Newcastle College Library Catalogue

Our new Online Catalogue is now live on the web!

This means you can now easily Search for, and Reserve, resources from Newcastle College Library via any PC, Smart Phone or internet-enabled device, 24/7.

And because the new system links directly to your College account, you can also easily Renew library loans, Save searches (eg the recommended books for a particular module on your Reading List) or Share them with others, like never before.

All you need to do is

Automatic Harvard Referencing Generator

Take the drudgery out of Referencing...:

Research Using Open Access Academic Resources

In the past, students had to rely on Academic Journals for the latest research and scholastic information, however advances in digital technologies (and a backlash against the rising costs levied by journal publishers) mean that there is now an alternative.

Dissertations Archive

(by dolescum on Flickr.
Creative Commons)

To help students get some sense of the style, structure and standard necessary for their own Extended Project work, we are putting together an archive of previous students' Dissertations in the HE Study Room at Newcastle College Main Library.

So far we have examples of amongst the best work submitted for last year's Level 4, 5 and 6 Music, Sport Science, Child Care, Performing Arts and Engineering  courses, with more promised from lectures across the College.

If we don't yet have your subject, then feel free to nag your Tutor to send their copies over to the library, or you might try this Search Engine of other Institutional Repositories - type in your topic, then select "Thesis/Dissertation" from the Format menu on the left.

Writing your Research Proposal

If you have to write a Dissertation or Extended Project this year, you may be asked to submit a Research Proposal. This is a justification for your work (ie proving why it is worth doing), a work-plan and evidence of your ability to plan and carry out the study.

Here are a few ideas of what you might include, and in what order...:

Harvard in a Hurry

It is vital that you properly reference all your academic assignments - this adds authority to your work and ensures that you can't be accused of plagiarism.

However, the Harvard Referencing system can take a bit of getting used to, so here's a quick video to get you started using Author-Date Citations and Reference Lists / Bibliographies in the right format for the work you hand in at Newcastle College...:

More resources to help with Harvard Referencing are available here or by clicking the Harvard Referencing link at the top of this blog..

Quick Links to Research Sources and Resources

(By Horrigans on Flickr. Creative Commons)

You are probably starting to get plenty of assignments to do by now, and Reading Week next week might mean you won't be able to get into College to use the Library.

Here's a link to recommended online resources (e-books, e-journals, dependable websites and more) that you can access anywhere, 24/7, to get the reliable data, quotations and information in order to finish your work.

IMPORTANT - To access the Newcastle College e-resources, you MUST have first changed your Password from the default one (your 6-digit date of birth), or the links won't work.

Click here, then select "enrol" to change your Password off-campus. (Step-by-step instructions are available here.)

A Google A Day

Test your internet research skills with A Google A Day - the daily quiz from Google.

Challenge yourself, play against friends or try to top the worldwide leaderboard to see who is the most "Search Savvy" ... and pick up lots of tricks and tips to help you develop advanced Online Researching Skills to track down information for your assignments in the process.

Watch the video below to find out more....

Warning - this is VERY addictive!

Assignment Survival Kit

If you're struggling to cope with all the different assignments that are flooding in right now, then try the terrific Assignment Help and Scheduler service from Staffordshire University Library.

Not only does it give step-by-step guidance on exactly how to tackle essays, portfolio work, presentations, posters or reports; if you type in your deadline date, the program will also devise a timetable for you to work to, so can be sure to get all the work done in time.

Study Skills Section

Are you having trouble finding books to help you tackle report writing, essays or dissertations at Newcastle College Library?

P'interesting Research & Study Skills Books

It'll soon be time to start tackling assignments or planning extended projects and dissertations.

Click here to browse our most popular Research and Study Skills Books, and just click the link to Reserve it to collect later.

Alternatively, search our Library Catalogue to explore our full collection.

Subject Guides

Click on the links below for the key book class-marks and e-resources available through Newcastle College Library Services to support your research in that subject area...:

Help with Referencing and Bibliographies

Do you need some help with Harvard Referencing your work for College?

Perhaps you want to double-check how to incorporate quotations or paraphrasing or author-date citations in your work. Maybe you are unsure how to organise your Reference List or Bibliography (indeed, maybe you're confused about the difference between the two).

In the Harvard Referencing pages of this blog, we've put together a number of resources to try and help you get to grips with the Referencing standard used at Newcastle College. These include:

• Presentations ranging from a quick overview to more insights into more advanced rules.
• Handouts, including our Referencing & Bibliographies booklet and examples of Harvard in action.
• Online Guides showing worked examples of how to construct references for pretty much any source that you might use.
• Links to software that can construct Harvard References for you.

Click here for the full collection, and if you have any other suggestions for resources; or come across any particular problems when referencing your work, then don't hesitate to get in touch.

Newcastle College's Online Books and Journals

e-Library is Newcastle College Library's collection of e-books, electronic journals and specially selected online resources to help you with your assignments and give you access to high quality information, even when our branches are closed.

Links to the most popular resources can be found on the Research and Study Support page of this blog, but if you want to access the full collection, here's what you need to do...:

P'Interesting New Fiction

Fancy taking a break from all the study and revision, and curling up with a good book in the sunshine instead?

Here's a list of our most recent additions to the Leisure Reading Collection at Newcastle College Library. Just click on the links for more information, or to Reserve the books you want, if you are a current Newcastle College student.

As you can see we have a broad selection, ranging from Horror and Fantasy to Crime Thrillers, Romances, even Biographies.

If you have any recommendations of new books for us to order in, then let us know, either in the comments box below, or by jotting down the title in our Suggestions Books in the Fiction Section of the Main Library. And don't forget to vote in our poll to find out our users' favourite genre.

Alternatively, if you're still feeling studious, browse our most popular Research and Study Skills Books - again just click the link to read more or Reserve.

Revision Space

With the last few weeks of the Exams ahead, don't forget you are more than welcome to come and use the Library as a Revision space to get in that last bit of cramming.

We've offer both group study areas (coloured Light Green on the Floor Plan below) if you want to revise with friends, and quiet study zones (shown as Dark Green on our Map) with individual carrels should you prefer to work on your own. And don't forget its silent study on our First Floor if you want to work without any noise at all.

Increasing numbers of students have been staying on to work into the evening too over the past dew weeks, so why not come and join us? We have the books, PCs and study guides that you need, and you can get ready for the exams away from the distractions (and frustrations!) of trying to study at home.

Plagiarism Checker

Many Colleges and Universities upload assignments to Turnitin to check them for Plagiarism - the deliberate or unintentional submitting of someone else's work as your own - but that option is not always available to students.

Here's a free online alternative to check whether

Ask A Librarian

I know what you think - Librarians are just people with bad dress sense who stamp books all day and "Shhh!" at you, right?

Well, believe it or not, we can actually be quite useful if you are carrying out research. Take this service, for example...:

Ask A Librarian 24/7 is a UK wide service that connects you with a trained researcher to help you find the answers to your questions. In most cases, you'll get a response within 24 hours and a full set of notes will be emailed to you (including all the links).

Don't be put off by the slightly dated website, this is a really good service that might be invaluable to you if you are having trouble tracking down that key fact for your research. Simply enter your details and your question, then press 'Connect'.

And don't forget, our own staff at Newcastle College Library Service are available to help every weekday during term time between 9am and 7pm, with a 4pm finish on Fridays.

Presenting, an Alternative

If you've got to deliver a Presentation, but want to avoid ANOTHER Powerpoint for your audience to have to sit through, then try this....:

Dissertation Checklist

I hope all is going well if you are working on a dissertation or extended project right now.

Before too long, you'll be thinking about bringing all your material together and compiling the final document.

Here's a checklist of all the sections that you'll need so you can see what needs to be done and, equally importantly, in what order you'll need to arrange them.