Finding information
Learn about the benefits that developing good information searching skills can bring.
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Develop your search skills
Our guidance can help you to:
- save time
- get the most relevant results
- expand your subject knowledge
- complete your university work
- think critically
- solve problems in the workplace
- remain industry aware
- enhance your digital skills
- prosper on your life-long learning journey.
Use Library Search to find academic information
What is covered:
- How to perform searches for different types of academic information.
- How to use filters to make your results more relevant.
Formats:
Search the web well for University study
What is covered:
- Learn when to use different web search pages, such as your favourite search page or Google Scholar.
- Understand how to use Google Scholar to find academic information.
Formats:
Planning your search for academic information
What is covered:
- Learn why it's important to plan your search for information.
- Understand how to identify keywords and key phrases from your assessment brief to search for relevant and useful results.
Formats:
Lean Library: Access the academic information you need easily on the web
What is covered:
- What Lean Library is and how it can help you find the academic information you need when searching the web.
Formats:
AI Awareness
What is covered:
- What Generative AI is.
- When it is okay and not okay to use it in your academic work and personal development.
- General guidance on how to use it correctly.
Formats:
Evaluating sources
What is covered:
- Appraising and evaluating the information you find to check for issues of credibility, relevance, authority, accuracy and purpose.
Formats:
Using evidence in your work
What is covered:
- How to paraphrase and summarise evidence correctly in your writing.
- Why it's important to use in text citations.
- When to use direct quotations.
Formats:
Critical writing
What is covered:
- What critical thinking is and the benefits of critical thinking.
- How to critically analyse.
- The difference between critical and descriptive writing.
Formats:
Databases: What are they and how they can help you with your assessments
What is covered:
- What a database is.
- Why it is important to use databases for your research.
- Identifying which databases are helpful for the subject you are studying.
Formats:
Read, take notes and use academic information
What is covered:
- Best practice tips for getting the most out of reading for academic purposes.
- Identifying different note-taking strategies.
- How to use the academic information you have found in your assessments.
Formats:
Academic Skills Workshops
Elevate your skills and knowledge with us!
This is a great place to start if you want to:
- Improve your study and research skills
- Develop your IT and digital skills
- Focus on your maths and numeracy.
Workshops are added regularly, so keep checking back to see what's new!
Related topics
Try out some of our other resources.