Google Workshop

Why not come along to the Library’s next lunchtime workshop on how to make the most of Google for your academic work? Called “Google – I’m Feeling Lucky!”, it covers searching Google effectively and introduces the following topics:

• advanced search techniques
• Google book search
• Google Scholar
• evaluation techniques

This workshops will be a presentation-style session with lots of opportunities for questions.

Venue: Anderson Room, Riccarton Library, top floor
Time: 12.15-13.15
Date: Wed 25th November

No need to book – just come along. Bring your lunch along. We’ll provide the tea and coffee.

Marion Kennedy
Subject Librarian

search50 – using search results

With search⁵⁰ you can select the areas you want to search in, and define your search much like a CompartheMarket.com for library resources. Instead of cheaper car insurance you are presented with lists of search results from different resources.

The results page displays results in the order they are returned. The activity bar on the right hand side of the screen indicates if the search is completed, but you can interact with the search results as soon as the first list is displayed. Search results are displayed in sets. You can click on the database name in the list below the activity bar to go to the first set of results returned from that resource. You can click on Next Set… for more results. At the top of the results page you have the option to reorder the results returned by Author, Title or Date.

For more information on a search result, click on View. This will be displayed in the resource that result was returned from. You can also link directly to the full-text of a journal article, where it is available, from the results screen. It’s not uncommon to search an online database only to find that you do not have full-text access to the article you find. In most instances this is because the Library does not maintain the necessary subscription.

If there is no Full-text or PDF View link, the seven thousand online academic journals and 150 online databases we do subscribe to can be found on the Databases and Journals pages on the Library website. It is also possible to order articles located through search50, but unavailable in online full-text, through inter-library loan. There’s an icon on the resource list in search⁵⁰ indicating whether access on a particular resource is to full-text, partial full-text, or in the case of library catalogues, no full-text.

You can select all results returned from a specific resource, or make your own selection. This information can then be printed out, emailed to your choice of email account or saved. There are various options for the format in which you can save results, whether as a text file or for use with EndNote or other bibliographic software. You also have the option to export directly into EndNote or RefWorks.

For more information or assistance with any aspect of online searching or support for EndNoteWeb contact the Library, browse through some of our previous postings on this blog, and look out for our information skills workshop sessions.

Iain Young
Resources Manager

Library Workshop slides available

Library Staff have so far presented two sessions as part of the Lunchtime Workshop Programme.  If you want to view the PowerPoint slides from either of these sessions, these are now available.  If you missed the session and/or have any further questions regarding the information presented, please get in touch with the presenter.  The slides and contact details are available from the Library Workshops page.

If you have attended one of the lunchtime workshops and didn’t complete our short feedback form, we’d very much appreciate your comments – please use our feedback form and return by email or hand in to Library Sttaff.

Sarah Kelly
Subject Librarian

Really… the Library? Session for academic staff

 

Academic staff are invited to attend a lunchtime session to find out more about the resources and services the library provides to help with teaching and research. 

Topics covered include:

Full-text books, chapters and articles in Vision courses

Workshops to complement your teaching

Sessions for students to reinforce independent learning

Advice for students on citing, referencing and plagiarism

Support for your research

Endnote libraries from home / conferences

The session will be held in the Anderson Room of the library on Wednesday 26 August, 12.15-13.45.  Please feel free to bring your lunch, tea and coffee will be provided.  For catering purposes, please let us know if you’d like to come along.

 Contact Marion Kennedy email: M.L.Kennedy@hw.ac.uk or call ext. 3583

 Catherine Ure
Subject Librarian

Time to simplify academic referencing styles?

There’s a very interesting article in the THE entitled There are 3,000 ways to cite source material – why not make it one? by Alec Gill, an academic tutor with the Study Advice Service, University of Hull.

He writes: “It is time to change. Academic styles of referencing must be reformed, unified and simplified.” and “The reform of academic referencing styles is long overdue. A pragmatic approach is needed to declutter the Victoriana that has been inherited within our bibliographic styles.”

There’s also a full-length version of the article available on his blog which is also well worth reading.

There are various books in the Library on referencing, and slides from The Cite is Right, one of the Library Workshop seminars, are also available.  

Roddy MacLeod
Senior Subject Librarian

The Exam Survial Guide – Repeat Session

© Jackhynes Flickr.com

If you missed the first Exam Survival Guide workshop on 1st April, there’s a repeat session on Wed 29th April.

The Exam Survival Guide
Anderson Room, Library top floor
12.15-13.45
Wed 29th April (repeat session)

Come along to find out how to work smarter, not harder in the run up to exams.

The session will cover revision strategies and techniques for getting through exams including -

• deciding which questions to answer and in what order
• communicating what you have learned to the examiner
• avoid what really irritates examiners
• what to do if your mind goes blank

Run by Isabelle Pottinger,  Advisor from the Effective Learning Service, this is an informal session and tea, coffee and biscuits are provided. Bring your own lunch.

View the workshop slides and handout. 

Marion Kennedy
Subject Librarian
Library Workshops

The exam survival guide

© Jackhynes Flickr.com

The Exam Survival Guide
Anderson Room, Library top floor
12.15-13.45
Wed 1st April OR Wed 29th April (repeat session)

The next Library lunchtime workshop entitled “The Exam Survival Guide” is all about  . . . you’ve guessed it. . . . how to prepare for exams.  Come along to this session to find out how to work smarter, not harder in the run up to exams.

The session will cover revision strategies and techniques for getting through exams including -

• deciding which questions to answer and in what order
• communicating what you have learned to the examiner
• avoid what really irritates examiners
• what to do if your mind goes blank

Run by Isabelle Pottinger,  Advisor from the Effective Learning Service, this is an informal session and tea, coffee and biscuits are provided. Bring your own lunch.

The Exam Survival Guide
Anderson Room, Library top floor
12.15-13.45
Wed 1st April OR Wed 29th April (repeat session)

Don’t fail to come along!  

Marion Kennedy
Subject Librarian

The Write Stuff (how to write essays and other things)

© Alaska Teacher Flickr.com

Would you like to know -

• what kind of essays get good marks?
• how to plan, develop and write a good argument?
• what to do when writer’s block hits?

Why not come along to the Write Stuff  to get some answers?  This session will cover -

• the main stages of essay writing
• how to analyse titles
• how to organise the material you collect
• what to look for when editing your drafts

The session is run by Isabelle Pottinger, Effective Learning Advisor/Academic Counsellor

The Write Stuff
Thurs 12th Februrary, 12.15-13.45
Anderson Room, Library top floor

Coffee and tea (and biscuits) provided but bring your own lunch.

More information on this and other Library lunchtime workshops

Marion Kennedy
Subject Librarian

Under Pressure?

Too much coming at you? All at the same time? Four assignments, three presentations and two lab reports? And what about that night out? And then there’s your washing to do! AARGH!  But, wait a minute. There’s no need to PANIC. Come along to . . .

Under Pressure
Thurdsay 5th February, 12.15-13.45, Anderson Room, Library

This session on time management covers how to make time to work, rest and play!  Find out how to -

• plan and organise your work
• identify effective learning strategies that work for you
• work steadily through the semester and avoid cramming

This workshop is run by Isabelle Pottinger, Effective Learning Advisor .

Marion Kennedy
Subject Librarian

How to use EndnoteWeb workshop

 

Do your reference notes look a bit like this?

kakachu flickr.com

Are you jotting down details of sources on scraps of paper that get lost?  Maybe you can’t find the page numbers of that really good quote and you need them to cite and reference it properly?

Find out how EndnoteWeb can help  -

• collate, annotate and organise your references
• create reference lists and add citations in your text – automatically
• cite-while-you-write, saving time and effort

Why not come along to this  library workshop on -

How to Use EndnoteWeb
Friday 30th January or Tuesday 3rd February
Both at 12.15-13.45 in the Anderson Room, top floor of the Library

This session is ideal if you don’t want to spend 3 days typing up your references!

Training (for staff and PG students only) on using the desktop version of Endnote desktop is available from UICS. 

Marion Kennedy
Subject Librarian