Pride Sheffield 2016

Once again the Library is supporting LGBT equality week and Pride Sheffield 2016 with its very own StarPlus Pride list . We asked staff to list their favourite LGBT resources and they did us proud. 

If you can't find what you're looking for, why not recommend it and we'll see if we can add it to the Library's collection! 

Understanding Research Methods

Whether you're critically appraising a journal article or undertaking your own research project, having a good grasp of the research methods used in healthcare is an essential skill.

And the Library has lots of resources to help. Here are some top recommendations;

Introduction to research in the health sciences  - gives a good overview of health research methods including a glossary of terms.

The Oxford Handbook of Clinical and Healthcare Research  - likewise gives a very thorough introduction with a stronger clinical focus.

The Research Process in Nursing - is one of the most popular books we have. Chapter 7 (8 in the latest edition) provides a good starting point for critically appraising studies.

Research Methods for Nursing and Healthcare - provides more detail of the different methodologies.

Searching StarPlus for the particular research method you're interested in will also help you to find further resources.

There are also lots of free online resources you can use. For critical appraisal try using the following checklists;

http://www.casp-uk.net/#!casp-tools-checklists/c18f8

http://www.sign.ac.uk/methodology/checklists.html

New - Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (eLS)

We now have access to the Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (eLS), an online resource providing a comprehensive introduction to key topics in the life sciences for students, lecturers and researchers.

eLS has over 5,000 peer-reviewed articles written by leaders in the field, accompanied by colour illustrations and tables, as well as appendix and glossary material to provide essential information for non-specialists.

Key subject areas include:

• Biochemistry
• Bioethics & Philosophy
• Cell Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Ecology
• Evolution & Diversity of Life
• Genetics & Disease
• Immunology
• Microbiology
• Molecular Biology
• Neuroscience
• Plant Science
• Science & Society
• Structural Biology
• Virology

To access the encyclopedia, visit StarPlus and search University Collections for 'encyclopedia of life sciences'.  

You can then browse the encyclopedia by topic or theme, or search by keyword.

New - Springer Protocols

Springer Protocols is the world's largest database of life sciences protocols. These 'recipes' allow scientists to recreate experiments in their own laboratories. Springer Protocols contains more than 28,000 protocols, most of which come from the classic book series, 'Methods in Molecular Biology'.

University of Sheffield access to Springer Protocols covers 1980 to 2012.

Are you ready for the REF?

To be eligible for the next REF, all your articles and conference papers published after the 1st April 2016 must be deposited in an open access repository within three months of acceptance.  

To meet these requirements, you can deposit your Author Accepted Manuscript in MyPublications.  We will then upload it to White Rose Research Online, our open access repository.

To find out how to do this, and learn more about Open Access, visit our Open Access webpages.  

You may also wish to read How it all works, a new series of guides for researchers. Issue one gives an excellent introduction to the key issues relating to Open Access and research data, and the services available to help you maximise the impact of your research outputs.

Want to know how to do a literature review?

Then the Library is here to help!

Our online tutorial Seven Steps to Producing a Literature Review will guide you through all the key steps involved and is a great resource to get you started.

We also have lots of books available for further guidance. Here's just a small selection from the Library catalogue;

Doing a literature review in health and social care [electronic resource] : a practical guide

Print copies also available

The literature review : a step-by-step guide for students

The literature review : six steps to success

Succeeding with your literature review [electronic resource] : a handbook for students

Print copies also available

World Book Day 3rd March: Book Swap

Got any old textbooks you don't want?  Want to read something new?  

Come to Western Bank Library on Thursday 3rd March, and help us celebrate World Book Day with our first ever Book Swap.  

Bring your old books and swap them for something new, or just help yourself to the second hand books available.  There will be everything from textbooks to novels, and whilst you don't have to swap a book to take one, the more you bring, the better it'll be. 

The Book Swap runs from 10:00am - 2:00pm upstairs in Western Bank Library and it would be great to see you there!