Postgraduate resources - are you making the most of them?
Published on 19 November 15
As a postgraduate student you probably have a good knowledge of the services and resources available at University. However, it's worth taking a bit of time to make sure that you know about ones designed with postgrad students in mind. There might be things that were of no use previously, but that could prove invaluable now!
The Library has a number of services that can help improve and promote your research, and here's just a couple:
We house some of the most significant printed books and manuscripts ever produced alongside archive collections and visual resources, all of which are accessible to you. These resources mean that to complement your academic reading you are able to consult the original documents and resource you may never have known existed!
The Library's service offers workshops and online training modules to help you get the most of your postgraduate study. The courses usually run for just a few hours and can be booked online and online modules are available whenever you need them via the Library. Some workshops include:
Improving your literature review: organising your search
This session will introduce you to strategies that will help with your literature search and review. Designed to be interactive, you will be able to apply these principles directly to your work.
Essential research skills: communicate, present, pass along
Effectively communicating your research to a wide variety of audiences is an essential skill for any researcher who wishes to have their work appreciated by other people within the academic (and wider) community. This workshop will give you the chance to practice your presentational technique and build your confidence.
Mendeley: reference management and research collaboration
Mendeley is a freely available reference management tool and an academic 'social network', enabling you to find and organise papers, collaborate with others online and crowdsource the latest publications in your research area. This hands-on session will help you to get started with using the software and familiarise yourself with the various functions.
The University hosts events every day that aren't just interesting but could also help you with your work. These range from talks, to exhibitions, to conferences and often involve world-famous academics.
Online postgraduate writing clinic
Run by the University Language Centre and open to all postgraduates, this online drop in session gives you the chance to ask questions about any aspect of academic writing. The clinic runs every Wednesday during semester time between 2pm and 3pm.
Postgraduate Careers advice
Also don't forget the Careers service can offer specific support for postgrads no matter what your ambitions beyond your studies!