Here we bring together all the guidance on using the new version of EndNote at home or on-campus.
What is EndNote?
EndNote is reference management software best used for research projects. It has lots of advanced features, but can take a long time to learn and master. If you wish to use referencing software for a taught course (undergraduate, PGT) we recommend using RefWorks instead.
Installing EndNote
The University has access to EndNote 20, the latest version of EndNote. Most departments recommend their undergraduates use RefWorks, however EndNote is available if you prefer to use it.
EndNote is installed on all PCs in Catalyst but for other computers including personal machines, you can download EndNote here. (You will need to sign in with your network log-in.) Please note that if you are using an Edge Hill laptop or PC, you will need to ask IT Services to approve the download. If you are using your own laptop, there should be no problem.
Getting started with EndNote
We have created a short guide to getting started with EndNote and this toolkit giving an overview of using EndNote.
Further support with EndNote
For further support, Clarivate Analytics (the EndNote supplier) has a comprehensive YouTube channel with lots of short videos that can be used to support you getting started using EndNote 20. Clarivate also provides an online support desk you can use for technical issues.
Blog post by: Olwen Pennington, Academic Engagement Team
eBooks! Love them, hate them or never used them? What ever your level of experience we want your feedback!
One of our main services to you, as the University Library, is providing access to high-quality academic resources. Since the pandemic hit we’ve prioritised eBook purchases and we want to find out how they’re working for you. As part of this process we’d love to hear your experiences, as a student using them (or not!) at Edge Hill University, so we can continue to improve our services. Complete our very quick survey and you could even be in with a chance of winning a £20 Amazon eVoucher.
I’m sure it’s not just me whose main experience of seeing friends over the past year has been squinting at screens, hoping the broadband holds and occasionally having to shout, “you’re on mute!” Things that were once regular occurrences – meeting up with friends for a drink or popping over to their house for a takeaway – now seem both distant, barely tangible memories and faraway, exciting hopes. And yet, imagine we had not been able to see friends on video calls, to text and email them over the past year. There seems little doubt that technology has, for many of us, eased some of the feelings of isolation the pandemic is causing. Even just a decade or two ago, the experience of living through a global pandemic would have been very different.
Throughout much of Edge Hill’s history, letter-writing was the principal way for students and staff to keep in touch with each other when term ended or graduation created a new wave of long-distance friendships. While private telephones would become increasingly common, they were often shared with housemates or family members, so could lack the sense of privacy and intimacy that letters provided. It comes as no surprise, then, that exchanging home addresses with friends as they left for home was a priority for many students. Nestled within our archive collections are some beautiful examples of the autograph albums that were passed around the halls of residence for students (and possibly staff from time to time) to leave their details in. More often than not, however, these were far more than just autograph albums – most of the signatories would choose to leave a message in the form of a poem, a favourite saying or an artwork – they might more accurately be described as friendship books. The level of thought and effort that was dedicated to each entry is astounding and sometimes, in an age of fast scrolling social media and quickly found gifs expressing our emotions, extremely moving. Some of them even include hand-decorated covers [EHU/GUAL/3/14/1]. All of the friendship books we have date from the earliest days of Edge Hill in the late 19th century to the 1920s; whether this is because such albums dropped out of fashion in this period or simply that we haven’t yet received donations of later examples is hard to say.
EHU/GUAL/3/14/1
As the images show, the artworks represent a variety of styles and reflect some contemporary trends and fashions. Images of children, often saying or doing things expressly designed to elicit coos from the viewer and illustrated in a cartoon-like style were common subjects of mass-produced artworks, postcards and prints. Likewise, single illustrations with a humorous caption were common and it is probable that most of the examples in the albums were copied from other sources. Of course, this kind of illustration remains popular today – just think of the many greetings card designs that still rely on this format.
EHU/GUAL/3/12/1
Some of the artworks, poems and messages are wonderful time capsules of life at Edge Hill in a different era. For example, “The Test Week” is a comic book style artwork by F. Shackleton from the 1890s that describes the students’ lives during the week of a test [EHU/GUAL/3/12/1]. The neatly drawn images, populated by stick figures, may be simple, but they are surprisingly expressive and still ring true today: the last minute cramming, the home sickness and the excitement when the test is over (although if someone can explain to me what towels have to do with this, I’d be grateful!)
By far the most common type of entry are quotes. Usually, these are from literature and occasionally popular sayings and phrases are included; playing a similar role, perhaps, to the kinds of “inspirational” memes and phrases that are regularly shared on social media today. The quotes are usually very short and were presumably from memory, from books the student owned or maybe from the Edge Hill library. Sometimes, the friendship books contain very creative approaches to including quotes – see, for example, Alice Gardner’s lovely “Patchwork Page” from 1912 [EHU/GUAL/3/15/1]– and were clearly laid out with considerable care.
EHU/GUAL/3/15/1
There is a wonderful charm to these autograph albums. They are a fascinating glimpse into a more personal history of Edge Hill and the lives of some of our earliest students. At a time when the bonds with our friends are most keenly felt and we long for a time when we can once again see them in the flesh, these albums remind us of the importance that friendship has always played in people’s lives.
Wondering how to get going with your studies this term? How much do you know about Edge Hill’s academic skills support? Well, let me tell you all about why you need to join your Student Advisors all next week for Getting Started With UniSkills!
If you’re new to the university, haven’t explored the uni webpages yet or are just looking for a refresher on the essentials, why not come along to one of our Getting Started With UniSkills webinars to learn some great ways to get stuck in with your studies? This webinar is an introduction to academic life here at Edge Hill; we’ll be talking about how to navigate Learning Edge (you might have also heard your teachers call this the VLE), how to identify and locate academic information and how to get support from UniSkills.
These webinars have been co-created by your knowledgeable Academic Skills Advisors and us, your friendly and experienced Student Advisors! And we’ve got lots of advice and tons of tips to share with you. We’ll take you through everything you need to know to get started with your studies and help you find out all the ways the Library and Learning Services teams can support you throughout the year. This is a great way to get the new term off to a fantastic start, and you know what they say about starting as you mean to go on (you should do it)! Watch my video above to discover my top 3 reasons for why you should attend our workshops all next week!
There’s a brand-new booking system in place now which makes it even easier to join in with all our UniSkills webinars. To book your place visit www.ehu.ac.uk/workshops and you’ll find all the info you need to log into the new student portal. Getting Started With UniSkills are running all throughout the first week of February (1st-5th) every lunchtime 12:15pm-12:45pm, so you can choose whichever day is most convenient for you!
Hello and a massive welcome to all new students starting courses this January, we look forward to meeting you and getting to know you all. We are the Student Engagement team and we are here to provide support with all aspects of academic skills. Although this year may feel a little different please be reassured that we are here to support you!
The best place to find out more about how we can support you is to head over to the UniSkills web pages where there’s a vast wealth of information around academic writing and research skills. Here you’ll find our interactive online UniSkills Toolkits which contain loads of tips and tricks to help you with assignment planning, critical thinking, punctuation, proofreading and much more. There’s also some handy guides and videos too!
You can also book your place on a wide range of Uniskills Webinars. The UniSkills Spring 2021 Webinar programme starts on Monday 25th January and covers a wide range of topics including academic reading, writing and referencing, effective exam preparation, finding academic resources, conducting a literature review, presentation skills and much more!
We will also be delivering a series of ‘Getting Started With Uniskills’ webinars all week, 1st-5th February, specifically aimed at new students. These sessions will help you log in, explore the Blackboard Institution homepage, show you how to find academic information for your university assignments and give you an overview of the UniSkills support available – all the essentials to ensure you’re ready for the start of your course. These introductory webinars will be followed by a further week, 15th-19th March, to guide you through the next stage of ‘Moving Forward With UniSkills’. These sessions will help you take the next steps in relation to finding high quality academic information for your university assignments and developing your referencing and proofreading skills. Both series of webinars are co-delivered and co-designed by our team of knowledgeable UniSkills Student Advisors, who know everything there is to know about loving the library and smashing your assignments so come along to find out more!
Once you start your tutor will provide you with your reading list and I’m sure many of you will be keen to get going! To find your resources the Library Catalogue is a great place to begin. From here you can access your Reading List Online, and you can jump straight into eBooks and eJournals for access at a click of a mouse! The Subject Resource web pages contain all the relevant journals and databases for your subject area and you can also browse the e-resource collections using the Discover More search tool which has access to thousands of high quality, up to date journal articles.
You can also collect items directly from the shelves and check them out on the self-issue machines located around the building or reserve items straight from the shelves using our temporary ‘Click and Collect’ service. And, if there is ever a book or journal article that we don’t have in our collection you can ask us add a copy by using the You Want It, We Get it service. Just fill in the details on the form and we’ll do our best to get it in for you – how cool is that?
Further Help & Support
If you have any general enquiries about resources for your study, IT related enquiries or academic skills support you can contact the Catalyst Helpdesk Monday to Friday between 8am and 8pm and Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 6pm.
We wish you all the best for this coming academic year and look forward to supporting you soon!
Semester one was a huge success with over a thousand of you booking onto one or more of the 64 UniSkills Winter Webinars we delivered between September and December 2020! But the fun (and learning!) doesn’t stop there! As we are here to support you throughout your entire course at Edge Hill University we would love for you to join us again this semester as we launch our UniSkills Spring Webinar programme!
Our UniSkills Spring 2021 Webinar programme covers a wide range of topics including academic reading, writing and referencing, effective exam preparation, finding academic resources, conducting a literature review, presentation skills and much more!
Book Your Webinar
Check out the full line-up and book your place at ehu.ac.uk/workshops. There are various dates and times to choose from and there is no limit on the number of webinars you can attend. All UniSkills webinars sessions are delivered virtually through Blackboard Collaborate and can be accessed both on or off campus. Don’t worry if you haven’t used this technology yet as we’ll send you a link to join the session along with a handy technical guide. You can also watch our video guide for more details on how to really get the most out of attending a UniSkills webinar.
Book a 1-2-1 Appointment
Many of you will now have handed in your first assignments and will be eagerly awaiting your marks, but don’t forget that your feedback is also really important. Reviewing your tutors feedback will help you to understand any areas for development that you can focus on to help improve your writing and aim for those higher marks.
If you would like any help putting an action plan together from your feedback then the Student Engagement (UniSkills) team are here to help! Book a 1-2-1 appointment with one of our knowledgeable Academic Skills Advisors for more tailored support with your own academic writing, referencing or finding high quality online resources for your research!
Further Help and Support
If you have any general enquiries about resources for your studies, IT troubleshooting or academic skills support you can contact the Catalyst Helpdesk Monday to Friday between 8am and 11pm and Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 6pm.
We wish you all the best for semester two and look forward to supporting you soon!
Due to the 3rd national lockdown that is currently in place we have made some changes to services and facilities within Library & Learning Services and Catalyst.
Borrowing Books
As a temporary measure we have replaced our usual reservation service with a Click and Collect Service. This allows you to place reservations on available items through the Library Catalogue. You will receive a notification when your request is ready and then all you need to do is collect it from the reservation shelf in Catalyst and issue to your account using our self-issue machine. You can monitor your request via the My Account function in the library catalogue. Our book stock remains open for you to browse if you are on campus and using Catalyst.
Opening Times
We have reviewed our opening times and during the lockdown Catalyst will be open 8am – 8pm weekdays and 10am – 6pm at weekends. We will continue to review our opening times.
Face Coverings
We have reviewed our risk assessments and due to the 3rd national lockdown and the new, highly transmittable variant of Covid-19 it is now mandatory to wear a face covering at all times in public areas of Catalyst (unless you are exempt). This includes whilst studying at a desk or PC, borrowing books and moving around the building.
Staff will be monitoring this, and you will be approached if you are not wearing a mask or a pink lanyard. We ask that you support us in following this guideline by wearing your face covering at all times and show understanding to our staff.
Ventilation
Government guidance states that areas should be kept well ventilated therefore you will notice that windows will be open in Catalyst. We know it may get chilly but we ask that you do not shut the windows. Please bear in mind that it may be cold and bring an extra layer or two if you are planning to study. Staff will periodically open windows throughout the day, please be understanding to our staff.
University Community Pledge
We will continue to ask all students and staff to abide by our Community Pledge.
We are asking each and every individual to agree to:
Fully adhere to official Public Health guidance in relation to Covid-19.
Protect myself and others by maintaining appropriate physical distance and hygiene.
Unless exempt, wear a face-covering when and where required to do so.
Not attend University if they feel unwell with, or if I have been in close proximity to others with, Covid-19 symptoms or who have tested positive for the virus.
Raise and respond to concerns of Covid-inappropriate behaviour in an open, constructive and respectful manner and, if necessary, adjust their behaviour to be in line with Public Health and University guidelines.
Take a break and spark an interest with the British Library’s Curators’ Lectures. This lecture, Beyond the Exhibition: Women’s Rights in Asia and Africa.
Unfinished Business: Curators’ Lunchtime Lecture – Beyond the Exhibition 1
Gathering together in the North West, members of the research support teams at the University of Liverpool, LJMU and Edge Hill have put together a programme of 9 events over 3 days dedicated to open research. Please take a look to see what might be of interest: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/open-research/open-research-week-2021/
The keynote session is:
‘The Open Revolution: making a radically fairer and free future’ Dr Rufus Pollock Tuesday 9th February 2021 10.30-11.30
An introduction by the UK Data Service to the new Catalogue of Mental Health Measures that compiles and organises information about mental health measures in over 30 studies. It features descriptions of the studies and the measures of mental health and wellbeing they have collected, as well as information about statistical resources and training.
The Catalogue of Mental Health Measures: Discovering the depths of mental health data in UK longitudinal studies.
Now that the whirlwind that was 2020 has come to a close and we’ve entered the part of 2021 where every conversation includes the phrase, ‘do you have any New Year’s resolutions?’ I’ve got a question for you; do you have any academic New Year’s resolutions?
My big goal for this year is to manage my time better! Like most students, I’m so busy with assignments and other commitments that it can be a bit chaotic to try and get everything done on time. It’s not unusual for me to work well into the evening, which isn’t exactly the best study habit to have. Time management is a big source of problems for a lot of students so here’s a quick post to share how I’m going about sticking to my study resolution this year. These strategies aren’t just specific to my goals though, whatever your study goals are, hopefully these points will help you in setting and sticking to your aims.
1. Break it down
Having a big goal is great but wanting to ‘have better time management’ isn’t very specific. It’s good to have idea of what you’re going to do to reach that goal. For me, that means setting rules such as ‘no working past 10pm.’ It’s much easier to stick to a New Year’s resolution when you know exactly what you need to do, not just what you want as an end result.
2. Give yourself a time frame
A year is a long time, it can be easy to put things off or lose steam when the goal is so far away so it’s a good idea to give yourself smaller deadlines that are more manageable. I like to set quarterly goals every three months because that time frame is short enough that I’ll stick to it but long enough to get a substantial amount done. What works for you will depend on your preferences, so think it through and choose what is best for you.
3. Work with friends
If you and a friend both want to improve your timekeeping, why not get together (virtually) and make study timetables together? Keeping each other on track is a great way to stick to your plans and make it more fun. Even if your goals are different, just sharing them can help you stay motivated.
4. Don’t overwhelm yourself at the start of the year
It can be easy to get carried away with everything you want to do and end up with a mile-long list of goals for the year, but that might not be the best approach. This is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s probably best just to pick a few goals to work at steadily rather than burning yourself out within a month.
5. Come to a UniSkills session
Start the way you mean to go on by booking on to one of our brand new UniSkills webinars! The Spring programme will be available for you to book on soon and covers a wide range of subjects including academic writing, being critical, Harvard referencing, searching for academic information and much, much more. You can also book a 1-2-1 appointment for more tailored support with our knowledgeable Academic Skills Advisors
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates about what we’re doing in the Library and Learning Services department and how we can support you throughout the year. And while you’re here, let us know in the comments what your #NewYearNewUniSkills study resolutions are!
Lauren – MA English Student Advisor for Library & Learning Services
There’s no better time than January to start afresh and set some study goals for the year ahead. From action planning your feedback to productivity techniques and perfecting your mindset, we’ve put together a timetable of webinars to boost your motivation and make semester 2 your best yet.
This session looks at the power of goal setting, how to align your environment to support you and online tools for creating vision boards.
Turn your idea of success into clear, actionable goals with a measurable outcome. Along with looking at different ways to visually represent your goals to keep you motivated, this webinar will cover the science behind “goal stacking” and how this can help in your journey towards achieving them.
Jam-packed with hints and tips to help you avoid procrastination, revise effectively and find a note-taking method that works for you.
Introducing techniques such as “eat the frog” and the “Pomodoro”, this webinar looks at ways to manage and prioritise your time, as well as looking at why waiting for motivation can hinder your progress. It will also introduce participants to the Cornell and Flow methods of note-taking, as well as different productivity apps to supercharge your studies.
Come along to this webinar and discover the importance of being academically resilient at University.
A webinar to equip you with practical tools to nurture your own academic resilience, help you recognise the qualities of those with a ‘growth’ as opposed to ‘fixed’ mindset, and help you feel confident in dealing constructively with feedback.
Recognise and understand assessment criteria, apply critical reading and analysis and the importance of integrating referencing.
Building on previous experience learn to recognise and understand assessment criteria, apply critical reading and show critical analysis in your writing and the importance of integrating referencing. This webinar is aimed at students who have some experience in academic writing.
Break your feedback down into digestible targets, and learn how to create an action plan that will keep you on track to improve.
We know that receiving academic feedback is not always easy. You might not have received the grade you hoped for, or you don’t fully understand what all the comments mean. This session looks at how to make the most of your tutor’s comments so you can approach your next assignment with confidence.
PLEASE NOTE: You will need to have received some academic feedback prior to attending this session. Please bring along one assignment with academic feedback to the session (this is for your use only).
Here in the Student Engagement team we’re so excited to welcome you back, but in the meantime, let us know which sessions you’ve booked on to, or even your own New Year Study Resolutions using the hashtag #NewYearNewUniSkills.
