Service of the Month: Academic Skills
The Academic Skills Team in the Library support the information and academic research needs of University of Galway Undergraduate and Taught Master’s students. We are Siobhán, Jane, Gabi, Regina and Mike and we would like to introduce you to the services and resources that we provide.
Our Service Supports
Our team is responsible for
delivering information literacy to the student body. One of the frameworks we
draw upon to guide the delivery of our support is the CILIP Definition of
Information Literacy:
"Information literacy is the ability to think
critically and make balanced judgements about any information we find and use.
It empowers us as citizens to develop informed views and to engage fully with
society” (CILIP 2018)
We support the following broad learning outcomes:
- Finding,
using and evaluating key information sources for students' academic work
(e.g. books, journal articles, market reports, standards, theses, grey
literature, websites)
- Identifying
and searching databases
- Critical
thinking and information
- Avoiding
plagiarism
- Citing
and referencing
- Using
EndNote
- Literature
Review - Searching the literature for your review
Training
The Academic Skills Team offer both in-person and online workshops on the following:
Geared especially for first year students or any new students to the University: get to know YOUR University of Galway Library. What are the Library's collections and services, and how can they help you succeed during your studies at Galway?
These drop-in classes support all Undergraduate and Taught Master’s Students in finding, using, and managing information.
Academic Skills Hub
Self-Directed Guides
We have created dedicated guides for both first year students, and advanced undergraduate and Taught Master's Students. We have also developed an essential guide to maintaining academic integrity. This guide includes avoiding plagiarism, citing and referencing, and study skills resources.
First Year In: FYI
An
essential open educational textbook created by the Academic Skills Team that
will equip new students with critical skills for academic success. It provides
a comprehensive introduction to the process of finding, using and managing
reliable information sources. It emphasises the importance of evaluating
sources and offers practical guidance on finding information for assignments, as
well as academic integrity and getting the most out of the Library.
Research Skills for Students
An
open educational textbook for Master’s students and advanced Undergraduates
who are seeking to navigate the world of academic research. This comprehensive
guide begins with the foundational step of creating a clear, focused research
question and progresses through identifying and evaluating scholarly sources.
It details the importance of developing an effective search strategy and
emphasises the importance of academic integrity, providing detailed
instructions on how to properly cite and reference sources to avoid plagiarism.
There is also a very useful chapter on using the referencing management
software EndNote to create a library and cite and reference sources. Through
practical advice and illustrative examples, this book equips students with the
essential skills needed to conduct thorough and ethical research.
Academic
integrity refers to the ethical code of conduct in academic settings, which
involves maintaining honesty and fairness in all aspects of academic work. This
includes avoiding plagiarism, cheating, and falsifying data, while ensuring
that one’s work is original and properly credited. The Library plays a crucial
role in helping students maintain academic integrity by offering resources and
guidance on how to correctly cite and reference sources, access research
materials, and avoid common pitfalls related to plagiarism. Additionally, the
Library provides recommended resources to help students improve their study
skills, understand proper citation practices, and use citation tools to ensure
correct referencing in their academic writing.
Reference List
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