Author Archives: Lee Snook

About Lee Snook

Library Liaison Team

Law Library Improvement Works

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We are undertaking some Building works on level -1 Forum Library for the remainder of the summer vacation. Some works will be noisy and we are therefore recommending that levels 0 and +1 are preferred for study/research during this time.  All library stock will remain accessible throughout the work, although a fetching service will be in place for two weeks for Law Library materials, in order to facilitate ventilation works.  Full details below.

1. Law Library – Closure for Ventilation Works

Dates: Monday 18th July – Sunday 31st July 2016

During this period, work will be taking place in the Law Library area to improve the ventilation system. This will ensure more pleasant environmental conditions for study and research for the coming term.  Our student user feedback has highlighted the need for these improvements to take place.

You should be aware that:

  • The Law Library area will be closed to library users from Monday 18th July – Sunday 31st July 2016
  • During this period we will operate a fetching service for stock at various points during the day.  This will ensure continued access to all materials throughout the works. Users can ask at the Library Reception desk, phone or email us with requests
    • Phone: 01392 723867
    • Email:
    • In person: at Library Reception Point
  • Some of the works will involve floor drilling so will be noisy in the areas adjacent to Law Library on Level -1.  We recommend that library users make use of study space on Levels 0 and +1 for the duration of the works.

 

2. Law Library Study Booths Area – Closure for Refurbishment

Dates: Monday 1st August – Beginning of term

  • The Law library study booths area (adjacent to the Library Courtyard) on Level -1 will be closed from 1st August 2016 over the summer vacation for refurbishment.
  • The newly refurbished space will reopen in time for the new academic session.
  • Student feedback has highlighted that the current use of the space is less than optimal as booths are monopolised for long periods of time, causing problems at busy periods.
  • The space will be reworked to provide a different study space layout to address this issue and also to accommodate some bookable space in order to improve shared student access and use of the space.
  • Some noisy work will take place during this refurbishment and we recommend that users make use of  study space on Levels 0 and +1 for the duration of the works.

If you need any assistance to locate or access materials or study space during these works, please see Library staff or contact

 

Sage Research Methods – New Look!

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SAGE has launched a new platform for its online SAGE Research Methods, based on customer and useSAGEr feedback.

SAGE Research Methods is the ultimate methods library with more than 1000 books, reference works, journal articles, and instructional videos by world-leading academics from across the social sciences, including the largest collection of qualitative methods books available online from any scholarly publisher. The site is designed to guide users to the content they need to learn a little or a lot about their method. The Methods Map can help those less familiar with research methods to find the best technique to use in their research.

You can learn more about the service from the online help pages or watch an introductory video.

The new platform will deliver the following benefits:

  • A unified platform for text and video content, providing users with a multimedia research experience
  • A fully responsive site that will work well with all mobile phones and tablet devices
  • Improved discoverability of content, both from within the platform and from external sources
    • We have improved the internal search, meaning better and more relevant results. The Methods Map has been improved, allowing users to explore method concepts with greater ease. The browse options have been enhanced to align with user needs – allowing browse by discipline, content type, and method topic.
    • We have cleaned and improved the metadata that feeds our MARC records and external vendor feeds, and we have made numerous improvements that should help us to appear higher in external search results
  • A focus on modern, enjoyable design for students, faculty, researchers and librarians, based upon extensive user-testing

The new site is live and can be accessed via the library catalogue or the Electronic Library.

Eurostat website – free and easy access to European statistics

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Eurostat provides free access to its data. It publishes harmonised statistics on the European Union (EU) and the euro area and offers a comparable, reliable and objective portrayal of social and economic trends. Eurostat collects data from national statistical authorities according to EU-wide methodologies. Data are, therefore, genuinely comparable.

Use the compact guide, free to download online, to find out more.

Information online is updated daily.  Data are subdivided into nine themed and a set of EU policy indicators.

The homepage shows at a glance the wide range of information provided, and highlights news and themes of current interest.  You can then us the tables, databases and tools to delve more deeply in order to access the data you require.

EUROSTAT

Multilingual user support is accessible via Eurostat’s Help Tab

Library & Research Skills Training for 2016/17

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learnTo help teaching staff who are pulling together modules for 2016/17, we have scoped out the Library Information & Research Skills Training on offer.

All Induction and Introductory training is now fully available online.  Please feel free to drop the links into your induction programmes and set aside time during your early teaching week programmes for students to follow the online material.

Specialist training, covering more in depth use of resources and advanced search skills,  will continue to be delivered face to face and/or through online support materials.  Please get in touch with us, on , if you would like to discuss or book any sessions.

We also continue to offer 1:1 research consultations for personalised support.

Full details of the teaching support on offer is outlined below.

Just get in touch with your Library Liaison Team if you need any further information or to discuss and book in training sessions for the coming academic year.

Library Information & Research Skills Training 2016/17

  Library Induction 

Online Self Study Package 

Audience:   All new students

Content:      An introduction to library facilities and resources.  Includes self- guided tour of
library and facilities and introduction to library catalogue and database searching.

Usage:          Recommended for induction week. If you wish to build library induction in to your introductory modules we suggest you allocate 1 hour for completion of online and tour in your teaching programme

Available:   http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=5009

  Building Library & Research Skills

Online Self Study Package 

 Audience:   All new students

Content:      A package of content to help students build their research skills and make the most use of UoE resources. Includes interactive demos, videos and tasks.

Usage:         Recommended during introductory period for undergraduate and postgraduate models. If you wish to build time for this in to your introductory modules we suggest you allocate 1 hour for exploration of the skills support material in your teaching programme.

Students should be advised to return to the module throughout their studies, and particularly during assessment and dissertation periods where additional support around literature searching, source evaluation etc. would be valuable.

Available:   http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1830

PGR Researcher Development Skills

Online Self Study Package  

Audience:   PGRs

Content:      A range of online training packages tailored to postgraduate research use of library resources. Includes:

  • Getting Yourself Known
  • How to access Library electronic resources
  • Researching companies and organisations
  • Staying current
  • Copyright for Researchers

Comprehensive online guidance is also available on
open access and referencing and referencing software, including Endnote.

Usage:          Self paced learning for PGRs.

Available:   http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1830

Specialist Library & Research Skills Training

Library facilitated face to face delivery
and / or online support materials

Audience:   All levels

Content:      As agreed.  Specialist training to suit needs of module.

`                    Previous examples include face to face training covering:

  • Law Dissertations & Research Papers: Planning and conducting legal research
  • Scientific literature searching for medical scientists
  • History MA: Advanced Search Skills for Effective Library Research

Previous examples of online support materials includes:

Usage           As required to suit module. The delivery can be through face to face teaching sessions or through the development of online support materials.

1 hour is recommended for a dissertation module covering search skills and demo of key databases.  Longer sessions can be scheduled, depending on needs of module.

These specialist sessions are not recommended for induction periods when they may lead to information overload. They are typically most effective around dissertation time or as students move into years 2 or 3 when more in depth engagement with online resources is required.

Available:   Contact   to agree content and lecture slots.   

1:1 Research Consultation

Face to face meetings in Library or Staff/PGR office, or via phone

 Audience:   All staff / students

Content:      Tailored to needs of individual. Opportunity for staff or students to meet with Liaison Librarian for help or advice on making the best use of library resources.

Undergraduates and taught postgraduates typically book appointments around assessment or dissertation periods.

Staff and PGRs typically book appointments on joining the University or when help is required to research a specific research problem

Usage:          As and when required

Available:   Individuals can book an appointment via

Migration to New Worlds

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migrationMigration to New Worlds showcases unique primary source material recounting the many and varied personal experiences of 350 years of migration. Explore Colonial Office files on emigration, diaries and travel journals, ship logs and plans, printed literature, objects, watercolours, and oral histories supplemented by carefully selected secondary research aids.

This resource is provided free to all UK based universities through Jisc, in partnership with Adam Matthew.

Login to the resource from the collection website www.migration.amdigital.co.uk.  If you are off campus, login via the Library catalogue for access.

If you use the link from the library catalogue you may get a security warning. It’s fine to proceed past this – see this blog post for details.

Adam Matthew will be presenting a ‘Migration to New Worlds’ webinar featuring Andrew Linn, Consultant Editor on Migration to New Worlds and Dean of Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Westminster, on Tuesday 31st May, 4pm-4.45pm. If you would like to attend this webinar please register online.

See the Migration to New Worlds Online Collection brochure for an insight in to the fascinating resource or take a tour.

New Look for the Electronic Library

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Our existing Electronic Library setup has been in place for a number of years and is due an overhaul in order to make it compatible with upgrades to our library management system.  We are therefore introducing a new look Electronic Library as the access point to our growing collection of digital resources.

You can use the new Electronic Library alongside the old setup until 6th June.  On the 6th June the old setup will be removed and all access will be through the new interface.

The Electronic Library will be easily accessible via the Library HomePage and from within the Library catalogue so you can explore the full breadth of the Library’s print and electronic resources, side by side.  It is active now if you would like to explore, ahead of the 6th June changeover date.  Find out more about the new look Electronic Library below.

I know which resource I want to accessa-z

If you know which resource you are interested in you can quickly and easily gain access by using the new Electronic Library A-Z.

Just search by name or browse for the resource using the A-Z menu.

For direct access to the resource from a results list, click on Connect

connect

Alternatively, when you are viewing a resource page, click on the Resource Home link for access

daily mail

 

I want to explore the resources by subject

elib

If you do not have a particular resource in mind but want to explore all the available resources, use the new Electronic Library by Subject option.

There is overlap between the various subject categories by virtue of the breadth and multidisciplinary nature of many of the subject categories.

You an choose a subject and browse the Key online resources for that area, or look at a longer list of All resources relevant to the subject area.

 

key

Key resources highlight the major online resources in the relevant subject area.

All resources lists all the online resources of relevance to your subject area.

For access to the resource from the subject listing, simply click on the hyper linked resource name..

westlaw

Or  if you would like a little more information about the resource – click on the About Resource button.  This also provides a persistent link option – useful for bookmarking or dropping into your modules if you want to direct students to particular resources.  This is rather small – so you may need to enlarge your screen type!

extra

 

I want to look at a particular resource type rather than subject

typeSometimes the format of the online resources may be of importance, for example you may want to conduct research on news reporting of an event, or look for image content that you can use in your research, teaching or studies.  In that case, use the new Electronic Library by Subject option and scroll to the Resource Type options at the bottom of the subject listing.

You can explore resources by the following types:

  • Images
  • Maps
  • News
  • Official Publications
  • Theses
  • Trials – when available.  If we are exploring a new resource for potential purchase we may have a short trial period during which staff and students can use the resource and provide feedback to inform the decision making process.  New trials are highlighted through the Electronic Resources blog,

Future Plans

This new look electronic library is a ‘work in progress’ as we continue developments to develop and maintain ease of access to our ever growing collections of electronic resources.

Next steps

We plan to:

  • develop these e-resource records to become more informative by including more useful details – for example what types of users can access the resources, e.g. walk-in access users, alumni etc.
  • improve the e-resource descriptions to make sure discovering the full range of resources in your subject area is as straightforward as possible

I think that ….

If you have any feedback on the new look Electronic Library we would love to hear from you.  Just email us on

SAGE Knowledge eBooks – new resource

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The University of Exeter now has full text access to the Sage Knowledge eBook Collection.  This encompasses thousands of carefully selected titles by world-class authors on hot topics across the social sciences.

Books in the following subject areas are included.

sage

The books do not appear on the library catalogue as we have purchased them on a ‘try before you buy’ model to ensure we get the best value for money.  This means we have full access to all titles for a year and will then examine usage statistics to identify and purchase the most heavily-used titles for permanent access.  This allows our library users to tailor the collections to their needs.

The items will appear through general searching via search engines such as Google, but we recommend you take a look at the Sage Knowledge Collection interface to browse or search the content for a comprehensive look at the material.

  • You will not need to login to the service if you are on campus.
  • If you are off campus, use the Login via your institution option.  Select the University of Exeter from the drop down list then login with your usual IT Services username and password when you are taken to the Single Sign On login screen for the University.

You can search or browse to find information of interest using the top menu bar.

SAGE browse

Reading a book online

You can read the full-text by clicking the title of the item.  Scroll down beyond the Abstract and the option to buy the book in print.   You can then use the tabs to select a Chapter to read, look at the index, or view the front and back matter of the book.

sage scroll

Working with the book online

sageworking

The formatting of the book is not presented in the same way as the printed book, so you may find it useful to switch on the page number option. This will show you where the page break occurs and can be very useful if you want to cite from a particular page or you are looking to pinpoint a reference you have been referred to.

You can also search within the book or the chapter.  So if you are looking for a particular quote or concept within the book and you do not know the exact chapter or page you need, you can search to locate the information.

Downloading

Use the Download option to save or print a chapter.  Full bibliographic details are downloaded alongside the full text chapter.

All books are DRM free meaning there are no restrictions on access or downloads, so multiple people can login at the same time and view and/or download information of interest.  You are permitted to access, print or download as much of an Ebook on SAGE knowledge, for personal use, as you need.

Citations 

sage citation

You can use the Citations feature if you wish to capture bibliographic information to include on your Bibliography or Reference List.

Click on the Citations icon to see the citation for the book presented in the following formats:

  • APA
  • Chicago
  • Harvard
  • MLA

If you are using reference management software you can also export the reference in one of these citation styles to your chosen software package.  Endnote, Reference Manager, Zotero are amongst the software package export options.

sageexport

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have any feedback about these Sage ebooks, please get in touch with the .

 

JSTOR Books

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Books_at_JSTOR_Ad_LargeUniversity of Exeter Library now provides access to scholarly ebooks on JSTOR.  This resource offers more than 35,000 titles from leading publishers such as Princeton University Press, Yale University Press, MIT Press, and Harvard University Press. The ebooks are easy to use and offer the following benefits:

  • Unlimited, DRM-free Access: The ebook chapters have no limits on downloads or printing, and there’s no need to use special software or create a personalised login. It’s just like using journals on JSTOR, ensuring a great user experience for researchers
  • Integration with Journals: The ebooks are available on JSTOR alongside more than 2,000 journals. When you search on JSTOR.org, you’re cross-searching the full text of all the resources the library provides through JSTOR. The ebooks and journals are also linked in ways that make research more efficient.
  • Easy to Use in links: If you’d like to use the ebooks in a course or keep a record of important chapters or books for referencing, you can use the stable URL for a chapter or a full ebook.
  • On-campus and remote access: Content is available 24/7, and together with no limits on simultaneous use, the ebooks are always available for use.
  • Book and chapter citations:  Citations may be emailed, exported, or copied from the item view page. JSTOR provides pre-formatted citations in MLA, APA, and Chicago styles for quick copying and pasting. Export options include direct export to RefWorks, RIS format, and text format.

The Library is using a ‘try before you buy’ purchasing model for these books to make sure we get best value for money and so that you can use those books which are most relevant to your teaching, research or study.  So you will have access to all books in the JSTOR collection but the Library will only pay for those items that are used.

A small number of books may show as unavailable, either because we already have access to those or because they are costly items that need approval.  If you come across any of those and you want access, just email us on .

As we are using this model you won’t see these books on the library catalogue until they are purchased, following usage.  But don’t worry, these books are easily discoverable.  You’ll come across them when using search engines such as Google as the JSTOR content is indexed there.  And you can use the JSTOR platform to search/browse just the books, or to search the books alongside all the other JSTOR content for a rich research experience.

You can view a short video about using ebook chapters, or visit JSTOR to start using the ebooks.  If you are off campus make sure you login as University of Exeter so you have full access to content.

We’d be interested in your feedback on these books so please get in touch on  and let us know what you think of JSTOR books.

Google Books NGram Viewer and Parli-N-Gram

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Google Books NGram Viewer

The Google Books Ngram Viewer charts frequencies of words or sentences found in the sources drawn from Google Books.  You can use it to  track the popularity of words and phrases over time so it can be a very useful content analysis tool.  As with lots of Goole products, it is also very simple to use

For in depth information anout the way it operates and advice on searching take a look at the Google Books Ngram Viewer information page.

You can run simple searches or construct more complex searches, depending on your research needs. Here is an example of a simple search run to look at the emergence and use of a few ‘management speak’ jargon terms.

jargon

You can search online to find plenty of examples of graphs that users have been generating using this tool.  This article from Marshall Kirkpatrick presents his selection of 10 fascinating word graphs.

It is a very powerful tool, and its value as a research tool was discussed in a 2011 Science article. Researchers have flagged its limitations as well as its value, so it is worth being aware of these issues as you do your own research and decide what conclusions you can draw from the data.

A brief discussion of the pitfalls of the tool are online from wired.com. An in depth discussion of the limitations were addressed in a Plos One article.

Parli-N-Gram

The Parli-N-Gram tool is similar in function.  This tool enables you to search and analyse content across Hansard.  You can identify the frequency of appearance of words and phrases in the record of parliamentary debates.

The data is refreshed weekly, usually on a Wednesday following Prime Minister’s Questions.

Find out more from the Accountability Hack 2014 slideshare.

Here is an comparison of the term ‘justice’ appearing in the parliamentary record of All MPs and of Tony Blair.

blair

Using news sources for research

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newsNews sources can be invaluable research resources. There are various types of news sources you can choose from, including:

  • newspapers
  • newsreels
  • newswires
  • news magazines
  • news monitoring services etc.

They provide contemporaneous accounts of events as they emerge and unfold, affording a snapshot of developments at a point in time.

By using news archive services, you can also engage in historical research by tracing commentary on issues over time, to identify and track changing political, economic and social trends. For example, when did global warning first emerge as a ‘hot topic’ in the press? Who are the major pressure groups and organisations debating this agenda? How has terminology in this area developed and changed over time?, etc.

The availability of news resources online allows for very effective and comprehensive searching, in a way that was impossible with print or microfilm / microfiche editions of the newspapers when research could be a very long, laborious and somewhat haphazard process.

A new online guide introduces you to the main news sources that are available to you through the University of Exeter.  It touches briefly on print and microfilm news materials so that you are aware of the full range of news content available to you. However, the majority of the guide concentrates on online news services as these are the key tools for any researcher who wishes to conduct comprehensive news research. We look at our online services for current news, archival news and also audiovisual sources.

Take a look at the guide which is available within the Library & Research Skills module on ELE.

If you have any feedback on the guide, please get in touch with us on