Postgraduate training
Welcome to the Library!
The exercises on this page will help you to locate and use Library resources and services, specifically:
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How to find information relevant to your needs on the Library web pages
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How to locate books and journals in the Library and online
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How to use online databases to locate articles and data sources
The tutorials below will guide you through the some resources for your research. The tutorials will be available on this webpage for you to refer to during your course.
Using the Library
Open a new Internet Explorer window.
Select Using the Library from the menu bar on the left of the screen and look through the information contained in these pages. You will learn about Library opening hours, how many books you can borrow, study and photocopying facilities, locate our online guides and how to get help. Look at Information for...postgraduates for relevant information.
When you have finished, close the new window to return to the original page.
Using the Library catalogue
The following tutorial is an introduction to the library catalogue for those who are unfamilar with its features and layout.
To use the tutorial you need to disable any pop-up blockers you may have running on your PC. Once you click on the link below the tutorial will open as a split screen module with two windows. The window on the left will provide instruction, leaving the right for you to work in.
For those using a screen reader please read the lnforms Accessibility Guidelines before starting this tutorial.
Subject Information
The Library provides comprehensive printed and online information sources for your subject. These pages provide an introduction to some of these resources and also provide contact details for your Liaison Librarians. Spend a few minutes exploring the pages for your subject, and if you haven't already picked up a copy from the Library, you can print out a copy of the Essentials guide for your subject. The Essentials guide will provide you with a tour of the Library, including floorplans for your subject floor and a break down of the major classmarks in your chosen subject area:
Databases
The University Library has a wide range of databases which give access to a variety of research information. The databases differ in the kind of information they cover, and the ways in which they can be searched. Some will give access to the full-text of journal articles, others will search for references to journal articles.
Geobase
This indexes worldwide literature on geography, geology, ecology and related disciplines, drawn from about 2,000 journals, from 1980 to the present, as well as books, reports and conference proceedings; many abstracts are provided.
The following tutorial will demonstrate the use of Geobase.
E-prints
Research repositories provide free access to new research, often in the form of pre-print copies of journal articles (often called e-prints). You may wish to try searching some of the research repositories available from this page.
Keeping up-to-date with new publications
As a postgraduate you will be expected to keep abreast of new research and new publications that will inform your work. The Library web pages for postgraduates list some services that will help you do this.
Citing the sources you have used
It is very important in any piece of academic work to cite (provide references to) the books, journals, web pages or other information sources you have used. Citing your sources is important for four reasons
- academic integrity, giving due credit to other authors for the ideas and work you have relied upon to establish your own arguments
- to enable those reading your work to identify and trace the sources you have used to formulate your ideas
- to demonstrate the breadth of your research, showing that you are aware of key authors, theories and facts
- failure to do so in an appropriate way could result in an accusation of plagiarism, which is regarded as a serious offence in academic institutions.
It is important to keep accurate records of the information sources you have used.
The Library guide Citing references and writing your bibliography gives advice on how to cite information sources you have used.
Endnote - bibliographic management software
The ITS department provide a guide to using Endnote.
After completing the tutorials on this page you will be able to locate a range of resources. You can access these and other materials from the Library's subject web page for Geography. If you have any questions about these sources or require further assistance with your research, please contact Christine Purcell