Discovering
A selection of resources to help you develop your skills in discovering information.
About
A selection of resources to help you develop your skills in discovering information.
Discovering is the literacy which enables learners to develop search strategies and utilise a broad range of generic and discipline specific resource discovery tools. Information discovery might be guided, inquiry based, or serendipitous.
The information you use at university should come from academically credible sources. The tutorials below will help you to find, navigate and effectively use these resources to make academically sound choices.
Online tutorials and videos
Where do I search for academic information for my course and research?
Learn where to start searching for information and which discovery tools to use for your needs.
Accessing your recommended reading
Watch the video above, or see it in Kaltura: Accessing your recommended reading
Using StarPlus: finding resources for your course and research
Watch the video above, or see it in Kaltura: Using StarPlus: finding resources for your course and research
Use the timestamps below to jump to a relevant chapter:
Known item search [00.00.35]
Accessing ebooks [00.01.09]
Finding print books [00.01.24]
Making requests [00.01.56]
Your Library Account [00.02.10]
Subject search and refining results [00.02.24]
Accessing online articles [00.02.59]
Finding a specific journal [00.03.14]
Saved items [00.04.26]
Developing a search strategy
Learn how to successfully develop a search strategy, and identify your search terms.
View the tutorial as a PDF (473KB)
Using Scopus
Scopus is a multidisciplinary database, a good starting point for all subjects.
Watch the video above, or see it in Kaltura: Using Scopus
Database videos
Introductory video guides to support you getting started with the databases you need for your studies.
Producing a literature review
A literature review aims to give an overview of the current scholarly understanding of a particular topic, including any competing theories or perspectives. This guide provides an outline and suggests sources of further advice.
View the tutorial as a PDF (500KB)
Discovering and using images, graphs, charts, and figures
Learn how to find images, graphs, charts, and figures you can use and explore some considerations required when using them in your work.
Using Discover Our Archives
Discover Our Archives allows you to search the archival collections held by the University of Sheffield, including the Library Special Collections and Archives; the National Fairground and Circus Archive; and the University’s institutional archive.
Watch the video above, or see it in Kaltura: Using Discover Our Archives
Discovering and understanding government information
Learn about different types of UK government information and how to discover and access them.
View the tutorial as a PDF (77MB)
Discovering and understanding legal materials
A guide to finding and understanding legal materials.
View the tutorial as a PDF (361KB)
Workshops
Discovering information: getting started
Aimed at students undertaking their first assessments at University level, this workshop will introduce you to different information sources including StarPlus, the library catalogue, and Reading Lists.
Searching for information: a masterclass
This workshop will enable you to create an effective search strategy and use databases to discover a manageable set of relevant results for your independent research project.
Discovering and using images, graphs, charts, and figures
This workshop covers how to use images and figures effectively in your work including how to discover images and figures that can be reused, how copyright applies to them, and how to attribute creators correctly.
Discovering and using digital archives
In this session you will find out more about the digital archive collections the University Library provides access to and how you can get the best out of them.