Core Academic Study Skills Framework

Understanding what academic information is and how to find it is a fundamental skill needed at university.  Students have not generally developed the necessary level of expertise or knowledge when they come to university, so it is important they receive some guidance.  Your Academic Subject Librarian can advise on the best ways to embed these core academic and information literacy skills into your curriculum.

Introductory

Understand what academic information is, the different types available, and how to find each one:

Identify a search topic, describe it using simple terminology, and locate suitable resources for a set task, including:

• Conduct basic keyword searching on the library website to access books, journals and databases
• Use refining techniques to reduce the number of documents retrieved

Locate the module's online reading list and identify the different information sources available:

Awareness of additional library support and services, including:

• Subject Library Guides
• Inter Library Loans
• Scan and Send

Intermediate

• Go beyond the suggested reading on your module reading list to find information for your assignments
• Identify a range of key information sources for your subject
• Use your Subject Guide to find links to further subject specific resources
• Understand how to explore and use a wide range of different database and online sources e.g. legislation, government publications, newspapers, technical reports, standards & patents, company information, marketing reports, audio visual material
• Understand and use the different formats of an information source e.g. abstract, full text
• Understand that background reading may be required to inform your searches
• Develop your search strategy and use a variety of searching techniques:
  • Boolean searching (combining keywords with AND/OR/NOT)
  • Synonyms and related terms to expand search results
  • Awareness of differences in spelling and terminology
  • Truncation and phrase searching
• Use the refining and limiting features in a range of resources to achieve manageable results
• Understand that your searching techniques may need to be adapted for different databases and sources

Advanced

• Formulate research questions
• Break these complex questions down into simple question components for searching
• Refine your search strategies and use advanced searching techniques with a range of subject specific resources
  • Multiple synonyms and combination searches
  • 360 degree searching/citation chaining
• Identify the different levels of information available (primary, secondary, tertiary)
• Identify key journals, authoritative sources, experts and networks in your discipline
• Understand the additional sources of information that are available: British Library, JISC Library Hub, Institutional Repository, and SCONUL scheme