Library Guides: Dissertations: Library research skills

Library research skills

The Library provides support for the development of your research skills while undertaking your dissertation or research project.

Research Skills for Dissertations Masterclass

These extended online workshops are delivered by The Library and 301: Academic Skills Centre. They combine a range of short sessions covering the following topics:

Planning your dissertation
Searching for and questioning information
Referencing tips and tricks
Discovering and using images and infographics

Book a place on the Research Skills Masterclass online workshops.

Workshops and webinars

We run a variety of workshops and webinars which you may find useful when working on your dissertation or research project:

Research Skills and Critical Thinking workshops
This workshop programme, from the University of Sheffield Library, delivered in the Information Commons and online, is open to taught course students from all departments.

Online tutorials, videos, and guides

Here is a selection of research skills and critical thinking tutorials to support you in your dissertation:

Producing a literature review (tutorial)
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.
Producing a literature review (Word document, 348 KB)
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.
Referencing
A selection of resources to help you develop your referencing skills.
Reference management
Develop an effective system for keeping track of your references is an essential element of research.
Evaluating information and critical thinking (tutorial)
Learn how to think critically about your information sources, and evaluate information that you find to ensure that it is reliable, accurate, of good quality, and relevant to your assignment.
Evaluating information and critical thinking (Word document, 629 KB)
Learn how to think critically about your information sources, and evaluate information that you find to ensure that it is reliable, accurate, of good quality, and relevant to your assignment.
Academic writing
Support for the academic writing process - beginning with effective planning and structure, incorporating critical analysis, and ensuring your final draft is organised, clear, and references your sources.
Discovering and Using Images, Graphs, Charts, and Figures (tutorial)
Learn how to find images, graphs, charts, and figures you can use and explore some considerations required when using them in your work.
Creating and editing images (tutorial)
Learn about the power of images, how and when to use them in your work, as well as how to create or edit the images you need using online software / apps.
Creating and editing images (Word document, 5.93 MB)
Learn about the power of images, how and when to use them in your work, as well as how to create or edit the images you need using online software / apps.
Understanding and questioning images (tutorial)
This tutorial will give you the skills to read images using a five-step process to enable you to analyse and understand images and their implicit meanings.
Understanding and questioning images (Word document, 608 KB)
This tutorial will give you the skills to read images using a five-step process to enable you to analyse and understand images and their implicit meanings.
Attributing images (tutorial)
Guidance for taught course students inserting images and figures into university work.
Introduction to infographics (tutorial)
Learn how to communicate with infographics: a visual medium perfect for communicating complex information and data simply.
Introduction to infographics (Word document, 7.97 MB)
Learn how to communicate with infographics: a visual medium perfect for communicating complex information and data simply.
Active reading for understanding (tutorial)
Learn how to read an academic text effectively.
How to read a journal article (tutorial)
Learn what scholarly journals are, what type of information they publish, and how to read them effectively.