6 really useful tips to help make your academic life easier
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Brunel University Library guideTRANSCRIPT
Sarah Wolfenden @BSSLibrarian Social Sciences Subject Librarian
Really useful tips to make finding
information EASIER
Go to http://www.brunel.ac.uk/services/library/subjects/ or follow the link from the library homepage to Subject Guides and choose either Politics or History. Choose the second tab along – Databases.
Clicking the title will take you to the resource. Read the blurb beneath each one to find out what’s in it and for any more log-in information.
Use the filters on the left hand side to narrow your search. Try limiting your results to journals, newspapers or by publication date. You can also search by Full Text only.
Search tips…
Identify keywords
Think of alternative terms
Link words using AND
Use OR to include alternative terms
Use truncation: histor* will find history, histories, historical etc
Use inverted commas: “inclusive citizenship”
Once you have searched for your topic, click the alert/save/share link at the top right hand side of the page. This will ensure you are notified if new articles are published which match your search. Look out for variant spellings on other databases.
Using social media, such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs can help you keep up to date with researchers, practioners and generally what is going on in the field.
To save time, you can set up a social media dashboard to monitor lots of different sites and keep track of areas you are interested in. Go to addictomatic.com to get started.
Search for whatever topic you like. Selecting the available sources tab will let you choose which sites to keep.
The URL will change when you make your selections, creating a link to your own personal dashboard. You can then check this whenever you like.
Use Bibliographies to guide you to further sources.
If you come across papers at other universities, try locating from Institutional Repositories.
For a list of these, see: http://www.opendoar.org/
Use your SCONUL access to visit other University libraries.
British Library: reference only, need to register: http://tinyurl.com/ydgho4e
Open the reference tab, then select
Harvard from the
style list.
Manage your references by using the Referencing tool in Word
Where do you find the information you need to
reference?
You may need to search for the information. If you are unable to locate a date or, especially, an author, you should reconsider the validity of the website as a source. What types of websites can you usually consider a reliable source? What should you watch out for?
What about websites?
Using RefWorks to create and manage your bibliography may help you keep on top of your information. To find Refworks; select the Researchers tab on the Library homepage.
‘Got a question?’ Our online question bank: http://libanswers.brunel.ac.uk/
LibChat 9.30am – 4.30pm
Ask at the Help Desk.
Email: [email protected]
Brunel University Library
Getting help in the Library
Each School has a dedicated Subject Liaison Librarian.
I’m yours! @BSSLibrarian
We can help you with…
Searching for information
Enquiries about library services and resources
Keeping up to date
Getting more help…