Ouagadougou: The Doctoral School (ED) of Thomas Sankara University (UTS) is training doctoral students on the mastery of research tools and access to online scientific documentation, from April 23 to 25, 2025, on the university’s site, to facilitate their use of these digital resources in the context of doctoral research. After the official opening of this workshop by the Vice-President in charge of Research and International Cooperation (VP-RCI), Professor Florent SONG-NABA, congratulated the holding of the said workshop before strongly encouraging doctoral students to follow this training with attention, because he said this training will provide them with valuable skills for the rest of their doctoral studies.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Professor Martial Zongo, Deputy Director of the Doctoral School at Thomas Sankara University, emphasized the importance of digital tools in modern research. “We are in the digital age. Therefore, it is perfectly normal for doctoral students to be equipped to use digital tools in research,” he stated. Professor Zongo highlighted that a significant portion of the resources utilized by the doctoral students is electronic, marking a shift towards the dematerialization of research. He urged the students to actively participate in the training, emphasizing the importance of their physical presence and engagement throughout the workshop.
Dr. Bapindi© Ouattara, representing the trainers, outlined the various modules that the doctoral students will be exposed to, including sources of scientific and technical information, internet research tools, bibliographic referencing, artificial intelligence, and scientific monitoring. He stressed the necessity of digital research tools and artificial intelligence in today’s research landscape while advising students to apply these tools judiciously. Dr. Ouattara emphasized the importance of critical thinking to ensure these resources are used effectively and meaningfully in their research endeavors.
The workshop, organized by the Doctoral School, is aimed primarily at first-year doctoral students and seeks to provide them with the necessary skills to navigate and utilize digital resources effectively in their academic research.