Category Archives: Research

News and Information for Postgraduates

Webinar : Using doctoral theses in your research: a guide to EThOS [13th Feb at 15:00]

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EThOS (http://ethos.bl.uk) is the national database for PhD theses, managed by the British Library. It’s a fantastic resource for researchers, with over 100,000 UK theses freely available to download and use for your own research, and another 200,000 available to search and scan on demand.  

The British Library ran a free webinar (online presentation) about EThOS late last year, and by popular demand they’re doing another on 13 February at 15.00.

Join them for a free webinar to learn how EThOS works. Find out how to search for and download theses, and what to do if a thesis isn’t available. If you’re a PhD student, find out what will happen to your thesis once it’s completed. We’ll also explain how EThOS works with UK universities to support the whole research cycle, making the theses more visible and available for new researchers to use and build on.

This webinar is aimed at researchers, students, librarians and anyone who is interested in finding and using PhD theses. 

Host: Sara Gould, Development Manager at the British Library, who manages the EThOS service. Sara will answer questions after the webinar.

Register now to attend the webinar   https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5974661878725146370

Please note this is a repeat of the Webinar in December 2013

Broaden your Library Horizons with SCONUL

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Have you heard of the SCONUL access scheme?

The Society of College, National and University Libraries or SCONUL  exists to promote awareness of academic libraries and our role in supporting research and teaching. As part of this mandate they help foster collaboration and encourage reciprocal borrowing rights between member libraries.

Have you ever wished you could access  – even perhaps borrow books from – other higher education libraries across the UK and Ireland?  The SCONUL scheme may be the answer you need….

Calling all University Staff and Postgraduates!

Members of staff or postgraduate students at the University of Exeter are entitled to apply for free SCONUL access to the libraries of any other institutions who, like us, are also part of the scheme. This can get you through the door of institutions that are not open to public and in many cases SCONUL visitors are also allowed to enrol and borrow a limited number of books.

How do I join?

  • You need to apply online via the SCONUL access webpage
  • Select your user category (e.g. Part Time Postgraduate) from the drop down list, then select ‘University of Exeter’ as your home institution.
  • The site will then display which Universities you are eligible to access. Click on ‘see results as a list’ to scroll through the drop down list, or click on the map tab and enter a postcode to search for accessible institutions in a particular area.
  • When you have found the details of an institution you want to visit click on ‘Apply for Access’ then fill in and submit the online form.
  • You will then receive two emails: the first is a “Library Access Application Notification” email confirming that your application is being processed. The second email should approve your request and welcome you to the SCONUL scheme.
  • Print out the second email and take this, along with your Exeter UniCard to each institution you have been approved to visit and staff there will enroll you.
  • The small print: you must abide by the regulations of any library you join under SCONUL Access. Please be aware they may not allow you to borrow from all of their collections (e.g. loan of periodicals or short loan items may not be possible). Additionally during the busiest periods – such as summer exam time – some institutions may restrict access to SCONUL users so it is worth checking with in advance them before travelling.

What about Undergraduates?

If you are a part-time undergraduate or an officially registered distance learning student: then you will be entitled to borrowing access from many participating institutions, please follow the instructions above to submit your application and remember to select the appropriate category (e.g. part-time undergraduate) from the list.

If you are a full-time undergraduate: unfortunately you will not be able to borrow under the scheme but you are still entitled to apply for a Reference Only SCONUL card. This can give you visiting access to many Libraries which would not otherwise be open to you and so is still worth doing. Please apply for a reference card online, by using the same procedure outlined above but selecting “full time undergraduate” from the category list.

We hope many of you will want to take advantage of the SCONUL Access scheme and enjoy the  wider research opportunities it presents.

And don’t forget, if you are a taught student  planning to travel to visit another library you may be able to apply for a Library-funded travel bursary – more info here!

Where will your SCONUL travels take you? 

FORUM SERIES TALKS

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This Autumn sees the start of the Arts & Culture Team’s Forum Series talks, in the stunning Alumni Auditorium.

Our first speaker will be the award-winning author Hilary Mantel.  After the huge success of her visit here last year, Hilary will be returning on the evening of Tuesday 29 October to speak about the writer’s task of breaking down, in imagination, the barrier between the living and the dead.  She will reflect on history, heritage and fiction, on memory and myth.

Our second speaker is ‘whispering’ Bob Harris, the legendary DJ and broadcaster who made his name presenting BBC2’s seminal rock programme, The Old Grey Whistle Test , was Co-founder of Time Out Magazine and is current host of BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris Country which focuses on country, roots and Americana music.  On the evening of Tuesday 26 November, Bob will talk about his varied and exciting career in the world of music and broadcasting.

Tickets are £5 for each talk (£3 for students) and can be purchased from the Exeter Northcott Box Office, either in person, by telephone, on 01392 493493, or online via the University’s Arts & Culture website, where more information about the events can also be found.

Bookable PGR Study Desks in Research Commons

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What are they?

These are large desks with associated lockers, which can be booked by Postgraduate Research Students from any college.

Where are they?

In the Main Reading Room of Research Commons. This is a silent study area.

When are they available?

During Research Commons opening hours. Check here for the current opening hours.

http://as.exeter.ac.uk/library/usingthelibrary/opening/researchcommons/

How do I book?

Book a desk in advance at:

https://roombookings.exeter.ac.uk/pgr2013wrb

A desk can be booked for 1 day or for up to 5 consecutive days. Collect your locker key from the Research Commons Reception Desk by 10.00 (weekdays) or 11.00 (weekends). If arriving after these times, please confirm that you still need the desk by phoning or emailing Research Commons.

Any questions?

Please contact library staff at the Research Commons Reception Desk (01392 724052) or email

Current Awareness

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Do you know how to keep up-to-date in your subject area? There are many different kinds of current awareness services available to alert you to the information which is likely to be relevant to you. Choose JournalTocs or ZETOC (the  Electronic Table of Contents from the British Library). Register with one of these services, and the latest articles or journal titles related to your interests will be sent to your e-mail.  It will save you a lot of time!

You can also register with some databases for weekly alerts, and some of the services enable you to save searches to be run again later. They allow you to set up email or RSS alerts for your saved searches; whenever the database is updated, you will be notified  automatically of any new search results produced by your saved searches.

There is more information on the electronic library; opt for Current Awareness services under Resources, or look on ELE under the Library and Research Skills , where there is a section on  Current Awareness with tips and tutorials.

  • Getting Help web pages (section on Current Awareness)

http://as.exeter.ac.uk/library/using/help/general/currentawareness/

Inter Library Loans Price Increase in Line with British Library

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From the 1st August 2013 the British Library will once again be increasing their charges for Inter Library Loans (ILLs).  We have been subsidising this service for several years and this annual increase has reached a stage where we are now unable to afford to maintain this subsidy. Alongside this other lending libraries will be raising their prices in line with the British Library meaning also increased charges for borrowing from elsewhere.

So in consequence we are now forced to raise our charge for ILLs for the first time in five years.

We have decided to have a two year staged increase in pricing in order to try and minimise the impact on our users, so from 1st August 2013 we will increase our charge to £10.50 per ILL request and £5.00 per renewal. Then in Summer 2014 the price will again rise to £12.50 to take us in line with British Library charging.  Subsequently it will rise incrementally in line with BL pricing.

We also want to draw your attention to the upcoming trial during the Summer of a new online ILL request service. This will make it possible to order and pay for your ILLs without visiting the library in person, and (in the case of articles) to have them delivered electronically to your desktop.  We hope that this will offer a much easier and higher quality service to our users, particularly distance learners and researchers.

If you have any questions or feedback then please contact Carol Giles  

Find that research paper (and more!) on Open Research Exeter!

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Have you browsed through Open Research Exeter (ORE) recently? Why not have a look?

The university’s online repository showcases all types of Exeter’s research, including research papers, research data and theses. Research in ORE can be viewed and downloaded freely by researchers and students all over the world.

If you need a full-text copy of a research paper or PhD thesis by a UoE researcher, this is the place to look!

Here are some examples of ORE content:

For more information about how to put your own research outputs into ORE see our Open Access pages.

 

Deskside Training Service

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Did you know that if you are a member of staff, or a research postgraduate, the library offers one-to-one training at your desk?

Our team of Subject Librarians can offer advice on finding resources in your subject area and managing your references, as well as offering assistance for the resources aspect of research bids or proposals. In addition, we also advise on Open Access issues: how you can use our institutional repository ORE to raise the profile of your research and to comply with research funders’ Open Access publication requirements.

To book an appointment, please send a message to libraryhelp@exeter.ac.uk, stating which College/discipline you belong to, brief details of what you’d like to ask about, and a convenient date/time. We’ll get back to you and arrange to pop over to your desk/office.

For undergraduates or taught postgraduates, we offer group training sessions as well as individual appointments in the libraries: please see the Subject Guides pages for further help and contact details of your Subject Librarian.

Open Research Exeter (ORE) launch!

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Are you thinking about uploading a copy of your research paper or your PGR thesis to the University’s repository?

Well, you might like to know that ERIC, the current institutional repository, is being rebranded this week as Open Research Exeter (ORE)!

ORE showcases all types of Exeter’s research, including research papers, research data and theses, increasing its visibility and impact.

  • Research in ORE can be viewed and downloaded freely by researchers and students all over the world.
  • Research in ORE is securely stored, managed and preserved to ensure free, permanent access.
  • ORE’s content includes journal articles, conference papers, working papers, reports, book chapters, videos, audio, images, multimedia research project outputs, raw data and analysed data.
For more information see the ORE pages or come and talk to the the Open Exeter team. We will be in the Forum Street on Friday March 22nd from 10:00 – 12:00, to answer any research data management or open access queries you may have. You will have the chance to see an ORE demo, and talk to those who developed the repository as well as staff from RKT, Exeter IT and the Library who support research at Exeter, including your favourite Subject Librarians! You can join the event on Facebook and you may even get a free fairy cake! Email or for further advice.