated in a poster presentation. These presentations are often one of the first opportunities for emerging scholars to share their work with colleagues and non-specialist audiences. However, presenting at conferences can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never done it before.
To build confidence, Whiteside and Chee created a low-stakes opportunity for students to practice. Chee taught them how to design effective research posters, and the Libraries hosted the event in the Dana Porter Library lobby in March.
More than 150 people dropped in to engage with students, from faculty members to curious undergraduate students. Students answered questions, refined their ideas and strengthened their communication skills.
The poster session was a really valuable experience for me. It helped me better develop my research, think more clearly about how I present my ideas, and gain helpful feedback that I can carry forward in my work
Building confidence for next steps
Students were energized by the experience, finishing the term with the confidence to move forward with their research projects, with much of the foundational work already completed. Faculty feedback was also very positive, with the course planned to run again next winter. Chee and Whiteside shared their experience at the 2026 Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education conference in June.