Reading lists are collections of reading materials that are either necessary or helpful to your modules.
Here at Essex, we use the reading list platform Talis Aspire. On your lists you'll find what you need to read each week, along with suggestions from your tutors about further reading to help you get the most out of your modules. Your reading lists can either be found on the Moodle page for your module, or by searching by course code via the Talis home page or Library reading list guide.
This introduction to reading lists covers:
Click to expand presentation: Using your reading list
Already confident in using reading lists? Start the next section on 'Managing Information' or return to the Skills at Library homepage to select another lesson.
Reading lists are a great place to start when you are researching a topic. You can use them to your advantage to help with your research in a few ways:
Before you start searching for literature on a topic, go back to basics. Are there key texts, textbooks or authors included in your reading lists? These would be a great place to start your research.
Many reading lists will include further reading, beyond what you will need to do week by week for your classes. You may not have looked at them when you first studied the topic, but go back and see what recommended reading there is before you start your assignment. There may be some useful and relevant resources there already without you even having to search for them!
These key texts and further reading can lead you to other related sources that you may be able to use in your assignments. Try using them as a starting point for a chain search. You can do this by looking at the reference list or bibliography at the end of the article, chapter or book. This will include the texts the author has read and used in their work. These may be related or relevant to your topic, so could be worth reading and potentially using as sources for your assignment.
While looking at the titles on your list, and once your start reading, you may find alternatives or synonyms for your keywords, which you can use to help you build your search strategy.
Here's some quick links to help you start looking for different types of sources:
Getting started with reading lists requires basic information literacy skills. Continue learning with Skills at Library to develop advanced skills.
Want to learn more?
To get started with navigating a reading list, why not check out Making the most of your digital reading below?
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.
