Workshops
Information about our research skills and critical thinking workshops for taught students.
About
Our research skills and critical thinking workshops are aimed at taught course students from all departments. If you are a postgraduate research student please see the Doctoral Development Programme workshops.
Workshops are delivered either as face-to-face teaching sessions in the Library Skills Room on Level 1 of the Information Commons (unless stated otherwise) or online using Blackboard Collaborate. Webinar recordings will be sent to those who attend the sessions.
Our Spring Semester Programme starts in February. See below for full details.
Please note that new workshop dates are added regularly throughout the teaching semester.
Remember to review and record your skills development in your mySkills portfolio.
Research skills for Dissertations Masterclass
- Research skills for Dissertations Masterclass
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Are you working on your dissertation or research project? Sign up to the Library’s Research Skills for Dissertations Masterclass. This extended webinar combines a range of short sessions covering the following topics, delivered by staff from the Library and 301: Academic Skills Centre:
- Discovering and questioning information
- Referencing tips and tricks
- Planning your dissertation (301: Academic Skills Centre)
- Discovering and using images and infographics
Please book using the link below:
Thursday 7th March 10am-12pm (Online webinar)
Please note that further workshop dates may be added later in the teaching semester.
We also offer the following complementary online tutorials, videos, and guides:
Library Guide to support dissertations
Research Skills and Critical Thinking online tutorials, videos and guides
Discovering
- Getting the most out of StarPlus
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This session will focus on how to use StarPlus in the most effective way to discover your recommended reading, search for further reading, filter your results, generate citations and make full use of your library account to start organising your references.
Please note that further workshop dates may be added later in the teaching semester.
There are no sessions currently scheduled but we do offer the following complementary online tutorials, videos and guides:
- Searching for Information: a Masterclass
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In this session you will learn how to use databases to find the best resources for your independent research project in order to achieve the highest marks.
You will consider your information needs and have the opportunity to create an effective search strategy to produce a manageable set of relevant results.
To attend this workshop you will need to already have a solid understanding of how to use StarPlus – please watch the StarPlus video.
Please book using the links below:
Tuesday 20th February 3pm-4pm (Online webinar)
Tuesday 27th February 1pm-2.30pm (Face to Face workshop)
Tuesday 12th March 2pm-3pm (Online webinar)
Wednesday 20th March 10am-11.30am (Face to Face workshop)
Please note that further workshop dates may be added later in the teaching semester.
We also offer the following complementary online tutorials, videos and guides:
Where do I search for academic information for my course and research?
- Discovering and Using Images, Graphs, Charts and Figures
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In this session we cover how copyright applies to images and figures, and introduce the different Creative Commons licenses. You will also find out where to discover images and figures that can be reused and how to attribute creators correctly when you reuse them.
Please book using the link below:
Friday 23 February 1pm-2pm (Online webinar)
Wednesday 13th March 1pm-2pm (Face to Face workshop)
Please note that further workshop dates may be added later in the teaching semester.
We also offer the following complementary online tutorials, videos, and guides:
Discovering and using images, graphs, charts and figures
Understanding and questioning images using the five-step process
Guidance for taught course students inserting images and figures into university work
- Discovering and Using Digital Primary Archives
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In this session you will find out more about the digital primary archive collections the University Library provides access to and how you can get the best out of them. From newspaper archives to feminist zines - find out more about the resources you can discover from home. This session is delivered by one of the Arts and Humanities Librarians.
Please book using the link below:
Wednesday 21st February 2pm-3pm (Face to Face workshop)
Tuesday 19th March 11am-12pm (Online webinar)
Please note that further workshop dates may be added later in the teaching semester.
We also offer the following complementary online video:
- How to Impress the Employer Using Commercial Awareness
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Commercial awareness is one of the most sought after attributes employers look for but do you know what it means?
This workshop, delivered by staff from the Careers Service and the Library will explain what it really means to have commercial awareness, how it can help you in your next steps after University and how you can prove you have it.
This session will include some interactivity, introducing you to tools and resources you can use to think commercially and improve your skills in this broad area.
Please book using the link below:
Thursday 14th March 3pm-4.30pm (Face to Face workshop)
Please note that workshop dates may be added later in the teaching semester.
We also offer the following complementary online tutorials, videos and guides:
Understanding
- Using ebooks Effectively
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Want to get the best out of ebooks? This session provides an overview of their benefits, functionality and applications. You leave the session able to make efficient and effective use of our collection of online titles.
There are no sessions currently scheduled, but you can express your interest in future sessions.
We also offer the following online tutorials, videos, and guides:
Questioning
- Questioning and Evaluating Information
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In this session you will consider how to critically evaluate information when undertaking independent research.
You will question different types of information and develop a critical approach, considering a range of questions and using the tools and data available to apply this to relevant resources.
Please book using the link below:
Wednesday 21st February 10am-11.15am (Face to Face workshop)
Friday 8th March 1pm-2.15pm (Online webinar)
Friday 22nd March 1pm-2.15pm (Face to Face workshop)
Please note that further workshop dates may be added later in the teaching semester.
We also offer the following complementary online tutorials, videos, and guides:
What is critical thinking and why is it important?
- Reading For Diversity Reading Groups
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The Library has teamed up with BookSoc, Sheffield University’s book society, to create a programme of Reading for Diversity reading groups.
These will take place throughout the year and are often timed to celebrate awareness months and/ or compliment exhibitions in the Digital Exhibition Space on Level One of the Information Commons.
This programme provides an opportunity for students to come together to critically engage with, reflect on, and discuss books from diverse and often underrepresented voices and perspectives.
Books are chosen by University of Sheffield students, and all shortlisted and discussed books are added to the Reading for Diversity Leganto Reading list, available as both print and copies via StarPlus, the Library catalogue, where possible.
LGBTQ+ History Month Reading Group: ‘Hijab Butch Blues’ by Lamya H.
As part of our Reading for Diversity series and in honour of LGBTQ+ History Month, the Library is teaming up with BookSoc to read and discuss Lamya H’s powerful 2023 memoir ‘Hijab Butch Blues’.
Follow non-binary Muslim Lamya’s journey from her home in the Middle East to the United States as she comes out and navigates the complexities of the immigration system - and the queer dating scene. At each step, she turns to her faith to make sense of her life, weaving stories from the Quran together with her own experiences: Musa leading his people to freedom; Allah, who is neither male nor female; and Nuh, who built an ark, just as Lamya is finally able to become the architect of her own story.
The Library has provided digital and print copies of the book and it is also available to purchase from most major book retailers. Book Soc also has a limited number of print copies available.
The discussion group will be held in the Digital Commons on Level 1 of the Information Commons.
Please book using the link below:
- Decolonise Your Information Searching
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In this reflective and practical session, you will explore issues around how certain types of knowledge and information sources have been valued over others, leading to omissions of marginalised perspectives in research.
With your peers, you will have the opportunity to identify and discuss strategies to address these imbalances. You will then have the opportunity to practise applying these strategies to your own information searching.
There are no sessions currently scheduled, but you can express your interest in future sessions.
Referencing
- Referencing and Preventing Plagiarism
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This session introduces the essentials of referencing, the concept of plagiarism and how it can be avoided, and gives you an opportunity to practice referencing in your departmental style. The session will also provide an overview of useful citation tools for this process.
Please note that further workshop dates may be added later in the teaching semester.
There are no sessions currently scheduled but we do offer the following complementary online tutorials, videos and guides:
- Using Reference Management Software: An Introduction
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This session looks at preventing plagiarism and referencing correctly using reference management software. You will gain an overview of the software and how to use it to manage your references, including editing the output where necessary.
To attend this session you need to have an understanding of the core aspects of referencing and plagiarism – take the plagiarism and referencing quiz or attend our referencing and preventing plagiarism workshop.
Please book using the links below:
Thursday 22nd February 2pm-3.30pm (Face to Face workshop)
Friday 1st March 10am-11.15am (Online workshop)
Friday 15th March 11am-12.30pm (Face to Face workshop)
Thursday 21st March 2pm-3.15pm (Online webinar)
Please note that further workshop dates may be added later in the teaching semester.
We also offer the following complementary online tutorials, videos and guides:
Creating
- Producing Presentations: An Introduction
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This session looks at how you can create accessible, effective slides for your presentation and gives you the opportunity to explore different presentation software.
If you wish to learn more about the planning and delivering stages of your presentation, our colleagues at 301 Academic Skills Centre provide workshops and online resources.
There are no sessions currently scheduled, but you can express your interest in future sessions.
We also offer the following complementary online tutorials, videos and guides:
- Creating Websites Using Google Sites: An Introduction
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This session will provide you with some top tips for getting started using Google Sites and give you the opportunity to work through guided activities to start creating a simple website of your own.
You will learn the basics of setting up and structuring a Google Site, adding content, and publishing your site.
Please book using the link below:
Wednesday 6th March 11am-12pm (Online webinar)
Please note that workshop dates may be added later in the teaching semester.
We also offer the following complementary online tutorials, videos, and guides:
- Creative Library Workshops
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Are you interested in being creative and contributing to the development of the University Library’s Digital Commons? Save the date and register for our face-to-face creative library workshops, organised to align with the liberation priorities of our students.
There are no sessions currently scheduled, but further workshop dates may be added later in the teaching semester.
Disseminating
- Blogging: From Concept to Communication
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This session will introduce an awareness of the benefits and purposes of blogging and provide experience of identifying and practising a succinct writing style that is appropriate for blogging.
You will also receive all the information you need to help you choose the blogging platform that is right for you. During the session you’ll also take the first steps in creating a blog; developing your ideas and starting to draft your first blog post.
There are no sessions currently scheduled, but you can express your interest in future sessions.
We also offer the following online tutorials, videos, and guides:
- Infographics: An Introduction
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Infographics are a visual representation of information, data or knowledge. In this session we introduce infographics and how they can be used to communicate and share a summary or results of your research. You will also have the opportunity to create an infographic using one of the digital tools available.
Please book using the link below:
Wednesday 28th February 11am-12pm (Face to Face workshop)
Please note that further workshop dates may be added later in the teaching semester.
We also offer the following complementary online tutorial:
HEAR recognition
Attendance at our research skills and critical thinking workshops can count towards your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) through the Academic Skills Certificate.
Accessibility
All online webinars are delivered using Blackboard Collaborate. Please see the Blackboard Collaborate accessibility statement statement and the Library accessibility statement.