EBSCO Quick Guide

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The EBSCO platform contains databases across many subject areas. Each database contains information on research published in selected journals and conferences. Some of the databases contain information related to books. Here are the databases currently available from EBSCO:  

Anthropology Plus, Art & Architecture Complete, ATLA Religion Database, British Education Index, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, CINAHL, Education Abstracts, Educational Administration Abstracts,  ERIC, European Views of the Americas: 1493 to 1750, GreenFILE, LISTA, MLA International Bibliography with Full Text, RILM Abstracts of Music Literature, SPORTDiscus, Teacher Reference Center.  

Sign in to Primo and search for a title. If the book is available from EBSCO, the following steps will apply:

 Click on the title of the book to be taken to the book details page and navigate to the full text using your University username and password.

Once you are in EBSCO, the book will be displayed like so:

You have the options of Reading the book online (PDF Full Text) or Download the item. If you choose reading online, it will display like this:  

If you choose to download, the following messages will be displayed on your screen. Please note that different books may have different downloading options, depending on the Digital Rights Management (DRM) agreements. For a non-DRM book, the steps to download are as follows:  

The image is showing the prompt that will appear to 'Download Ebook.' There are options to do this as a PDF, or as an 'E-PUB' for mobile devices.
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is down-arrow-2.png

For a book requiring a DRM licence, please note that you will need to set up an EBSCO Personal Account. Advice on how to do so can be found at https://bit.ly/3xl84j0.

To download, select your preferred ‘Download Format’ like so:  

Once the item is downloaded, the site recommends you open it with Adobe Reader. More information can be found at:  

https://bit.ly/3vx8phj 
https://adobe.ly/3vDtDKc

User Features in EBSCO  

Once you have found the book(s) you need in EBSCO, there are a range of options as to how you can use them. This Tools section can be found on the right hand side of the item’s display page as shown:  

If you are reading online, similar icons are displayed across the top of the screen:  

Adding/Saving Items to Folder: EBSCO offers this feature to act as a virtual bookshelf, where you also have options to save, print or email the details, and export them to RefWorks or similar programmes.  

Saving/Emailing References: EBSCO allows both singular and multiple references to be taken from searched material. Detailed instructions and advice on how to do so can be found in the Help section under ‘Emailing’: https://bit.ly/3cPJUFB

Exporting Bibliographic Details to Ref Works-Option to Export on right hand side of screen. Opens links to Ref Works and other providers, and can directly export. For further help, please see our detailed Library Guides.   

Accessibility-The Help section includes an Accessibility Guide covering navigation of the site, the readers (PDF and EPUB), read aloud software and EBSCO’s commitments. It can be found here: https://bit.ly/3vD86RV   

Help and Support-Extensive Help section on website (top right-hand side of screen). Includes user guides, accessibility pages and tutorials.  

Licences-There are three categories here: ‘Unlimited User Access’; ‘Limited Access (3 Users)’, and ‘Limited Access (1 User)’. If the book is unavailable, the site will give various messages along the lines of ‘Item unable to download. Please Read Online’ or ‘Item unavailable for download, please try again later.’  

If you wish to search a specific database on the EBSCO platform, please follow these steps:  

  1. Go to Primo and sign in at the top right of the screen 
  1.  Select the Find Databases tab 
  1. In the new window that appears enter EBSCO in the box called Database Search and click on search 
  1. A list will be created containing the different databases which we currently have access to through the EBSCO platform  
  1. Click on any one of the databases to link out to the EBSCO platform. Primo will open the database’s details page. In the View Online section click on the name of the database e.g. ERIC (EBSCO). Once on EBSCO you can change the particular database you are actually searching in. If off-campus, you may be asked to sign in via your institution. Select University of Aberdeen and sign in with your username and password. 

For more information see our EBSCO worksheet. 

Lucy Drysdale and Louise Faustino

Did you know…? – Working on your thesis? Help is available

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Here’s an outline of what help is available from the Library and IT Services for those of you working on your thesis.

Library help

Searching for theses in your subject area

You can access three large databases of theses through Primo:

  1. Sign in to Primo
  2. Click on the Find Databases tab
  3. From the left-hand menu, click on the arrow next to All General Resources
  4. Select Theses from the options below
  5. Then click on each database for more information and to link out and search for relevant theses.

For further information and more theses databases, please see this guidance document created by Library staff.

University of Aberdeen theses are also available in the Digital Collections section of Primo. There are both Research and Taught Course theses.

Information Skills

Our Find it Fast! Wiki is packed with material to help with your information skills, from planning your search to referencing. There are specific sections for Taught Postgraduates and Postgraduate Researchers. 

Live Q&A sessions for PGR students

Library staff will be running live Q&A sessions for PGR students next week on 21 & 24 June. Please do come along and our team will be happy to provide guidance and short demonstrations based on your needs. Sign up on the Course Booking site.

Remember we are here to support you throughout your studies, so please do get in touch (library@abdn.ac.uk) if you would like some help. 

IT help

The IT Services Team have created the Working with Long Documents section on Toolkit, which has plenty of handy videos and guides to help you with creating and manipulating long documents in MS Word.

The IT Services Training and Documentation team are also running sessions on 16 June:

  • Part 1: Adding Style to Your Thesis, 11am-12pm
  • Part 2: The Power of Section Breaks, 2pm-3pm

You can sign up on the Course Booking pages. Even if the session is full, it is worth getting on the waiting list as you may still be able to attend.

Best of luck to all those of you working on your thesis!

Did you Know…? – help with referencing

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It’s not too early to start thinking about your referencing. Once you have researched and begun writing your dissertation or project you must remember to correctly acknowledge the sources of any information which you refer to. This allows readers to trace the original material while also ensuring that you avoid potentially committing plagiarism.  

To help you with your referencing, Library staff have prepared several online guides with useful examples. We have a generic guide on Referencing and Citing as well as others focused on specific referencing systems or subject areas:  

Please be sure, though, to also refer to any specific referencing guidance which you may have been provided by your department. You can also see advice on avoiding plagiarism on the Student Learning Service’s website and PGT students can also check in MyAberdeen for materials on academic writing and avoiding plagiarism. 

We also have access to a really useful book by Colin Neville called Complete guide to referencing and avoiding plagiarism which goes over topics from why you need to reference, where, the different referencing styles, plagiarism and how to express your own ideas in an assignment. 

If you need any help with referencing your dissertation or project please feel free to contact Library staff with any questions you may have.

Live Q&A sessions for PGR students: Library resources and services

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Unsure how to start looking for library materials? No idea what a Shibboleth login is? Want to find out about the Click and Collect service if you are in Aberdeen? How to access and find electronic content?

If the answer to any of those is “Yes” then join us for some short demonstrations of library resources. You will be able to ask us any questions you may have and we’ll do our best to answer them.

Our Q&A sessions are scheduled for 15, 21 & 24 June and will be delivered via Collaborate. To find out more and to book a place, visit: 
abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking and change the category to ‘Library Information Skills’.

Please get in touch if you have any questions – e.grant@abdn.ac.uk

Live Q&A sessions for PGT students

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The hand-in date for your dissertation is likely to be looming. If you need a refresher on how to find papers on your dissertation topic or on accessing e-resources, or have any queries on referencing then come along to one of our Question & Answer sessions next week. In the meantime, you may find materials in our Refresher series of interest. The recordings in our Refresher series present techniques, tips and resources to help you find scholarly information and reliable support materials. The issues of plagiarism, referencing, planning a dissertation and writing a Literature Review are also covered.

Photo by Joe Johnston

The sessions will take place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week
(7, 8 & 9 June) and are open to all PGT students regardless of whether or not you have listened to the recordings or have received previous instruction.

The sessions will be delivered via Collaborate. To find out more and to book a place, please visit abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking – just change the category to ‘Library Information Skills’.

Please get in touch with us if you have any questions.
s.mmcourt@abdn.ac.uk

Elsevier Negotiations at University of Aberdeen

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With our current Elsevier contract due to end in December 2021, the University is working with partners across the UK to negotiate a new multiyear agreement for access to Elsevier ScienceDirect which also includes open publishing.

To achieve an affordable and sustainable deal which aligns with Aberdeen 2040 and our commitment to open research and inclusivity, we need to take a clear and firm stance ensuring that our needs are properly reflected.

We are now gathering information in support of planning and analysis to inform an institutional response to negotiations. Simon Bains, University Librarian, is very happy to hear views and questions from researchers at all levels and also invites interest in joining a consultative group to respond to developments in the negotiations and assist in communicating updates across the University. See his recent invitation in the Staff Newsletter.

Watch a short video on Open Access agreements: Jisc and Elsevier negotiations:

Did you know…? – Extensive online access to publications from the British Academy

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We thought you might be interested in additional e-resources from the British Academy that have been made available through our subscription to University Press Scholarship Online (UPSO). Recently expanded content includes 207 publications, spanning subjects in the humanities and social sciences, with new items being added as they are published.

Logo of the University Press Scholarship Online and the British Academy

Access to this electronic collection of books, essays and journals includes the series Proceedings of the British Academy, lectures delivered at the British Academy, available online from 2002 onwards.

The Library also has earlier and current print copies of this journal on Floor 2 of The Sir Duncan Rice Library and at other locations.

Access to UPSO is via the Find Databases tab in Primo. Once you are on the UPSO platform, please look for the Sign in via your Institution option.

Details of other collections that remain available on a temporary basis can be found on our designated Library page, which we update regularly.

In addition to highlighting expanded content available via our Library subscriptions, please see here a list of relevant and appropriate Open Access e-resources.

Please email us with any questions you may have as we are always happy to help!
subjectteam@abdn.ac.uk

Jenna Storey, jennifer.storey@abdn.ac.uk

Using The Sir Duncan Rice Library Safely During the Pandemic

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The Sir Duncan Rice Library and the Medical and Taylor Libraries are currently open for our students and staff. We are unable to provide library access to members of the public.

Remember to bring your staff/student card as access will be via swipe card at the main entrance. Card scanning at the security gates is compulsory to comply with current Government Test and Protect obligations.

Please be aware that a face covering must be worn at all times, including when seated, or display a sunflower lanyard if unable to do so.
Please maintain the 2 metre physical distancing rule whenever possible.
Sanitise hands on entry and exit and during your stay.  
Only use study spaces and PCs marked with a green tick and surfaces, PCs and MFDs should be cleaned after use with the wipes provided.
Please also remember that no food or drink, other than bottled water, is permitted anywhere within the library, except when seated in the café.
If a book from the shelf is handled but not borrowed – the quarantine trolleys on each floor next to the atrium must be used.
Follow the designated one-way routes and please remember, lifts are to be used by one person at a time, so please leave more time to move around the building.

Please only approach Library Staff who are seated behind support desk screens.

We continue to welcome all University users who have no suitable alternative study space available to them. If a user is unable to evacuate unaided, we require prior arrangement before we can allow access – please contact libnotice@abdn.ac.uk for assistance.

A Click and Collect service is available through Primo, for those who prefer not to come into the library at present. This is a next day service and is available Monday to Friday. An email notification is issued when the requested items are available for collection. You can find more information about the Click & Collect service here.

Please note these guidelines are subject to change according to the guidance provided by the Scottish Government. Thank you for helping to keep our Libraries and Community safe.

Olivia McIntosh & Mhorag Watson

REMINDER: live Q&A sessions – Library resources and services

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Just a reminder that we still offer online Q&A sessions about the Library’s resources and services. Our next sessions are scheduled for Thursday 6 May at 11:00 and Thursday 13 May at 10:00.

Come along to one of our sessions and you will be able to ask us any questions you may have. All levels of student are welcome!

The sessions are delivered via Collaborate. To find out more and to book a place, please visit abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking and change the category to ‘Library Information Skills’.

Please contact us if you have any queries:
eleni.boro@abdn.ac.uk
s.mccourt@abdn.ac.uk

Friday 30 April: IT issues

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An unexpected loss of power within our data centre on campus means many of our IT-services will not operate as expected, or potentially at all. The University website, library journals and MyAberdeen are just some of the services that will be affected. Cloud-based services such as Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams should be unaffected. The process to restart the power centre is already under way but this is extensive and could take up to five hours to complete.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.