Category Archives: workshops

Information skills workshops for PhD students

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The Library is here to help all postgraduate researchers with a series of information skills workshops which will take place in The Sir Duncan Rice Library on the 06th, 07th, 08th and 9th of March.

There are four workshops on offer, each lasting two hours:

  • Part 1: Getting started
  • Part 2: Using databases, Copyright
  • Part 3: Academic Integrity, Referencing
  • Part 4: Managing references using ProQuest RefWorks

Across the four workshops we will look at: how to use Google for support materials, planning a search, finding books in Primo and e-book collections, using databases of academic literature and managing references with ProQuest RefWorks.

We will also cover how to use resources fairly and legally and provide an overview of Academic Integrity and discuss plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating.

To find out more and book a place, please visit https://www.abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking/ and look for ‘Library Information Skills’ classes.

Online Information Skills workshops for PhD researchers: now open for booking

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As you begin, or continue your PhD, it is important that you feel confident that you are locating and managing all the literature and information you require to achieve your research aims.

The Library Service is here to support your research so we will be running a series of three Online Information Skills Workshops starting at the end of June 2022. The workshops’ aim is to help you understand the resources available to you as researchers here at the University of Aberdeen, and how to get the best out of them. Read on for further information on the workshops.

28 June
Literature searching: Part 1 – Planning a search, resources, access and support

  • Planning your search, using Boolean operators and applying search rules
  • Using Primo to identify possible resources to support your research
  • Accessing resources (authentication – Shibboleth and other routes)
  • Library help and support

28 June
Literature searching: Part 2 – Primo, ebooks and Google

  • How to get the best out of Primo (the library catalogue and discovery tool)
  • Ebook collections
  • Streamlining your searches in Google, Google Scholar and other search engines

29 June
Literature searching: Part 3 – Scopus and Web of Science databases

Overview of the features and options within the two largest and broadest databases that we have access to. The training slot is one hour, however, there is an option to re-join the session later in the morning to ask questions once you have had the chance to try things out for yourself.

Feedback from those who have previously attended these sessions has been positive and highlights how after attending, students felt better equipped to find and manage the materials they need for research. One quote from a previous attendee nicely sums up what we are aiming for with these sessions:

“I will definitely be searching smarter than before”

Our aim is that after you attend, you will also leave feeling this way.

To find out more, and to book onto the different workshops please visit www.abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking and look for Information Skills classes.

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!

Information skills workshops for PhD students

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The Library is here to help all postgraduate researchers with a series of information skills workshops which will take place on the 11th, 12th and 13th of February. 

UL_library_workshops_Janet1psd

There are three workshops on offer, each lasting two hours:

  • Literature searching – Part 1: Getting started
  • Literature searching – Part 2: Using databases
  • Literature searching – Part 3:  Managing references using RefWorks

Across the three workshops we will look at: planning a search, looking for books, using databases of academic literature, getting the best out of Google and managing references with RefWorks.

Please note that the session on RefWorks is not suitable for postgraduates in the School of Law. 

For more information and to book a place on these sessions, please visit: www.abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking and look for ‘Library Information Skills’ classes.

Library Skills workshops to help you ‘Find it Fast!’

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Come along to one of our Find it Fast! sessions starting this week and learn all about new Primo and other resources available to you here at the University of Aberdeen.

Our Find it Fast! series of workshops is aimed at Undergraduates and Taught Postgraduate Students and covers:

  • using new Primo, our online resource discovery tool for locating physical and electronic resources
  • how to search for the hundreds of thousands of electronic books which we have access to
  • using the many online databases which we subscribe to. They contain important resources which you cannot find by searching in Google!
  • how to manage your references using RefWorks
  • getting the best out of Google

The workshops are held over lunch time in The Sir Duncan Rice Library and will run between 21 January and 12 February.

To find out more and book a place on one of these sessions, visit https://www.abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking/ and change the category to Library Information Skills.

If you have any queries, please contact Eleni at eleni.boro@abdn.ac.uk

Information Skills workshops for PhD researchers: now open for booking

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As you begin, or continue your PhD it is important that you feel confident that you are locating and managing all the literature and information you require to achieve your research aims.

The Library Service is here to support your research so we will be running a series of Information Skills Workshops starting at the end of October 2019. The workshops’ aim is to help you understand the resources available to you as researchers here at the University of Aberdeen, and how to get the best out of them. Read on for further information on the workshops.

29, 30 & 31 October
Literature searching – Part 1: Planning, Primo and Google

5, 6 & 7 November
Literature searching – Part 2: Databases

12, 13 & 14 November 
Literature searching – Part 3: Managing References with RefWorks

Across the three parts, we will look at:

  • Planning your search
  • Looking for books: using Primo and E-books
  • Databases of academic literature
  • Getting the best out of Google
  • Managing your references with RefWorks
  • Formatting Word documents with in-text citations and bibliographies

Feedback from those who have previously attended these sessions has been positive and highlights how after attending, students felt better equipped to find and manage the materials they need for research. One quote from a previous attendee nicely sums up what we are aiming for with these sessions:

“I will definitely be searching smarter than before”

Our aim is that after you attend, you will also leave feeling this way.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The sessions focusing on the management of references is not suitable for research postgraduates in the School of Law, as the software used does not support the OSCOLA referencing style required for legal theses.

To find out more, and to book onto the different workshops please visit www.abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking and look for Information Skills classes. Please note that we will be offering three sessions on each part, with the Tuesday & Thursday sessions lasting 2 hours and the Wednesday sessions lasting 3 hours.

In the meantime, do not forget that Library staff are always here to help with any information needs that you may have. Visit our website for further information on our services. We look forward to seeing you at the workshops!

Library Skills workshops to help you ‘Find it Fast!’

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We believe that you should be spending the majority of your time reading materials and not looking for them, so we have a range of workshops to help you learn how to get your hands on the best books, articles, reports and other information in the shortest time possible.

Our Find it Fast! workshops will be running between October 15 and November 7 to help all undergraduate and taught postgraduate students navigate the library landscape, which can at times seem filled with so much choice.

The workshops are held over lunch time in The Sir Duncan Rice Library and are a great introduction to the resources we provide and the ways in which you can make best use of them. They cover:

  • using Primo, our online resource discovery tool for locating physical and electronic resources
  • how to search for the hundreds of thousands of electronic books which we have access to
  • using the many online databases which we subscribe to. They contain important resources which you cannot find by searching in Google!
  • how to manage your references using RefWorks
  • getting the best out of Google

Invest one hour of your time over lunch to learn tips and techniques that will repay you with time saved when searching for the materials you need for your assignments and exams.

To find out more and to view the full list of Find it Fast! workshops on offer please go to www.abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking and search for Library Information Skills courses.

Information Skills workshops for PhD researchers: places still available

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The Library is here to help all postgraduate researchers as they begin, or continue their in-depth research, with a short series of Information Skills workshops designed to their needs.

The workshops will take place on the 11th, 12th and 13th of June and will help you understand the resources available to you as researchers here at the University of Aberdeen, and how to get the best out of them.

UL_library_workshops_Janet1psd

There are three workshops on offer, each lasting three hours:

  • Literature searching – Part 1: Getting started
  • Literature searching – Part 2: Using databases
  • Literature searching – Part 3: Managing your references using RefWorks*

Across the three workshops we will look at:

  • Planning your search
  • Looking for books: using Primo and e-books
  • Databases of academic literature
  • Getting the best out of Google
  • Managing your references with RefWorks
  • Formatting Word documents with in-text citations and bibliographies

*IMPORTANT NOTE: The workshop focusing on the management of references
(Part 3) is not suitable for research postgraduates in the School of Law, as the software used does not support the OSCOLA referencing style required for legal theses.

To find out more, and to book onto the different workshops please visit www.abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking and look for Library Information Skills classes.

We look forward to seeing you at the workshops!

Library workshops for taught postgraduates

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Once the exams are over, many taught postgraduate students will be turning their attention to their dissertations or projects and the Library is here to help you with a series of workshops that cover the research process from choosing where and how to search for high quality sources to ensuring that your referencing is as good as it can be.

UL_library_workshops_Janet1psd

There are three workshops on offer and they will be taking place from the 20th to the 22nd of May. We call them Information Skills Refreshers as they aim to remind you of the best ways to use our resources and services as you embark on such a large piece of work. The three workshops are:

  • Part 1 – Starting your dissertation research. Covers planning, using Primo to find print and electronic books and how to get the best out of search engines such as Google
  • Part 2 – Going further with your dissertation research. Covers how to identify, access and use the most suitable academic databases to find research level material in your subject. Also introduces RefWorks, a software to help you manage your references and write your dissertation or project.
  • Part 3 – Managing your dissertation research. Carries on from Part 2, going into more detail on referencing and using RefWorks, as well as touching on how best to avoid possible accusations of plagiarism.

PLEASE NOTE: RefWorks is of limited use to those using Footnote referencing styles, such as OSCOLA.  Subject specialists from the library will be on hand to give support and advice.

To find out more about the workshops and to book a place please visit www.abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking and look for Library Information Skills. Be sure to read the important information about each course before booking.

 

Information Skills workshops for PhD researchers: places still available

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The Library is here to help all postgraduate researchers as they begin, or continue their in-depth research, with a short series of Information Skills workshops designed to their needs.

The workshops will take place on the 16th, 17th & 18th of April and will help you understand the resources available to you as researchers here at the University of Aberdeen, and how to get the best out of them.

There are three workshops on offer, each lasting two hours:

  • Literature searching – Part 1: Getting started
  • Literature searching – Part 2: Using databases
  • Literature searching – Part 3: Managing your references using RefWorks*

Across the three workshops we will look at:

  • Planning your search
  • Looking for books: using Primo and e-books
  • Databases of academic literature
  • Getting the best out of Google
  • Managing your references with RefWorks
  • Formatting Word documents with in-text citations and bibliographies

*IMPORTANT NOTE: The workshop focusing on the management of references

(Part 3) is not suitable for research postgraduates in the School of Law, as the software used does not support the OSCOLA referencing style required for legal theses.

To find out more, and to book onto the different workshops please visit www.abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking and look for Library Information Skills classes.

We look forward to seeing you at the workshops!