Information literacy: research skills

Find out how information literacy can help you with conducting research. The research skills pages include links to tutorials on writing a literature review, searching databases and organising references.

Referencing

Reference correctly in the style used by your department. Use our referencing tutorials available from the Information Skills Resource.

StarPlus tools for learning - more than a library catalogue!

StarPlus is now established as the University Library resource discovery service and catalogue, providing access to digital and print resources in the Library and beyond.

StarPlus also includes a number of tools to support collaborative learning and resource sharing, as well as enabling individuals to organise and personalise content they discover.

You can add favourite items on StarPlus to your personal e-Shelf. These can then be organised into folders, printed, emailed or added to reference management software. You can also add notes to individual items or folders on your e-Shelf.

It’s also possible to add tags, reviews and ratings to all items on StarPlus. These will be visible to other users, and are a means of enabling collaboration and sharing in resource discovery. Facebook users can use the Like button to tell their followers about something they’ve found on StarPlus.

 

If you have a look at the popular tags on StarPlus at the moment, you’ll see that some users have started to use module codes as tags. 

 

You’ll see a link to StarPlus on your Services menu in MUSE, and before you get started, remember that to access these tools, you must sign in to StarPlus by clicking the link marked University members in the top right corner. To find out more about using StarPlus effectively, have a look at the guide in the Information Skills Resource.

Box Of Broadcasts Update

Box of Broadcasts is an off-air media and recording service. It allows you to record TV and radio programmes scheduled to be broadcast over the next seven days as well as retrieving programmes from the last seven days from a selected list of recorded channels. In addition, you can watch programmes from the archive, create clips, and compile your favourite shows into playlists.

 

Login via MUSE & StarPlus. Any programmes you record, playlists and clips you create will be stored via your MyBob section. Watch the BoB video tutorials for an overview of how to use the service:
http://bobnational.net/video_tutorials

 

BoB now supports several foreign language channels:

 

ZDF: Germany's national public TV

Canale 5: Italian private TV network

Tagesschau24: German channel
Rai News: Italian state-owned news
France 24: International news from a French perspective
BFM TV: news channel based in France- most watched new in France
Arte: Joint French-German TV network

 

Open Access made easy

We are delighted to announce that the link between myPublications and White Rose Research Online is live. White Rose Research Online is our institutional repository, and all students and staff are welcome to deposit your conference papers, posters, versions of your peer-reviewed articles, and any other research outputs.

Please watch our short video to see how simple it is to deposit your research in WRRO.

As ever, we are happy to provide more tailored information to departments, research centres, and research groups across the University, regardless of funding sources or levels. Please contact us at OAEnquiries@sheffield.ac.uk if you have any questions or if you would like to schedule a meeting. If you would like more information on WRRO, please email eprints@whiterose.ac.uk

Download period increased for Dawsonera ebooks

The download period for Dawsonera ebooks has been increased to 48 hours. This may be useful if you are going to be away from an Internet connection for a couple of days, for example, over a weekend. Library customers are now given the option to download ebooks for either 1 day or 2 days.  After the download period has expired you will not be able to read the book until you have downloaded it again. There is also the option of reading ebooks online, which provides greater functionality than the downloaded version. For example, the online version allows you to add notes as you read.

Use StarPlus to locate and access ebooks. Search under the University Collections tab and narrow your results to show only Full Text Online. Remember to sign in using the link at the top of the screen.

Company and business information

The library web pages for company and business information have recently been updated. Students may find this resource useful for coursework, or to help with applying for jobs. Knowing more about the structure, history and business of a company before you write an application or attend an interview is likely to improve your commercial awareness and employability.

http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/useful/company