Library & Cultural Services: Getting Started Guide: Skills at Library

Skills at Library covers a range of tools and resources designed to support students and researchers in their academic careers. This page provides quick access to guidance and interactive tutorials under the three themes of 'Finding', 'Checking' and 'Managing'. This includes help with: discovering information, search strategies, fact checking sources, and referencing. Click the Workshops at Library tab to view our programme of open workshops.

If you’re new to using the library and want an introduction to our services, take a look at our 'Getting Started' guide. If you're based at Colchester Campus, we also have a have a self-guided tour of the physical library space that can be completed online or in person at the Albert Sloman Library. If you are a PGR student or member of academic staff, have a look at our Support for Researchers guide for more in-depth information on citations, publishing, online research profiles, and more.

Finding

Finding resources Learn about different types of resources and where to find them.
Subject guides Your subject guide contains recommendations of key resources for your subject area.
Introduction to e-Resources Watch this short video for an introduction to finding and using our e-resources.
Your search strategy Learn how to conduct more efficient searches and find more relevant results.
Advanced Search Skills webinar Watch this video to learn how to develop a search strategy, and make your searches more effective and efficient.
Google search skills tutorial Have a go at our interactive tutorial to learn some top tips that will make your Google searches more effective!
News and media sources webinar Watch this video for advice and guidance about finding and using news and media sources for research and study.
Data for research webinar Watch this video for advice and guidance about finding and using data sources in study and research.
Search skills beyond University Learn about ways that your search skills are transferable beyond your time here at Essex.
Introduction to using special collections and archives in your research This video gives a brief introduction to using special collections and archive materials, including primary source materials in your research.
How to access e-books video This video demonstrates how to access e-books from the Library's website.
How to access journals and journal articles video This video demonstrates how to access journals and the full text of journal articles from the Library's website.

Checking

Evaluating information Learn how to critically evaluate the resources you find.
Evaluating resources tutorial Have a go at our interactive tutorial to learn more about how to evaluate the quality or suitability of a source.
Guidance on using artificial intelligence

Managing

Referencing and plagiarism Learn all about referencing, why it's important, and how to create a reference in your departmental style.
Referencing made easy tutorial Have a go at our interactive tutorial for an introduction to referencing, and a chance to practice creating references.
Introduction to OSCOLA referencing A series of three videos providing an overview of OSCOLA referencing, which is used by the School of Law at the University of Essex. This series covers what OSCOLA is and the general principles behind the system, citing legislation and cases, and citing secondary sources (books and journal articles).
Introduction to reference management software webinar This video introduces reference management software. It covers what reference management software is, what software is available, and what to consider when choosing your software.
Endnote: for managing your references Endnote is a reference management software supported by IT Services. Find out more about Endnote on the IT Training Toolkit Moodle page!

Other Skills Resources

Looking for more opportunities to develop your skills? Checkout our online and face-to-face Workshops at Library sessions designed to support Essex students and researchers. These sessions cover a broad range of content aimed at undergraduates and new starters, but they are also suitable for all members of the University of Essex. (Workshops for PGRs and Early Career Researchers can be found on our Newcomers page.)

Book an appointment with an experienced member of library staff if you would like support with finding information or data on a topic, using a particular database/online resource, and how to cite/reference.

This service is currently in high demand, so we recommend that you attend our workshops and review our online guides before booking an appointment.

Helpful Links

Writing in the Disciplines Moodle Course View sample scripts from each department that received a mark of Merit or above. Texts are accompanied by feedback from the marker and / or WAGOLL comments ('What A Good One Looks Like'), highlighting general features of good academic writing.
Skills@Essex This Moodle course is designed to support your skills development during your time at the University. From help with developing a presentation for an assessment, to avoiding academic misconduct, this resource will help you enhance your academic and personal development, throughout your studies.
Digital Skills Discovery tool

Except where otherwise noted, this work by University of Essex Library and Cultural Services is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.