Workshops at Library sessions are designed to support Essex students and researchers in their studies and future careers. They are offered as part of the Academic Skills programme available to current Essex students via CareerHub . (Workshops for PGRs and Early Career Researchers can be found on our Newcomers page.)
Workshops at Library are recommended for undergraduates and new starters, but they are also suitable for all members of the University of Essex; whether you're a new student, new to Essex, doing post-graduate research, or member of staff that is interested in what the Library offers. This page gives an overview of the workshops offered regularly each term that cover the basics like finding information and developing a search strategy, checking sources, managing information, and publishing tips.
This 30 minute session provides an interactive introduction to the Library and the resources we offer. If you are unsure how to search for resources, this session is for you!
30 minutes
This session is recommended for all new starters at Essex, especially students in their first year of study. It will help you become familiar with the Library, and the services available to help you throughout your studies and research.
This session is a practical introduction to advanced techniques that can be used when researching for an assignment, finding e-resources, as well as how to access material the Library doesn't have.
45 minutes
This session is recommended for undergraduate students, as well as postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students. It is aimed at those who may need to undertake more advanced searches for assignments or research.
This session will cover how to search Google and Google Scholar effectively. You will discover how to find high quality academic material through the use of advanced search techniques.
45 min
This session is recommended for everyone who uses Google or Google Scholar for assignments. It is suitable for undergraduate students and postgraduate taught/research students.
Our series of fact checking workshops cover social media, news media, and academic sources. Each session is 30 minutes long, and uses different examples to demonstrate the unique challenges presented across social media, news media, and academic environments.
| Fact Checking Social Media | Fact Checking News Media | Fact Checking Academic Sources |
|---|---|---|
OverviewSocial media is a powerful discovery tool, and the information you find there can spark your interest and influence the topics you explore in your assignments and research. There are lots of advantages to using social media both personally and academically. You might use it to share resources, work collaboratively, promote research and build professional networks. But can you trust the sources you find there and reference them in academic assignments? You should never trust a source unless you’ve fact checked the information or claims for yourself. This workshops will teach you some tips for investigating social media sources using the SIFT method. |
OverviewNews media offers a wide range of interesting possibilities for research across many topics – current and historical. Through the Library you can access news from the 1600s onwards. News reports are considered primary source material for the time under study, so using these are a great resources for original research. Reputable news organisations operate under codes of ethics and professional standards, but can vary on ideology and bias. You should always be critical about news sources and the purpose behind publications. This workshop will teach you some things to look out for when investigating news media sources and how to use the SIFT method. |
OverviewAcademic sources are the most trustworthy and best to use in your assignments. But you still need to be selective when referencing sources in order to get full marks on your assignments. Like with social media and news media, you should check the content for accuracy, and also evaluate its relevance to your own arguments and research. Evaluating is an important academic skill that involves critical thinking when you are doing your research and finding information. The quality of your dissertation or assignment is directly related to the quality of the sources you use, so knowing how to fact check and evaluate is important to your success at University, as well as future jobs. This workshop covers how to avoid 'fake' academic journals and investigate sources using the SIFT method. |
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Key areas covered
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Duration30 minutes |
Duration30 minutes |
Duration30 minutes |
ContextWe all play a role in how information spreads on social media. This workshop is for everyone who engages with online content (link clicks, likes, comments, shares, etc.) |
ContextFact checking and verification skills are essential for academic work and research. This workshop is for everyone and especially relevant for students on modules involving study of news and media, or undertaking research requiring knowledge of news and media sources. |
ContextUnderstanding how to locate and choose appropriate information sources for academic work is essential for academic success. This session is recommended for first or second year undergraduate students, but can be useful for anyone interested in developing critical thinking and evaluating skills. |
How to reference properly is something that causes students a lot of stress – but it doesn’t need to be difficult. This session will introduce you to referencing and why it is important when writing your assignments. You will also learn what to reference, how to construct your references, and where to go for help and support.
Key areas covered
Duration
45 minutes
Context
This session is recommended for undergraduate students.
News & media sources can be incredibly useful across many areas of the social sciences & humanities, whether for current or historical research topics. This session will share with some of the key resources available and how they might be relevant to your research.
50 minutes
This session is aimed at students on modules involving study of news and media, or undertaking research requiring knowledge of news and media sources.
This session provides an introduction to special collections and archives, and how they may be useful in an academic context. We can provide tailored sessions, so please do contact us with your requirements and we will do our best to accommodate them!
50 minutes
This session is recommended for any level of study.
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.
