Tag Archives: research

Did you know: Working on your thesis? Help is available in the Library

Posted on by
Reply

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

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 shown
  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.

A selection of University of Aberdeen theses are also available in the Digital Collections section of Primo. There are both Research and Taught Course theses covering a range of programmes, but it doesn’t contain all theses and dissertations submitted at the University of Aberdeen. For Research Theses:

  1. Sign in to Primo
  2. Click on the Digital Collections tab
  3. Select Research theses
  4. The theses are arranged in Subject Collections

Information Skills

Our Find it Fast! Wiki is packed with material to help with your information skills, from planning your search to referencing. There is a specific section for Postgraduate Researchers. There are also runs regular online sessions about pertinent topics such as literature searching. More information and details of how to book can be found in Online Information Skills Workshops for PhD students: now open for booking.

Our Toolkit also provides a wealth of information on IT and Academic Skills to assist in organising and managing your time and information. The IT Services Team have also created the Working with Long Documents section, which has plenty of handy videos and guides to help you with creating and manipulating long documents in MS Word.

Remember, we are here to support you through your studies, so if you require further help and advice, please do contact us via informationconsultants@abdn.ac.uk.

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

Information skills workshops for PhD students

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Information Skills workshops for PhD researchers: now open for booking

Posted on by
Reply

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!

Search our digital collections using ‘Find Databases’ on Primo

Posted on by
Reply

Primo will tell you about the hundreds of thousands of digital resources available through the University and will link you to one of over 200 different online academic databases to let you read the material that you’re interested in.

Did you know, though, that if you go straight to the website of specific academic databases you can perform even more powerful searches, often looking across every word contained in every item within that collection? A simple search in Primo is the best place to start a piece of research but using the Find Databases option is the next step, improving the quality of any academic research that you do.

These databases often focus on specific subject areas, meaning that your searching becomes more focused and efficient, saving you time looking and giving you more time to read and write. See below for details of how to use the Find Databases feature in Primo to link straight to digital collections best suited to your area of study.

find-dbs-screen-2

Use the Find Databases option at the top of Primo. Please remember to log in with your username and password.

find-dbs-screen-1

You can search for specific databases or you can filter by subject area. It is also possible to browse an alphabetical listing of all databases available.

Once you have identified an academic database that you wish to search, simply click on its name to link out to it. You may be asked to log in again.

Please note that it is not possible to search across multiple databases at once using the Find Databases option. You must link out to each database that you are interested in and search them individually. This method will allow you to perform the most powerful searches available to you.

For further guidance on using Primo please see our short videos on its various features. For guidance on accessing online resources, particularly when off campus, please see our Library Guide on Accessing Electronic Information and the Toolkit’s section on Remote Access.

Ewan Grant, e.grant@abdn.ac.uk

Information Skills workshops for PhD researchers: places still available

Posted on by
Reply

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!

Information Skills workshops for PhD researchers now open for booking

Posted on by
Reply

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. With so much academic literature available through the University of Aberdeen, these workshops will give you the confidence and skills to locate and manage the materials you need.

The workshops will take place in the middle of June 2018 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!

 

Taught Postgraduates – courses in May and June to help with your dissertations and projects

Posted on by
Reply

 

Once the exams are over, many taught postgraduate students will be turning their attention to their dissertations and projects. IT Services, the Library and the Student Learning Service are here to help with a series of sessions:

From the 21st to the 23rd of May, the Library will hold a series of workshops that cover the research process from choosing where and how to search for high quality information to ensuring that your referencing is as good as it can be. The three workshops are: Part 1 – Starting your dissertation research, Part 2 – Going further with your dissertation research and Part 3 – Managing your dissertation research. To find out more and to book a place please visit: www.abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking and look for Library Information Skills.

On the 28th and 29th of May, colleagues from the IT Services’ Training and Documentation Team will be running workshops to help with many of the common formatting issues that can arise when working with long documents. The workshops will look at: (Word 2013) defining and using an appropriate template, modifying inbuilt styles, inserting section breaks and page numbers, applying multi-level numbering, using captions for images, creating cross-references and creating tables of contents and tables of figures. To sign up to attend one of these workshops please visit: www.abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking and look for courses on MS Office.

The university’s Student Learning Service will be running workshops at the start of June aimed at taught postgraduates as they embark on their dissertations or projects. There will be two different sessions, the first looking at writing a literature review and the second focusing on the construction of arguments and the structuring of the dissertation. Same as with the IT and Library courses, visit:
www.abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking for more information and to book a place.

student_typing_keyboard_text_woman_

Come to these classes to ensure you start your piece of work with the skills to make the process as easy as possible!

Information Skills workshops for PhD researchers still open for booking

Posted on by
Reply

The Library is here to help all postgraduate researchers as they begin, or continue their in-depth research with a series of Information Skills Workshops designed to their needs. With so much academic literature available through the University of Aberdeen, these workshops will give you the confidence and skills to locate and manage the materials you need.

The workshops will take place in April 2018 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. For further information and to book a place, visit
www.abdn.ac.uk/coursebooking and look for Library Information Skills classes.

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

  • Literature searching – Part 1: Getting started (16th & 17th of April)
  • Literature searching – Part 2: Using databases (18th of April)
  • Literature searching – Part 3: Managing your references using RefWorks* (19th of April)

Across the 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.

We look forward to seeing you at the workshops.

HeinOnline adds new content to World Constitutions Illustrated

Posted on by
Reply

This month HeinOnline has added 60 new documents and over 40 new titles to their World Constitutions Illustrated Library. A brochure is available here or go online to find out more.

About World Constitutions Illustrated (source HeinOnline):

“We are working to identify and acquire the source documents for every historical constitution for every country. As historical documents are identified, they will be added to the constitutional timeline for each country. Documents identified but not yet acquired will be listed to provide a documentary history of the constitution’s development. For every constitutional document, researchers will find the original text, amending laws, consolidated text, and important related texts. We will also link you to scholarly articles and commentary, and provide a bibliography of select constitutional books available elsewhere.”

Elaine Shallcross
e.shallcross@abdn.ac.uk