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E-Resource of the Month – Chronicle

What is Chronicle?

Chronicle is a new resources that exploits material from the BBC’s archive of news footage of Northern Ireland and makes it available to students in further and higher education. It’s an initiative developed by JISC, the BUFVC and the BBC, which provides authenticated users with digitised copies of news and current affairs material covering Northern Ireland, and is especially strong during ‘The Troubles’ (1960s/1970s). There is little previous audiovisual material available during this era on Northern Ireland’s history.

How do I access Chronicle?

Go to the E-Resources A-Z list. Click on the G icon if you’re on-campus and click on the W icon if you’re off-campus. You’ll then be taken to the Chronicle homepage. In the ‘Where Are You From’ field, enter Goldsmiths. and ‘go to log-in’. Then enter your Shibboleth log-in (not your Office 365 details, so it should be something like an101ab, for instance).

Searching Chronicle

When logged in, you’ll see a link to ‘search the archive’ at the top of the screen. This will allow you to perform simple searches for programmes either by title or subject, e.g. if you entered ‘hunger strike’, it would find various programmes featuring news about hunger strikes in Northern Ireland. Alternatively, use the ‘advanced search’ feature in the ‘search the archive’ tool on the left of the screen to perform more complex searches. You can enter date ranges, channels, keywords and contributors, etc. For instance, you might want to find footage of Dr Ian Paisley in 1970 only. If there’s footage that you want to access again later, you can add it to your collections and retrieve it any time.

E-Resource of the Month – JISC MediaHub

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What is JISC MediaHub?

JISC MediaHub is a multimedia platform offering a wealth of digital image, video and audio collections. It describes itself as the “definitive academic video, sound and image resource for UK Higher and Further Education”. As it is aimed solely at higher and further education students and staff, it can distinguish itself from more public access resources of varying quality, such as Youtube, Google Images and Google Video. The materials available have been chosen for their high quality and their suitability for academic use. They have also been cleared for educational use. JISC MediaHub is particularly strong on archived news footage from ITN, C4 and other sources.

How do I access JISC MediaHub?

JISC MediaHub can be accessed through the e-resources A-Z list page. Whether you’re on or off-campus, you’ll need to log-in. First, log-in via the UK Federation (the first log-in option). Then choose Goldsmiths as your institution and log-in with your Shibboleth username and password.

Searching JISC MediaHub

There is a search bar in the top right of the page for simple searching. There are icons for each of the resource types, so you can click on/off these whilst searching with this search bar, e.g. you might wish to search for video only of President Obama. For a more advanced search, click ‘more options’, followed by ‘advanced search’. With the advanced search you can restrict by resource type and search for any, all or none of these words, subject classification, people, date, duration and collections. You can also use the ‘explore’ option to browse JISC MediaHub by collection, subject, time, place, etc.

See below for an instructional video for how to use JISC MediaHub.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/33023385]

E-Resource of the Month – Credo Reference

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What is Credo Reference?

Credo Reference provides access to about 100 reference books covering a range of subjects. You can use Credo Reference to find encyclopaedias, dictionaries, biographies, quotations, atlases, bilingual dictionaries, measurement conversions and even a crossword solver! Credo Reference provides images, sound files, animations, videos and much more. You might, for instance, need to check some biographical information about Michel Foucault or need an image of the South African flag. The reference books on Credo Reference are trusted, authoritative sources that can be used for academic work, unlike Wikipedia.

How do I access Credo Reference?

Go to the E-Resources A-Z list. Click on the brown ‘G’ for on-campus use. For off-campus access, you need your IT username and password (click on the green ‘W’ to log-in on the ‘Shibboleth’ screen).

Searching Credo Reference

You can either browse or search the collections. You can browse using Find Topic Pages. This allows you to browse by category (e.g. Art, Literature) or by A-Z of all entries (e.g. Maya Angelou, Tanzania). You can also browse using Find A Book, which allows you to browse books by subject. You can also search by using the basic search once you’ve logged in. This allows searching by general topic, image searching or concept maps. Alternatively you can use the advanced search, where you can set very specific criteria for what to search for. Results can be sorted by relevance or publication date, and can also be limited by subject, date or entry type (e.g. with audio, with video). You can also save your results to your account and also export them to various citation management resources (e.g. EndNote, Zotero).

E-Resource of the Month – Oxford Art Online

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What is Oxford Art Online?

Oxford Art Online offers access to the most authoritative and scholarly online art resources that are available. Users can access or cross-search a number of Oxford art reference works: Grove Art Online, the Benezit Dictionary of Arts, the Encyclopaedia of Aesthetics, The Oxford Companion to Western Art and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Use the About page to discover more information about these reference works, such as descriptions, their key features and their editorial information.

How do I access Oxford Art Online?

Go to the E-Resources A-Z page, then if you’re in College, click the gold G, or for off-campus access click the green W. If you are off-campus, you’ll need to log in with your IT username and password.

Searching Oxford Art Online

You can either browse Oxford Art Online to get a feel for its content. Click on ‘All Content’ to see all the material it offers, then browse the content alphabetically, or refine by category or by specific reference work, e.g. Grove Art Online. However, you might want something specific, e.g. images or biographies, and you can browse by these as well. Images are copyright cleared and biographies are well researched and cited (thus offering a more academic alternative to Wikipedia), so you can feel confident about using them in your research.

You can also search Oxford Art Online. There is a basic search bar on each page, which will accept keywords and restrictions to Grove Art and/or Images. For instance, you could use this to search for an image of Goya’s ‘Saturn’, or using Grove Art, you’ll also find an extensive biography of Goya.

The advanced search allows you to be more sophisticated. You can either search generally, or more specifically for images, biographies and bibliographies. You can search in specific reference works or refine by category.

E-Resource of the Month – Science Direct Online

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What is Science Direct Online?

Science Direct is a leading full-text scientific database offering journal articles and book chapters from approximately 3200 peer-reviewed journals and 11,000 book chapters. Our subscription covers around 900 of these journals and covers subjects including Computer Science, Management Studies, Mathematics and Psychology, as well as general Arts and Humanities (Education, English, History) and Social Sciences (Sociology) subjects.

How do I access Science Direct Online?

Go to the E-Resources A-Z list and go to ‘S’ for Science Direct Online (Elsevier). Click on the brown ‘G’ for on-campus use. For off-campus access, you need your IT username and password (click on the green ‘W’ to log-in on the ‘Shibboleth’ screen). Alternatively, all Science Direct Online journals that we subscribe to can be found on the library catalogue. You can access the archive or search for an exact reference using the Findit@Gold icon.

Searching Science Direct Online

You can either browse or search the collections. You can browse by subject or by journal title using the menu on the left side of the home page. With the browse feature you can also choose full text availability. You can perform a basic search on the home page using all fields (e.g. keyword, any part of the article title), author, journal/book title, volume, issue and page numbers. Or you can use the advanced search function to search by combining keywords (Boolean searching), subjects (you can choose more than one) and date range. You can choose to search for all sources (journals, books, images) or each resource type individually. The expert search allows you to construct a complex Boolean search (using several keywords and operators). There are search tips available to help you make the most of your search.

Writing your Dissertation? – Part Two

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4. Look at other dissertations

The library keeps hard copies of outstanding dissertations, provided by academic departments, and mostly at postgraduate level dissertations. Departments themselves might have copies of undergraduate level dissertations. You can search on the library catalogue to see what’s available. For a Masters level thesis, click on other categories on the library catalogue; change the stock category from full catalogue to MA course work and then search. For a PhD level thesis, click on the link on the catalogue and then search. Masters level theses are available on the ground floor on shelves close to Special Collections. They are shelved alphabetically. For a PhD level thesis, click on the link on the catalogue and then search. These are kept in the stack – please ask in Special Collections.

5. Use Senate House and other libraries

Goldsmiths students aren’t just restricted to using this library. Your research might locate items that we don’t have at Goldsmiths. First, register with Senate House Library. It’s the main library of the University of London and Goldsmiths students can borrow their books and use their electronic resources once they’ve registered. You can also ask at the enquiry desk for a SCONUL card. This provides either reference (undergraduate) or borrowing (postgraduate) access to many other UK libraries. Use COPAC to find which libraries hold books we don’t.

6. Use EndNote Web or Zotero for referencing

Referencing your work can be time-consuming, but to make it easier, use software to keep track of all the items you’ve referenced for your research. There are two main pieces of referencing software you can use: EndNote Web and Zotero. EndNote Web is supported by the College – you can use it on most computers in the library and library staff offer training. Follow the instructions on the IT website to start using it. Zotero is the latest piece of referencing software. It’s not supported by the College and we don’t offer formalised training (but speak to your subject librarian if you need help), but it is increasingly being used by academic researchers and it can be more straightforward to use than EndNote Web. See which software you like – using either will save you time in the long run.

7. Contact CELAW for academic writing help

The library can’t provide help with academic writing, but we can refer you instead to the Centre for English Language and Academic Writing (CELAW). CELAW offers all students advice on improving essay writing and other academic language skills through drop in sessions on Thursdays 4-5pm (RHB307) and Fridays 2-3pm (RHB353). CELAW also offers in-sessional English classes to improve the academic writing of non-native English speakers, and also offers online writing guides on its VLE pages.

Writing Your Dissertation – Part 1

Writing your dissertation? Part One

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As the end of term and Easter approaches, many of you will be working on your dissertations. With a deadline in sight, it can be stressful, whether it’s your first dissertation or second. Why not remove some of that stress by using the advice we’ve listed below? Find out how the library can help; see the resources we have and the training we can provide. Although we can’t promise you an outstanding dissertation, we can suggest ways to make the whole process a little easier.

1. Consult your course handbook

Your department should let you know what it expects from your dissertation. You should already have chosen a dissertation topic and have been allocated a supervisor. Check the course handbook to find the information that will help you write a successful dissertation. It should tell you the purpose of the dissertation, what skills you need to use and develop and what their preferred writing style is (font size and type, line spacing). Emphasis might also be placed on referencing – read this carefully. Know which citation style your department uses. Check submission dates and how to hand in your dissertation. Get all this right and you’re on the right track.

2. Contact your subject librarian and use subject guides

Subject librarians work with academic departments to support learning and teaching. Each department has a subject librarian. We create subject guides to highlight the resources the library has and how they can best help you with your studies. Use this as the first resource when starting research. It will tell you where to find books, journals, audiovisual materials, newspapers – pretty much any kind of resource that will be useful. You can contact your subject librarian for further help – contact details are at the top of the subject guides. We can help by email or you can ask for 1:1 training.

3. Use books on academic writing

The library has a number of books to help with academic writing. These are available at 029.6 (first floor) or 808.02 (second floor). These can give advice on how to write specifically for dissertations, how to reference and avoid plagiarism, and how to write according to certain styles. These will help turn your research into prose.

Writing Your Dissertation – Part 2

E-Resource of the Month – Academic Video Online

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What is Academic Video Online

Academic Video Online is an online repository of approximately 17,000 video titles across several individual disciplines. We currently subscribe to three of its collections – Ethnographic Video Online (1,079 videos), Opera in Video (293 videos) and Theatre in Video (265 videos) and we have a trial of Black Studies in Video (142 videos) until the end of March 2013. Academic Video Online works with key distribution partners such as Documentary Educational Resources (DER), California Newsreel and others to provide collections of documentaries, newsreels, interviews and archival footage in these disciplines. The key personnel in these disciplines, whether it’s film makers, authors or composers are all represented in the collections.

How do I access Academic Video Online?

Go to the E-Resources A-Z list. All collections are filed under Academic Video Online, but individual collections are listed on this page, e.g. go to ‘E’ for Ethnographic Video Online. Click on the brown ‘G’ for on-campus use. For off-campus access, you need your IT username and password (click on the green ‘W’ to log-in on the ‘Shibboleth’ screen).

Searching Academic Video Online

You can either browse or search the collections. You can browse alphabetically by title or by other criteria specific to the collection, such as author, composer, etc. The advanced search function allows you to search by title, personnel, language, keyword, etc. You can be as specific as you wish with your search. There are search tips available to help you make the most of your search. Films are usually available with full transcriptions. You can also make clips or playlists, create permalinks and enlarge the video screen as necessary.

E-Resource of the Month – Web of Knowledge

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What is Web of Knowledge?

Web of Knowledge is a citation index, which allows you to search a wide range of journal articles and use the button to check our access to it. One of the important functions of a citation index is that it links journal articles to those that have cited, or been cited within, other journal articles. This allows you as the researcher to find other related articles, and to analyse the influence or impact of any journal article.

How do I access Web of Knowledge?

Go to the E-Resources A-Z, then if you’re in College, click the gold G, or for off-campus access click the green W. If you are off-campus, you’ll need to log in with your IT username and password.

Searching Web of Knowledge

You can search all databases or limit your search to Web of Science, then search using keywords in the fields of Topic, Author, Title or Publication Name. You can also limit the Timespan, if you are researching only the most recent publications set this to show results from the last five years.

Once you have entered keywords, you should have a range of results which can be sorted using the drop down menu on the right, and refined using the options on the left hand side of the screen. These include language, country and funding agencies.

Under each result you will see the number of times cited (usually zero for articles published in the last few months). When you click on this number it brings up the list of articles which have cited the initial article and again these results can be sorted and refined.

Accessing full text articles is easily done by clicking Findit@Gold – don’t forget to join Senate House Library for access to even more journal articles.

E-Resource of the month – LION (Literature Online)

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What is LION?

LION (Literature Online) is a database which provides the full text of 350,000 English and American novels, plays and poems. The emphasis is on texts up to 1914, including many titles in the Penguin Classics range, although the poetry continues up to the present day. The content also includes literary criticism in books and journal articles; author biographies; literary reference works; multi-media material; and related web links.

In addition to the LION core collection, Goldsmiths also subscribes to two additional collections: Twentieth Century Drama and the African Writers Series.

The ‘Multi-media’ section consists of three databases. Poets on Screen provides nearly 900 filmed clips of poets reading their poems or other classic poems. Shakespeare Audio Plays contains dramatised, unabridged audio recordings of Shakespeare’s 38 plays. Poetry Archive Audio has links to the text and audio of over 900 poems on the Poetry Archive web site.

The ‘Reference Shelf’ consists of the Concise Oxford Dictionary, Webster’s Dictionary, Shakespeare Glossary, and the King James Bible. The core collection includes the contents of fifteen leading literary reference works.

How do I access LION?

Access is via the E-resources A-Z list on the Library web pages, at For off-campus access you need your IT username and password (click on the green ‘W’ to log-in on the ‘Shibboleth’ screen).

Searching LION

A general search divides the results into the above categories. Alternatively you can search within a particular category, e.g. authors, texts or criticism, or browse the indexes.