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Access to e-books via iCat

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A student has recently raised a query about difficulties accessing some of our e-book collection.

We’ve recently been aware that one of our major e-book suppliers, Dawsonera, has been experiencing problems with their e-book platform. As a result, there have been occasions when it has been difficult to download their e-books via iCat. The latest update from Dawsonera is that the work they have done to date has improved the reliability and responsiveness of their platform and service has consequently improved.

How can  you tell if the e-book you want might be affected?

If you are looking for an e-book on iCat you will see the message shown in the screenshot below if it is supplied via Dawsonera. 

dawsonebooklarge

If it is supplied by a different company you will see this:

eblebook

 

 

 

 

Please do get in touch with the service desk or with your subject librarian  if you experience any difficulties – please remember to tell us the author and title of the e-book you need to read.


iCat questions answered

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informationicon

 Where’s the Database list link? 

We are working on implementing the Sign in option in iCat‘s mobile view to let you renew your loans on your mobiles and tablets – the good news: this is working!

icatmobileUnfortunately, there were some side effects – you may have noticed that iCat’s colour scheme has changed and that the Database list has disappeared from the homepage this afternoon.

There is a work around – simply select any of the tabs above the search box (E-resources, Reading lists or Kingston Research) and the Database list link will show:

icatdblist

We are working hard on getting the link back. In the meantime: remember that you can also log in to many of our databases after googling for them.

We’ve covered the access procedure for many of them in our Alternative Login to SEC databases feature in the past, e.g. ForensicNetBase, Wiley Online, Web of Science, Science Direct, IEEE Xplore, Dawsonera and Emerald.

If you need more help while we put the Database list back in place, talk to us.

Picture references:
Kingston University (2014) iCat. Available at: http://icat.kingston.ac.uk (Accessed: 24 September 2014)

Earn £10 by showing us how you use iCat

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research-icat-blogGive us one hour of your time and help us evaluate iCat’s usability. We will ask you to follow 10 scenarios and will observe how you do them. There is no right or wrong way of doing them - we are simply interested in the different approaches you might take. 

All information we gain from you will be maintained in a strictly confidential manner. In the reporting of the project, no information will be released which will enable the reader to identify you.

How to get involved:
Register your interest: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/G9J2H6K
We will contact you via your university email address, or personal email address if you supply that, between 7th -12th Jan, with links to book your actual session.

If you would like any more information about the project, please contact Davina Omar on d.omar@kingston.ac.uk

The keywords dilemma.

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What is the best way of searching iCat for my topic is a frequent question in the LRC. Below is some general advice on keyword searching but don’t forget you can readonlinecontact your subject librarian for more advice.

For many students in engineering and computer science you are researching very practical topics and need literature to support the decisions you are making in the practical aspect of your work. For example, you make be designing an android app or investigating sustainable materials.

For both these and others, you need to think beyond the main keywords for your topic. The best way to do this, is to think through all aspects of the practical work and search for literature on all the major areas involved.

For example:

  • Why choose to develop an andoid app rather than an iphone app for example?
  • What programming language would be the best to use? Why is this the best?
  • What functionality does the customer need?
  • What functionality does the owner need?
  • What authentication/security system is best to use?
  • What type of database structure is needed?
  • Does it need interoperability with other systems?
  • etc

openThese are just some examples and when you do the same for your topics, then hopefully you will begin to see the variety of literature that you need. Through this exercise, ideas of keywords should come to you. In this case, words like authentication/security/usability/database design. These would be in addition to the technical words you think of in terms of programming language/operating system.

Once you know the type of information you need, then you can choose the right source. For example, you will find statistics on what is the most popular phone sold in the UK within iCat as well as technical articles on authentication systems. It is just a matter of navigating to the right section within iCat. Your subject librarian can help you with this too.

 

Booking ends tomorrow: Research Basics for Researchers Tutorial

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researchtutorialLearn how to access the University resources!

If you are a new research or postgraduate student at Kingston University, then this ‘bite-sized’ session is for you. We will be showing you the basics of how to access the Kingston University resources, from the staff pages to utilising the scholarly research databases and articles which will be useful for you.

The main focus will be on the iCat, our library catalogue, and how you can access a variety of resources through this page, including e-journals, e-books and print books.

This session will not go into a great amount of detail of how to search the databases and e-journals as this will be covered in more advanced skills sessions. However, this session will make you aware of the library facilities available for you as a researcher and how to access these on and off-campus.

It will take place in the Penrhyn Road LRC next Wednesday, 28th January 2015 between 10-11 am.

Booking deadline 23 January: http://blogs.kingston.ac.uk/libtut/event-registration/?ee=78

iCat questions answered

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informationicon

Help me find the most popular sources in my subject!

Play with iCat’s sorting options.

By default, all of your search results are ranked by Relevance (based on the catalogue provider’s inbuilt ranking algorithm). You can change this to sort by

  • Date-Newest - the most recent publications will now show at the top of your list
  • Author – A-Z list of author last names
  • Title – A-Z list of publication titles

In addition, you could decide to sort your search results by Popularity. This is based on the number of clicks and views a catalogue record has seen. The higher a book or article is in your results, the more attention it received from other students or your lecturers.

iCatsort

Feedback – SEC Research Degree Committee

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FeedbackYou rated our Inter Library Loans as a quick and dependable service. Thanks for your positive remarks, especially regarding the electronic delivery of papers!

If you are a Level 6 or 7 student, member of staff or researcher, who hasn’t used the service, yet, here are the basics:

For journal articles, conference papers and similar types of material, the full text can be with you to read within a couple of days of ordering it. You then get to keep the copy of the article/paper. It does take longer for physical material to arrive, so please be proactive in ordering books as early as you can. These are loaned to you on collection, you will get a date for when the book needs to be returned.

You order the ILLs through iCat using the ILL request option. Make sure you are signed in.

ILL request

You can order 10 items through this method. If you are reaching your limit, then contact your subject librarian who can talk you through the options available to you.

Looking for Pharmacy OSCEs: a revision guide ?

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pharmacy OSCE

Picture reference: Evans, BW, Kravitz, L,  Walker, N,  Lefteri, K (eds.) Pharmacy OSCEs: a revision guide. London: Pharmaceutical Press.; 2013.

We’ve had a request to buy additional print copies of this book (shelved at : 615.1076 EVA) and while we are waiting for them to arrive, I wanted to let you know we have it available online as well.

Here’s how to get hold of the online version:

1. Sign in on iCat (click the Kingston link wherever you are, and use your normal Kingston University user name and password to sign in)

2. Type the title only (Pharmacy OSCE) into the search box

3. LIMIT your search to Library catalogue (the default is all resources)

4. You will see the screen below:

osces first

 Picture reference: ExLibrisPrimo(2011) iCat results page. Available at: icat.kingston.ac.uk (Accessed: 27 January 2015).

5. Click view online to get to this screen:

OSCE

Picture reference: ExLibrisPrimo(2011) view online page. Available at: http://icat.kingston.ac.uk (Accessed: 27 January 2015).

6. Click on the blue Dawsonera link to get to this screen:

PharancyOSCE3

Picture reference: Dawsonera(2014) Pharmacy OSCEs: a revision guide. Available at: https://www.dawsonera.com. (Accessed: 27 January 2015).

7. To download the book for up to 7 days at a time, click :

pharmacy OSCE5

 

 

If you choose to download the book, you will have the option to save or open the download. If you open it, you can give it a logical name and then choose where you save it.

8. To read the book on screen, click:

Pharamcy OSCE6

 

 

 


Accessing journals off campus?

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Your first step is to log into iCat to make sure you are authenticated fully. icat

As a KU student, you have different urls to access journals than the general public as the material has been purchased for you. By logging into iCat, you can access the right link to the journal and also demonstrate you are a KU student so the pdf will download correctly.

If you have any problems accessing journals off campus, then please email your subject librarian and they will be able to help you. If you can, please provide a screenshot of when you encountered the problem.

CI4400 students

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It was lovely to meet you all today and talk through the information sources for your iCatppttopics  in Computer Science, Information Systems and Software Engineering. A lot of the sources we discussed today were concerned with the business aspect of your course and should be helpful in writing your report. If you have any questions following the lecture, then do email me on d.omar@kingston.ac.uk

I have added the slides from the lecture to your StudySpace module and they are also available here.

I am here to help you throughout your course so do keep in touch.

News from the blog last week

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updateDiscover what has been mentioned and discussed on the SEC Library blog last week.

Remember to save your work – we’ve all been there. Forgotten to save work before something has gone wrong with a pc or laptop. Read this post for useful tips to avoid this.

New print journals ion the LRCs - some print journal titles with new issues out last week.

Careers in SEC subjects – information about the latest in the Spotlight on…. series with Spotlight on Construction event on 3rd February, 5.30pm, PRd campus and Spotlight onGeology, Geography & the Enviroment event on 5th Feb 2015 at 5.30pm, PRd campus.

Make the most of iCat

Accessing journals off campus? - Information on how to do this in iCat so that you can find what you need to write your reports and assignments. Check out the latest iCat questions answered post that shows you how to find the most popular resources in your subject. Specially for students on module CI4400 – Davina has added the slides of her recent talk on How iCat can help you with your report

Pharmacy OSCEs revision guide online. – while we are waiting for the print copies to arrive in the LRC why not follow these instructions for how to access the ebook version?

Feedback from the SEC research degree committee about using the interlibrary loan service to access books, journal articles and conference papers we don’t have in stock at Kingston University

 

GG7900: Research skills and referencing lecture

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searchrescueIt was a pleasure to talk to you last Thursday! The presentation from the Research skills and referencing lecture in GG7900 can now be found in the Geography, Geology and the Environment “Help and Advice” section. I have added additional slides about topics we have only briefly discussed in the session.

We have talked about setting up RefWorks accounts briefly at the end of the session. If you haven’t had a chance to attend or want more information on the literature management system, have a look at the Refworks tutorials for Science, Engineering and Computing students which

  • help you set up an account
  • explain some of the export / import options from different databases and
  • installing Write-N-Cite on your machines.

Any questions – ask me.

Picture reference:
The National Guard (2013) Search and rescue training. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thenationalguard/9564065682 (Accessed: 27 January 2015)

Your loans

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icatWe extended all loans due since yesterday to ensure they don’t become overdue while iCat is down. To minimise the effect of the iCat sign in problems, ​we changed the due date on all items due back either yesterday or today. They are now due back tomorrow instead.

Please check your account tomorrow and renew any loans if necessary.

If you have any problems, please come and speak to us at the help desks or log a call in the Service Desk Portal.

Information skills and referencing

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From 24th Feb. – 13th March, we will run sessions in the SASC room SB1019. These sessions are open to all students in the SEC faculty and will cover three different aspects:

Getting the most out of iCat will (re)acquaint you with the main iCat features (simple search, refinement options, database list, my account etc).

As a final year student, you will have already done the bulk of your searches. The Advanced search options for your dissertation session is your chance to get advice on aspects of your literature review that might have been highlighted for additional references by your supervisors. We would like to encourage you to bring any questions regarding your own dissertation to the session and we will help you find further sources.

There’s no need to lose marks through accidental plagiarism or inconsistencies in your citations and referencing. Referencing help is a reminder of the faculty specific styles and guidelines. You will probably know how to refer to standard documents such as books, articles and websites by now. Do ask us about anything you find tricky, so please consider bringing examples.

icatreferencing2015

If you want to attend any of these refresher sessions, see us in the SEC Academic Success Centre (Sopwith Building SB1019). If you are not able to make any of these times, please contact your subject librarian for additional help: Get help from a librarian.

Information skills and referencing

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This week we are running sessions in the SASC room SB1019 for SEC students. These sessions are open to all students in the SEC faculty and will cover three different aspects:

Getting the most out of iCat will (re)acquaint you with the main iCat features (simple search, refinement options, database list, my account etc).

As a final year student, you will have already done the bulk of your searches. The Advanced search options for your dissertation session is your chance to get advice on aspects of your literature review that might have been highlighted for additional references by your supervisors. We would like to encourage you to bring any questions regarding your own dissertation to the session and we will help you find further sources.

There’s no need to lose marks through accidental plagiarism or inconsistencies in your citations and referencing. Referencing help is a reminder of the faculty specific styles and guidelines. You will probably know how to refer to standard documents such as books, articles and websites by now. Do ask us about anything you find tricky, so please consider bringing examples.

icatreferencing2015

If you want to attend any of these refresher sessions, see us in the SEC Academic Success Centre (Sopwith Building SB1019). If you are not able to make any of these times, please contact your subject librarian for additional help: Get help from a librarian.


Meet your new CIS Subject Librarian

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Hey everyone, I’m Josh Chapman, your new Subject Librarian for Computing and Information Systems. After a recent shuffle in the SEC team I’ll be taking over from Davina as your contact in the library.

Gimme a shout if you want help finding information for your studies, or some advice on how to use our resources. Here’s some of the stuff that I can lend a hand with:

JOSH SNAPUsing iCat to find resources: Not sure which search-terms to use, or how to filter your results? Struggling to access e-journals, or find books on your reading list? Get in touch, and I’ll explain  how iCat works and show you how to get the best from our library catalogue.

Searching Databases: I can teach you how to broaden your searches by using specialist databases like ACM Digital Library, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore. I’ll show you how to construct complex search queries to track down that elusive report or conference paper, and keep up-to-date with the latest developments in your field by setting up search-alerts.

Literature Reviews: Want to get an overview of a specific topic? Come for chat, and I can guide you through different methods of discovering and organising information sources, and show you how to find dissertations, final year projects, and PhD theses.

Referencing and Citation: Not sure where to place that comma, or which words to italicise? No problem, I can help you make sense of referencing to ensure your work is of a high academic standard. I can also show you how to set-up and use referencing software like RefWorks and Mendeley.

If some of that strikes a chord, or if you have any other questions about how to find and use information for your studies, then drop me a line on j.chapman@kingston.ac.uk to arrange an appointment. My office is located on the second floor of Penrhyn Road LRC, directly behind the helpdesk.

Spring Vacation

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easterRemember our opening hours change slightly over the break:

Penrhyn Road LRC closes at 9pm on Thursday 2nd April and is CLOSED on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday (April 3rd, 4th and 5th). We open at 0830 on Easter Monday (April 6th) and 24 hour opening continues from then.

Camm Centre LRC closes 9pm on Thursday 2nd April and is CLOSED on Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday AND Easter Monday, and reopens at 0830 on Tuesday April 7th.

For full information about opening hours across all campuses click here.

Remember you will need to renew your items over the holiday period, too. You can do this by signing in to iCat, clicking on My Account, and ticking the items you want to renew. You can also contact your LRC here, but remember we will be closed over the Easter weekend.

Renew your loans

Latest edition of BNF & BNFC

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BNF 69We now have the latest (69th) edition of the BNF available in the LRC at Penrhyn Road (10 x 7 day loan copies shelved at 615.13 BRI on the second floor, plus 2 x 4 hour loan copies in the desk loan collection – please ask for these 2 at the ground floor helpdesk).

The 2014-2015 edition of the BNF for children is also available, shelved at 615.13 BRI (5x 7 day loans, 2 x 4 hour desk loans).

Both the BNF and BNF for children are freely available online on the NHS Evidence website . The website will shortly be relaunching with a new look, but access to the BNF and children’s BNF is still free and there is still no need to sign in, as the screen shot below shows:

New nhs evidence site

 

There is no need to sign in to the NHS Evidence website to access the full text. Access is also available on the NHS Evidence site to the 68th edition of  the BNF for Children.

There is also a link to the NHS Evidence site on iCat in the databases list area, under the Pharmacy and Chemistry category. As always, make sure you have signed in to iCat before searching the database list.

Full information on how to access the online version of the BNF and the BNF for children is available here.

If you are wondering about the BNF app, access to this is only available to students on NHS-commissioned courses – this means that pharmacy students (who are not on an NHS-commissioned course) do not have access to it.

Picture reference: Joint Formulary Committee (2014) British National Formulary. Available at http://www.amazon.co.uk/British-National-Formulary-BNF-68/dp/0857111388/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413808610&sr=8-1&keywords=bnf.  (Accessed: 20/10/14).

Browse the LRC or search iCat?

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iCat’s virtual browse means you can do both and get the best of both worlds.

If you have searched iCat and found a useful book, you can see what is next to it on the physical shelves by clicking the ‘virtual browse’ tab. The advantage to this is that we have arranged the LRC so that all the books on similar topics are next to each other on the shelf. Once you have found one useful book, it should lead you to others to read as well.

virtual browseIf you want any additional assistance in using iCat, do contact your subject librarian.

 

News from the blog last week

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updateCatch up with what was added to the SEC Library blog over the past few days.

Are you a researcher or postgraduate interested in finding out about the SPORTDiscus database? There will be a session running on Tuesday 14th April as part of our research tutorials series.

Find out how members of your school responded in the LRC User survey. Last week we featured the opinions of students in Aerospace and Aircraft Engineering and Life Sciences. Look out for others in the weeks to come.

Have you discovered iCat’s virtual browse? Find books that sit on the shelves alongside your favourite titles before you go to the library.

There were also some useful hints about accessing e-books before some planned downtime by one of our suppliers on Sunday 19th April.

Happy reading.

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