Training Sessions This Week

For Taught Students:
Using the Web of Knowledge – 4:15pm-5:05pm, Thur 12th Nov,  Library Level 5 Training Room
You can use the Web of Knowledge to search for information in journal articles from all areas of science. This session will explain what is included in the database and give you hints and tips on how best to search it.  See the Library web page to book a place.

For Research Postgraduates:
Literature Searching in Sport & Exercise Science and Health – 10:15am-12:15pm, Fri 13th Nov, Library Level 1 Training Room
If your research is in areas related to sport or medicine you might find this session helpful.   You will find out more a bout literature searching using, amongst other databases, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library and Pubmed.  Book a place through the University’s Postgraduate Skills Programme

Information on all our training sessions is given on the Library’s Infoskills web pages

Library training workshops – sign up today!

Programmes of Library training sessions are currently underway, and workshops will run throughout the academic year.  If you want to find out more, check out the web links below.  You can even book your place online! 

• Workshops for undergraduates and taught postgraduates - book a place via SORTED
• Workshops for research postgraduates - book a place via the PG Skills Booking System

These sessions cover a range of Library and information skills including literature searching and the use of specific databases e.g. Compendex.   There’s also the opportunity to learn more about how to reference your work correctly and avoid plagiarism.

Library Information Sessions in Semester 2

You may be starting project work this semester.  If you are a bit concerned about how to go about doing a literature review, finding the information and data relevant to your topic or even just wondering how to write up your references at the end, the library is repeating its popular series of information sessions this year.

In co-operation with SORTED in the Student Union, library staff will be presenting a series of topics in the next few weeks:

“To Google or not to Google” is about making better use of search engines, evaluating online information and will introduce some of the library’s resources that you may not have used before.

“How to avoid Plagiarism” is suited to undergraduates looking for a better understanding of what Plagiarism is, why it’s bad and how to avoid it!

“Referencing – A beginner’s guide” gives advice and examples related to correctly referencing the sources you’re going to use in your project work.

All combined, these sessions could help make the entire literature review/project writing process a lot less daunting.

Check the Library Research and Information skills page for more information about the sessions running this semester.

You can book a place or get more information through SORTED in the Student Union.

ZETOC versus ELIN

It sounds like an old Japanese monster movie but I’m talking about nothing more scary than Table of Contents alerting services today.

Some of you, especially if you are doing research work, may already be registered with the ZETOC service managed by the British Library to set up alerts and receive the Tables of Contents of your most frequently read journal titles by email.

The e-Library Information Navigator (eLIN) service linked from the library homepage will allow you to set up a collection of links to those journals you refer to most frequently and will also mail you Table of Contents (TOC) alerts for those titles.

The process is as simple as logging in to ELIN or registering an account with the service if you haven’t used it before. After that, you can use the Journals search page to look for your favourite Engineering & Design titles then ‘Add to your Collection’.

By default, all titles in your Collection will automatically send you TOC alerts to the email address you registered. You may find the ELIN service a bit more straightforward to use, the convenience of having links to your favourite journals saved in one place will stop you having to browse the epic A-Z e-journal listings and there’s even some evidence that the ELIN service can get TOC alerts out to you faster than ZETOC…

If you’ve any queries or problems using the service or would like more information about ELIN, don’t hesitate to contact your Subject Librarian.

Get yourself SORTED out!

You’ll have been busy signing up for clubs and societies during Freshers Week but now the lectures and coursework are starting.   Maybe you’d benefit from attending some of the library led SORTED training sessions this Semester to brush up on a few of your research and referencing skills?

Library staff are presenting a few meetings that could be very useful to new undergraduates as well as student groups further through their course.

Firstly, “To Google or not to Google” looks at making the best use of web search engines.  We will outline the pros and cons of relying on search engine results for your assignment research and talk about a few other online resources you may find more valuable to use during your studies.

We are also holding an information session about “Referencing – A Beginner’s Guide“.  Everytime you cite someone else’s work in one of your essays, you’ll be expected to reference that author correctly by your lecturer.  This presentation will outline the basics and give you a few examples to work on.

Follow the weblinks above to read more about the timing and content of the library meetings.  If you are interested in attending, you will need to sign up with SORTED. This involves a £10 deposit to be eligible to attend any of the SORTED training sessions on offer.