Tuesday 18 December 2012

ROAR has a new look...

…and is now easier to use. ROAR (Research Open Access Repository) – if you weren’t already aware – is the University of East London’s institutional repository of open access publications, and is maintained by the library. The new interface now makes it much easier to browse – simply choose ‘Browse by Year’, ‘Browse by School’ or ‘Browse by Author’ from the top of the screen – and also has a permanent search box in the top right.
As well as being home to the research output of academic staff, ROAR also plays host to a growing collection of doctoral-level theses. To view this collection, choose to 'Browse by School', then click on 'Electronic Theses and Dissertations', which appears above the list of Schools.
For more information about ROAR, contact the repository manager, whose details appear in the ‘About’ section.

Tuesday 4 December 2012

New psychology books in Stratford library...

...added to stock during November 2012 can be viewed from this link: November 2012 new books list. Please note that it only lists items purchased for the School of Psychology.

November was a bumper month for new books. New additions to stock this month include Lunt's "Stanley Milgram: shaper of obedience", Farran's "Neurodevelopmental disorders across the lifespan" and the new book by UEL's own Christian van Nieuwerburgh, "Coaching in education". We also have new editions of various popular books, including the 2nd edition of Braisby's "Cognitive psychology", the 11th edition of Kalat's "Biological psychology" and the 3rd edition of Ilona Boniwell's "Positive psychology in a nutshell". We also have various new e-books in stock. For the full list of items, follow the link above.

All books, including e-books can be found using Library Search.

Friday 30 November 2012

Logging in to ScienceDirect...

...changes slightly from 1st December 2012. You will still need your Athens username and password, but there will be a slight change to when you sign in. More information is available on ScienceDirect's news page: Athens now OpenAthens.

Wednesday 28 November 2012

PLOS One...

… is an open-access (i.e. free) peer-reviewed (i.e. high quality) online journal with a huge range of coverage across various scientific and health-related topics, including many relevant not only to clinical psychology, but also other psychological disciplines. The number of articles it has is incredible. To have a look yourself, follow this link: PLOS One. Thank you to the student who directed me towards it!

Friday 16 November 2012

Searching other libraries...

...in London and the South East has just got a lot easier with the launch of Search25. It lets you search across nearly 60 different university and research libraries in the region to quickly see who holds the book you are looking for. To then visit the library, you will need a SCONUL Access card from us before you visit: http://www.uel.ac.uk/lls/services/sconulfaq/.

Thursday 1 November 2012

New psychology books in Stratford library...

...added to stock during October 2012 can be viewed from this link: October 2012 new books list. Please note that it only lists items purchased for the School of Psychology.

New books this month include Stephen Frosh's "A brief introduction to psychoanalytic theory", Todd May's "Death", Peter Lunt's book about Stanley Milgram, "Stanley Milgram: understanding obedience and its implications" and Claudia Hammond's popular psychology book "Time Warped". We also have new editions of various textbooks, including the fourth edition of Breakwell's "Research methods in psychology", the fifth edition of Ogden's "Health psychology", the 8th edition of Taylor's "Health Psychology" and second edition of Richard's "Race, racism and psychology". We also have various new e-book titles. Please follow the link for a full list of all new psychology titles.

All books can be found using Library Search.

Thursday 25 October 2012

A new journal on PsycARTICLES...

...is about to be made available. It is called "Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal" and they promise access to all the latest issues. Although UEL has previously had access to it via Academic Search Complete, it has always come with a full-text 'embargo' on the last 12 months. As well as the latest issues, PsycARTICLES promise that in 2013 all back issues to Volume 1 will be made available. Furthermore, they are promising six more new journal titles in 2013. More details as I get them...
Don't forget that all PsycARTICLES publications can be accessed via EBSCO PsycINFO.

Thursday 18 October 2012

Clinical and health psychology...

...materials can be found on the wide-ranging (and free!) Trip Database, which someone has recommended to me. It seems to be aimed primarily at clinicians and clinical professionals (namely medical practitioners), but the overlap into health psychology-related topics is sufficient to make it a potentially useful resource. It focuses on 'evidence', which includes systematic reviews, guidelines (split by country), Q&As and even e-Textbooks. Give it a go and let me know what you think!

Thursday 11 October 2012

A new library management system...

...has been installed over the summer which should improve the efficiency with which the library deals with its many transactions. At present, we are encountering a few 'teething problems' with this brand new piece of software which means that some students are unable to check their library accounts online or place requests for books. We are hopeful that these problems will be resolved soon. In the meantime, if you find that you are one of these people, please visit the library helpdesk, telephone 020 8223 4224, or make use of Ask-a-Librarian, and a member of library staff will be able to check your account for you or place the request on your behalf.

Wednesday 26 September 2012

Free British Library workshops...

...run regularly at the British Library in St Pancras. They are normally free and cover a wide range of topics related to using the BL and more general research and information skills. Information on up-coming workshops can be found here: http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/inrrooms/stp/workshop/workshops.html.

Friday 14 September 2012

Changes to Library Search...

...have been made during the summer, with more improvements still to come. The basic look remains the same, but you should notice that once you find a book on the system the options are now slightly different. Whereas previously you clicked on the somewhat mysterious-sounding 'Locations' link to see information about the book, regardless of whether it was print or e-book, you now click on 'GetIt' (if it's a print book) or 'ViewIt' (if it's an e-book).

Another improvement is to reservations. Previously the request button appeared regardless of whether you were signed in, yet only worked if you were signed in, thus leading to some confusion and occasional frustration. However, now the option only appears after signing in - along with the other functionality only available to logged in users, such as the ability to save searches, add reviews and tags, and to access your own library account.

Other improvements are coming soon, and I will update you as they go live.

Friday 24 August 2012

The UEL SCONUL Access blog…

…is a very helpful reference point for SCONUL Access cardholders to keep up-to-date with opening hours and access restrictions both at UEL and other libraries in London and beyond. It is regularly updated by our SCONUL Access administrator, so it’s well worth bookmarking if you are a frequent SCONUL Access user: UEL SCONUL Access blog.

Thursday 9 August 2012

Institutional research repositories...

...are where universities make publicly available their research output. This can include pre-print journal articles, conference papers and other research outputs, as well as sometimes including dissertations and theses. At UEL we have roar@UEL, but for a list of repositories from other universities, as well as facilities to search across their content, have a look at the following webpage: http://www.arl.org/sparc/repositories/collectedrep.shtml. Alternatively, if you just want a list of all repositories (by continent, then country) from around the world, check out this rather impressive collection of links: http://www.opendoar.org/countrylist.php.

Friday 13 July 2012

Reminder: Library Services during July and August 2012...

...will be affected by the Olympic Games, but not as much as you might expect! The physical libraries are closed from 27th July to 12th August 2012, although all online services will continue, including Ask-a-Librarian. For information about coming to campus during the next couple of months, check out the Library and the Olympics webpage and the university's UEL and 2012 website.

Friday 6 July 2012

New psychology books in Stratford library...

...added to stock during June 2012 total just the one title, due to the closure of this academic year's budget. The new book is an e-book copy of Jennifer Moon's popular title, "A handbook of reflective and experiential learning".

All books, including e-books, can be found on Library Search.

Wednesday 27 June 2012

Two new journals on PsycARTICLES / PsycINFO...

...are now available: ‘Law and Human Behavior’ and ‘Peace and conflict: journal of peace psychology’. Further details on both titles are available from the following news story on the APA website: http://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/news/2012/03/psycarticles-new-journals.aspx.

Friday 15 June 2012

Web 2.0 tools, apps and resources...

…are abundantly available on the Internet and can be very useful in helping organise both your work and your life. However, they are so numerous that it can often seem like more trouble than it's worth finding the quality ones. This is where I would recommend Phil Bradley’s free online guide to Web 2.0 (http://www.philb.com/iwantto.htm). Things are arranged in categories to make it easy to identify what you're looking for, e.g. ‘calendars’, ‘mindmapping’, ‘presentation software’, ‘project management’, ‘screen recording’ and many dozens more. I would highly recommend checking it out!

Wednesday 6 June 2012

New psychology books in Stratford library...

...added to stock during May 2012 can be viewed from this link: May 2012 new books list. Please note that it only lists items purchased for the School of Psychology.
It was a quiet month for book purchases as the academic year's budget was wrapped up, but there were a few new titles, including paper copies of the brand new 2nd edition of Maree Teesson's "Addictions" (following on from last month's acquisition of an e-book copy) and a copy of Simon Watt's new book, "Doing Q methodological research". There are also several new e-books. Please follow the link for a full list of all new psychology titles.
All books can be found using Library Search.

Wednesday 23 May 2012

The new 2012 release of PsycINFO…


…has now gone live on EBSCO. New features include a revised version of the thesaurus (including 73 new terms and 51 new ‘used for’ terms), a new searchable field (grants/sponsorship – enabling you to identify any financial backing behind an article), a new methodology (‘scientific simulation’) and the ability to use PubMed IDs to find many articles. Similar updates to PsycARTICLES should go live very soon.
For further information about any of these features, please contact your Subject Librarian.

Thursday 10 May 2012

Library services during the Olympics...

...were mentioned in a previous post, the key points being that the physical libraries will be closed from 27th July to 12th August (we are open for the rest of the summer), but that all e-resources and help services will remain live throughout. You will also be able to take out up to 25 books, which should hopefully be plenty to keep you going during the two weeks we are closed! The latest information can be found on the 'Library and Olympics' webpage, and there is also a leaflet I have produced aimed specifically at psychology students and staff: Library services for psychology during the Olympic Games.

Wednesday 2 May 2012

New psychology books in Stratford library...

...added to stock during April 2012 can be viewed from this link: April 2012 new books list. Please note that it only lists items purchased for the School of Psychology.
New books this month include Barbara Schneider's "Hearing (our) voices" and Peter Beresford's "A straight talking introduction to being a mental health service user". There is also an e-book version of the brand new 2nd edition of Maree Teesson's "Addictions". Please follow the link for a full list of all new psychology titles.
All books can be found using Library Search.

Friday 27 April 2012

Laptop loans...

...from the library will be coming to an end from Monday 9th July 2012. The decision was made due to the laptops currently available becoming increasingly unreliable and obsolete due to their age.

Friday 13 April 2012

Endnote X5...

...is now available from on-campus PCs. It is the latest version of this popular bibliographic research tool. To access it from any university computer, click on the Start button in Windows, go to the 'University Menu' and select the 'Application Jukebox'.

Monday 2 April 2012

New psychology books in Stratford library...

...added to stock during March 2012 can be viewed from this link: March 2012 new books list. Please note that it only lists items purchased for the School of Psychology.
New books this month include Jamie Aten's, "Psychology of religion and spirituality for clinicians' and Cynthia Franklin's, "Solution-focused brief therapy". Please follow the link for a full list of all new psychology titles.
All books can be found using Library Search.

Monday 26 March 2012

PsycINFO News...

...is a quarterly publication from the APA (American Psychological Association) available for free from their website: PsycINFO News. As the people behind the PsycINFO database, no-one is better enabled than them to offer the latest updates and the best tips and tricks. It also has an optional RSS feed to help you keep up-to-date with the latest issue.

Thursday 15 March 2012

Ideas and suggestions for improving the library service...

...are always welcome, so please let us know, no matter how big or small your idea is. For example, you might have noticed that the library now has 'Argos-style' paper-pads and pencils next to all of its Library Search machines, making the task of jotting down the shelf number much easier. Well, this arose from a student suggesting it. If you have any ideas to share, please fill out the online feedback form or let a member of library staff know.

Friday 9 March 2012

Stop words...

…are found in all search engines, from library databases (such as EBSCO PsycINFO) to web search tools such as Google, Bing and Yahoo!. They are words which the search engine will ignore because they are simply too common. For example, ‘the’, ‘a’, ‘if’ and ‘but’ will not be searched for. Normally this poses no problem, but what if you are searching for a specific phrase, such as ‘children in care’ or ‘vitamin A’? Well, on some databases the use of speech marks resolves the issue e.g. “children in care”, while others, such as Google, are clever enough to realise that the ‘a’ in ‘Vitamin A’ is a key component of what you are looking for. However, many databases, including those found on EBSCO, will ignore the stop word regardless of whether speech marks are included – there is no way to force the search engine to look for that word. Slowly but surely the people who make these search tools are recognising the problems this can cause and making changes – the Web of Knowledge database has recently abolished all stop words – but if you are using a search engine which hasn’t yet made this change, then the best advice is simply to find alternative terms or descriptions for what you are looking for.

Friday 2 March 2012

New psychology books in Stratford library...

...added to stock during February 2012 can be viewed from this link: February 2012 new books list. Please note that it only lists items purchased for the School of Psychology.
Coinciding with the start of Semester B, there are a lot of new books to report this month. They include a new book by our very own Professor Irvine Gersch, "Dramatherapy with children, young people and schools", a couple of course readers compiled by Chris Pawson and a large mixture of other books comprising new titles, new editions, new e-books and the odd classic text.
All books, including e-books, can be found using Library Search.

Friday 24 February 2012

The new library at Stratford Campus...

...is currently under construction. It is due for completion by summer 2013. To keep up-to-date with developments, check out its own webpage: http://www.uel.ac.uk/lls/news/stratfordlibrary/. Among other things, it features a 3D virtual flythrough of the completed library and live streaming video of the construction site.

Friday 10 February 2012

The London 2012 Olympic Games...

...will have a significant impact on the whole of East London as millions of people descend on the area. However, with the exception of the precise duration of the Olympic Games (27th July to 12th August), the libraries at UEL will be open throughout the summer.
During the small period when we are closed, you will still be able to access all of our e-resources (such as e-books and online journals), you will still be able to get help from a librarian (via our online Ask-a-Librarian service) and, if you require somewhere quiet to study, you will still be able to visit other university libraries so long as you apply for a free SCONUL Access card from us in advance. For further information about our services during summer 2012, please see the Library & the Olympics webpage.

Wednesday 1 February 2012

New psychology books in Stratford Library...

...added to stock during January 2012 can be viewed from this link: January 2012 new books list. Please note that it only lists items purchased for the School of Psychology.
New Year is often a quiet time for new books, so rather a short list of new titles this month (but just wait for the February list...!). New titles include 'David's box: the journals and letters of a young man diagnosed as schizophrenic, 1960-1971' and an e-book version of Billsberry's 'Experiencing recruitment and selection'.
All books, including e-books, can be found using Library Search (the new name for the catalogue).

Wednesday 18 January 2012

Search history on EBSCO databases...


…such as PsycINFO, is a lot more useful and powerful than you might at first realise. For a start, it is a helpful way of remembering which search terms / search combinations you have already tried. It will show how many results each search gave you and you can quickly determine which words and phrases are giving you the best results. For more advanced searchers – for example, if you are currently doing a literature review for your dissertation or thesis – it can be a powerful way of building your searches.
Building searches is much like putting up a building. Firstly you acquire your building materials (i.e. a collection of individual words and phrases) and only once you have got the raw materials do you then put them together. For example, if you are searching for information on autistic young males in special education you would begin by producing separate lists of words and phrases for autistic (e.g. autism, ASD, developmental disorders), young males (e.g. boys, infants, adolescents) and special education (e.g. special needs, special education students, special schools). You would then search for these words or phrases individually (one at a time), and then, using the search history, see which specific words or phrases bring up the most / best results and then use that information to guide you in how best to combine them e.g. developmental disorders AND young males AND special schools. The search history will then keep a record of what does and doesn’t work and enable you to search in a logical and systematic way.

Tuesday 3 January 2012

New psychology books in Stratford library...

...added to stock during December 2011 can be viewed from this link: December 2011 new books list. Please note that it only lists items purchased for the School of Psychology.
Not many new books added to stock at the end of the Semester, so quite a short list for a change. However, there are some interesting new titles, not least Daniel Kahnemann's critically acclaimed 'Thinking, fast and slow'.
All books, including e-books, can be found using the library catalogue.