Skills at Library workshops are a great opportunity to practice information skills, learn alongside your peers, and get instructor feedback. Our 8 core workshops (listed below) are offered regularly online and in person, and will take you through the basics of using the Library and on to more advanced information literacy skills needed for academic study and research.
If you would like the latest information about our workshops delivered straight to your inbox, you can sign up to our monthly Skills at Library Newsletter here.
Who are they for?
Our workshops offer information literacy training recommended for undergraduates and PGT students, but they are open to all members of the University of Essex. To get the most out of Skills at Library training, we recommend completing the 'Information Skills' course on Moodle alongside our workshops.
Workshops for PGRs and Early Career Researchers can be found on the Support for Researchers page.
How to attend?
Skills at Library workshops cover beginner, intermediate, and advanced information skills. These levels are intended to be used as a guide to help you build on existing skills and do not refer to year of study. It's never too early or late to complete this training. Ideally you should be working at advanced-level information skills before starting any major assignments or your dissertation.
Unsure where to start? You can self-assess your existing knowledge by completing our Academic Skills Audit.
This 45 minute workshop provides an interactive introduction to the Library and the resources we offer. If you are new to using academic libraries, or simply new to Essex, this session is for you! Come along to learn how you can get the most out of the Library and develop information literacy skills for academic study.
This 1 hour workshop covers how to organise information for your course and research. In this session, you will learn how to create a search strategy to keep you organised throughout your research, maximise time, avoid errors, and reduce stress. We'll also give examples of how you might use AI tools to improve on your search strategy. Organisation skills are important for all levels of study and research, so this session is open to everyone! Come along to practice skills, learn alongside your peers, and get instructor feedback.
This 1 hour workshop covers different methods for combining the keywords identified in your search strategy and gives a practical introduction to advanced techniques that can be used when researching for an assignment or finding sources. Advanced search techniques will help make your searches more efficient and lead you to the most relevant information. These techniques can be used across many different databases, so no matter where you are conducting your search, you can use advanced search skills.
Sometimes there are barriers to accessing information. You might be asked to pay to read the full text of an article, or find a particular online reading platform difficult to use because of the way text displays on your screen. Fortunately, there are usually ways around these barriers. This 1 hour workshop will give you the keys for unlocking information so that you can access the full text and view the content in a format that suits your learning style.
This 1 hour workshop covers fact checking and evaluating skills that will help you avoid unreliable sources and build your views and arguments on solid evidence. Being able to critically evaluate information is an important life skill and essential for academic and professional success. This session is relevant to all information consumers.
Key areas covered:
Come along to learn what academic integrity means in a UK Higher Education context and how to use information and artificial intelligence ethically to avoid plagiarism and other academic offences. You will also learn why referencing is important, what needs to be referenced, and where to go for help and support. The session will provide practical tips and strategies for avoiding academic misconduct, how to construct your references, and explain how the University detects plagiarism.
Key areas covered:
Referencing properly is something that causes students a lot of stress – but it doesn’t need to be difficult. This session will introduce you to different referencing tools and software that can help you save time, avoid common mistakes with referencing, and make the most of your sources. We will also cover the practicalities of referencing AI use. Make sure Microsoft Word (free to members of the university) and Zotero (or EndNote) are both installed on your device to follow along with the practice exercises.
We all have a part to play when it comes to shaping the information landscape. The way we share content, reference sources, and engage with information impacts on how far it travels. Even in academic settings, the way information is published and shared means that some voices and perspectives are underrepresented while others are given a more visible platform. The aim of this session is to get you thinking about what you can do to make information more inclusive and accessible.
