New resource now available: Bloomsbury Popular Music

We are pleased to announce that the Library has bought access to Bloomsbury Popular Music (soon to be renamed Bloomsbury Music and Sound), following a well-received trial. This wide-ranging resource comprises:

  • All twelve volumes of the landmark reference work, Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World.
  • All 170 short books in the 33 1/3 series, focusing on significant LPs from a wide range of genres and eras.
  • A selection of over 100 scholarly ebooks on popular music published by Bloomsbury, including biographies and historical overviews.
  • Interactive features, including a pop music timeline back to 1900 and world map.
  • Biographies of hundreds of artists.
  • Personalisation features to help you cite, share, search and collaborate.

You can search or browse it in various ways, such as by artist, genre or location. All books included in Bloomsbury Popular Music are also individually catalogued on Library Search, and new content is added twice a year.

Watch the short trailer for an overview, and enjoy exploring, from Cab Calloway to Cabaret Voltaire and beyond!

Reading Lists and supporting your students

Teaching is just around the corner and the students are starting to prepare for studying through 2021/22. So, which resources are you going to recommend to your students to support your teaching? How will you ensure the Library can offer access to what you need?

We’re promoting the Reading Lists service to our students. It’s easy to use, accessible and is a good starting point when approaching a new subject area.

Surprisingly, even in 2021, not every book is available online. You can use Reading Lists to check to see if we, as an institution, can gain access to those essential, recommended and background reading materials for you and your students. 

How can you do this? Well, you can self-enrol on the Reading Lists Training for Staff course which is available via Canvas. It will explain each stage of creating and editing your lists ready for your students to use for guidance and to prioritise their reading.

An image of the Reading Lists Training for Staff Canvas course home page.

If you don’t have time to do this now, you can produce a list of books, book chapters, journal articles and other resources and submit this to our dedicated Library Reading Lists team to create the online version to be accessed via Canvas for you. If you are doing this, the team need to know:

  • Module Leader or Coordinator’s name.
  • School.
  • Reading list/Module title.
  • Module code.
  • Anticipated student numbers on module (if known).
  • When it is running, e.g. Semester One and/or Two.

You should think about how the list should be organised: by topic, lecture, seminar, etc.

Finally, each item should be classified as essential, recommended or background reading so the Library is aware of the potential demand on the materials.

If you have any questions about availability of online materials or the Reading Lists service, contact your Liaison Team.

Books added to the Library by students in GPS (Semester Two 2020/21)

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Our Recommend a Book service for students allows you to tell us about the books you need for your studies. If we don’t have the books you need, simply complete the web form and we’ll see if we can buy them. For books we already have in stock, if they are out on loan please make a reservation/hold request using Library Search.

Further information about Recommend a book.

In Semester Two, academic year 2020/2021 we received 104 requests from students (53 PGR, 23 PGT and 28 UGT) in the GPS. This is what we bought :

TitleResource type
A Companion to the Ancient Near EastBook – Electronic
Aesthetic Nervousness: Disability and the Crisis of RepresentationBook – Electronic
After Genocide: Transitional Justice, Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Reconciliation in Rwanda and BeyondBook – Physical
America & the World The Double BindBook – Electronic
America in Afghanistan: Foreign Policy and Decision Making From Bush to Obama to TrumpBook – Electronic
Atlas of the Aegean flora / 2 volume setBook – Physical
Beyond Spaceship Earth: Environmental ethics and the solar systemBook – Physical
Bodies for sale : ethics and exploitation in the human body tradeBook – Electronic
British Football and Social ExclusionBook – Electronic
Challenging Immigration Detention: Academics, Activists and Policy-MakersBook – Electronic
China Watching Perspectives from Europe, Japan and the United StatesBook – Electronic
China’s citizenship challenge Labour NGOs and the struggle for migrant workers’ rightsBook – Electronic
Class and Its OthersBook – Electronic
Clearly Invisible: Racial Passing and the Color of Cultural IdentityBook – Electronic
Contentious Cities Design and the Gendered Production of SpaceBook – Electronic
Convincing Ground: Learning to Fall in Love with your CountryBook – Electronic
Cuba and Africa, 1959-1994Book – Electronic
Cultural region : North East England 1945-2000Book – Physical
Culture and the senses: Bodily ways of knowing in an African communityBook – Electronic
Democracy in the fifty statesBook – Physical
Developmental Politics in Transition: The Neoliberal Era and BeyondBook – Electronic
Discursive Illusions in Public Discourse: Theory and PracticeBook – Electronic
Drone Warfare: War and Conflict in the Modern WorldBook – Electronic
Economic Geography: A Critical IntroductionBook – Electronic
Embodied Practices Feminist Perspectives on the BodyBook – Physical
Energy and Society: A Critical PerspectiveBook – Electronic
Ethical Research with Children Untold Narratives and TaboosBook – Electronic
Ethnographies of Home and Mobility: Shifting RoofsBook – Electronic
EU Development Policy in a Changing World: Challenges for the 21st CenturyBook – Electronic
Family Practices in MigrationBook – Electronic
Feminist perspective on the bodyBook – Electronic
Football in neo-liberal times. A Marxist perspective on the European football industryBook – Electronic
From Wealth to Power: The Unusual Origins of America\’s World RoleBook – Electronic
Gaming Globally Production, Play, and PlaceBook – Electronic
Geopolitics, Geography and Strategic HistoryBook – Electronic
Global Capital, Local Culture: Transnational Media Corporations in ChinaBook – Physical
Global Health GovernanceBook – Electronic
Great Power Politics in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: The Geoeconomics of Technological SovereigntyBook – Electronic
Handbook on Austerity, Populism and the Welfare StateBook – Physical
Handbook on the geographies of regions and territoriesBook – Electronic
Handbook on Think Tanks in Public PolicyBook – Electronic
Human Rights Approaches to Environmental ProtectionBook – Physical
Imagining the Peoples of Europe Populist discourses across the political spectrumBook – Electronic
Inter/nationalismBook – Electronic
Issue Salience in International PoliticsBook – Electronic
Killing AnimalsBook – Physical
Korea’s Online Gaming EmpireBook – Electronic
Lived experiences of ableism in academia: strategies for inclusion in higher educationBook – Electronic
Made in Hong Kong Studies in Popular MusicBook – Electronic
Making the Cut: How Cosmetic Surgery is Transforming Our LivesBook – Electronic
Mapping Exile and Return: Palestinian Dispossession and a Political Theology for a Shared FutureBook – Electronic
Maritime Asia vs. Continental Asia: National Strategies in a Region of ChangeBook – Electronic
Migration and the Search for Home Mapping Domestic Space in Migrants’ Everyday LivesBook – Electronic
Military Strategy as Public Discourse: America’s War in AfghanistanBook – Electronic
Moving the Goalposts : Football’s ExploitationBook – Physical
Museveni’s Uganda: Paradoxes of Power in a Hybrid RegimeBook – Electronic
Nature in Literary and Cultural Studies: Transatlantic Conversations on EcocriticismBook – Electronic
Near Abroad: Putin, the West and the Contest over Ukraine and the CaucasusBook – Electronic
New Directions in the Study of China’s Foreign PolicyBook – Physical
Nitrates in GroundwaterBook – Electronic
Nitrates in GroundwaterBook – Electronic
Ordinary ConsumptionBook – Electronic
Outdoor Learning, Past and PresentBook – Electronic
Politics and the Media in BritainBook – Electronic
Politics: Critical Essays in Human GeographyBook – Electronic
Racism and English Football: For Club and CountryBook – Electronic
Rain without thunderBook – Electronic
Realism and social scienceBook – Electronic
Remote Sensing of the CryosphereBook – Electronic
Researching Amongst Elites: Challenges and Opportunities in Studying UpBook – Electronic
Responsibility Beyond Growth A Case for Responsible StagnationBook – Electronic
Routledge Handbook of NGOs and International RelationsBook – Electronic
Seeing White: An Introduction to White Privilege and RaceBook – Electronic
Seeking Palestine: New Palestinian Writing on Exile and HomeBook – Electronic
Snow and Ice-Related Hazards, Risks, and Disasters / 2ndBook – Electronic
Sociology beyond societies : mobilities for the twenty-first centuryBook – Electronic
Stakes and Kidneys: Why Markets in Human Body Parts are Morally ImperativeBook – Electronic
Structure and Agency in the Neoliberal UniversityBook – Electronic
The Animal Rights Debate: Abolition or Regulation?Book – Electronic
The Bowhead Whale Balaena mysticetu: Biology and Human InteractionsBook – Electronic
The Corona Crash: How the Pandemic will Change CapitalismBook – Electronic
The End of Stigma: Changes in the Social Experience of Long-Term IllnessBook – Electronic
The first Department : a history of the Department of AgricultureBook – Physical
The Handbook of Diverse EconomiesBook – Electronic
The Hundred Years’ War on PalestineBook – Electronic
The Middle Voice of Ecological Conscience A Chiasmic Reading of Responsibility in the Neighborhood of Levinas, Heidegger and OthersBook – Physical
The New Silk Road: China Meets Europe in the Baltic Sea Region: A Business PerspectiveBook – Electronic
The Palgrave Handbook of Society, Culture and Outer SpaceBook – Physical
The Power of Ideas: The Rising Influence of Thinkers and Think Tanks in ChinaBook – Electronic
The Provocation of Levinas: Rethinking the OtherBook – Electronic
The Rise of Think Tanks in ChinaBook – Electronic
The rural housing question: Community and planning in Britain’s countrysidesBook – Electronic
The SAGE Handbook of Transport StudiesBook – Electronic
The SAGE Handbook of Visual Research Methods /2ndBook – Physical
The Trump, Bush, and Obama Doctrines: A Comparative AnalysisBook – Electronic
The World Food Programme in Global PoliticsBook – Electronic
Theorizing Native StudiesBook – Electronic
Theorizing Native StudiesBook – Electronic
Thucydides on Choice and Decision Making Why War Is Not InevitableBook – Electronic
Transforming Industrial Policy for the Digital Age: Production, Territories and Structural ChangeBook – Electronic
Why the garden club couldn’t save Youngstown: the transformation of the Rust BeltBook – Electronic
Women Political Leaders and the MediaBook – Electronic
Women, Gender, and PoliticsBook – Electronic
Young Dark Emu: A Truer HistoryBook – Electronic

Resource in Focus: The Listener Archive

The Library has access to The Listener Historical Archive for its entire run from 1929-1991.

The Listener was a weekly magazine established by the BBC in 1929 under its director-general, Lord Reith. It was initially developed as the medium for reproducing broadcast talks on the radio, but in later years, television as well, and was the intellectual counterpart to the BBC listings magazine, Radio Times. It is one of the few records and means of accessing the content of many early broadcasts, and also regularly reviewed new books.

The Listener developed a reputation for outstanding writing, with contributions from the major writers, artists, commentators and thinkers of the twentieth century, including E.M. Forster, George Orwell and Virginia Woolf. It’s an invaluable resource for those researching the critical reception of culture in the twentieth century, and the response of the public.

You can browse The Listener by date to find a specific issue, or search in various ways (choose Advanced Search to see all options, including searching by section of the magazine, author or date.)

Additional search features on the home page include Term Frequency, to trace how often a word, phrase or person has featured in The Listener over the years, and Topic Finder, to explore and visualise connections between topics.

As the Listener archive is published by the company Gale, you can cross-search it with any of the other Gale archives to which we have access, via Gale Primary Sources.

Resource in Focus: Punch Historical Archive, 1841-1992

The Library has access to the entire digitised archive of Punch from 1841-1992.

Punch was a famous satirical magazine which played a central role in the formation of British identity, and how the rest of the world saw Britain. This archive covers all volumes of Punch between 1841-1992, including special numbers, prefaces, epilogues, indexes, images and other specially produced material from the bound volumes. It’s an excellent resource for researching nineteenth and twentieth century political and social history, through provocative and entertaining satirical commentary.

To find out more about Punch, click Research Tools to read a selection of essays about different periods of its history.

Menu screenshot

You can browse Punch by date to find a specific issue, or search in various ways (choose Advanced Search to see all options, including searching by section of the magazine, illustration type or date.)

Additional search features on the home page include Term Frequency, to trace how often a word, phrase or person has featured in Punch over the years, and Topic Finder, to explore and visualise connections between topics.

As the Punch archive is published by the company Gale, you can cross-search it with any of the other Gale archives to which we have access, via Gale Primary Sources.

Resource in Focus: Picture Post Historical Archive 1938-1957

We have access to the complete digitised archive of Picture Post from 1938-1957. Picture Post was a British magazine (seen as the British equivalent of Life magazine) which was renowned for its use of photojournalism, in an era before television. It covered social and political issues, as well as providing a visual record of everyday life in Britain during and after World War Two.

You can browse the full colour archive by date to find a specific issue, or search in various ways (choose Advanced Search to see all options, including searching by section of the magazine, illustration type, or by date.)

Additional search features on the home page include Term Frequency, to trace how often a word, phrase or person featured in Picture Post over the years, and Topic Finder, to explore and visualise connections between topics.

As the Picture Post archive is published by the company Gale, you can cross-search it with any of the other Gale archives to which we have access, via Gale Primary Sources.

Be Connected: EndNote

What is EndNote?

The official blurb on EndNote is that it is “…the industry standard software tool for publishing and managing bibliographies, citations and references.”

EndNote takes a little getting used to and we recommend you familiarise yourself with it at the start of your research process. EndNote isn’t for everyone, but EndNote can save you a lot of time in terms organising and managing your references for assignments, dissertations or big research projects.

You can use EndNote to create and organise a personal library of resources relevant to your research. You can import references from Library Search, and a huge range of databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore and Business Source Complete. Did you know you can instruct Google Scholar to import references into EndNote too? Give it a go.

You can also ask EndNote to locate full-text PDFs for references and annotate the documents within EndNote. Finally, if you already have PDFs stored in your home folder (H:\) then you can attach them to a manually-created reference within EndNote, bringing all your research together in one place.

In addition to organising your references (and this is the clever bit) you can then get EndNote to ‘talk’ to Microsoft Word, and insert the citations into your work for you in your chosen referencing style, e.g. Harvard at Newcastle, Vancouver, APA or MLA. If you don’t want to do that, then EndNote will also allow you to create an independent bibliography of your references, saving you an awful lot of typing.

EndNote help

  • Enrol onto our Teach Yourself EndNote module on Canvas to become proficient in using EndNote.
  • Take a look at our EndNote Guide which contains all the introductory information you need, step-by-step workbooks to train yourself on the use of EndNote (the Desktop and Online versions), videos, and useful FAQs.
  • Finally, Newcastle University provides support for EndNote but it is not compulsory to use. Take some time to explore alternative referencing management tools such as MendeleyZoteroRefWorks which might suit you better.
  • If you can’t find the answer, email Library Help and someone will get back to you, or you can fill in the form on the FAQ box.

Help and training from Clarivate

For further training, you might want to have a look at Clarivate’s training calendar.  They also have really useful Question and Answer sessions where you can ask them anything regarding EndNote. You can register for any of the training via their training calendar.

They also have an excellent suite of training resources which includes video tutorials, self-guided learning, PDF reference guides, live training and online guides for:

Be Connected: Referencing

Following on from our Be Connected: Referencing session, this blog post covers the main points that we covered in our session. You will find links to key resources that we highlighted so you have them in one handy place.

You can also find a copy of our slides and a link to other useful referencing/managing information blog posts at end of this post.

Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash

The Managing Information Guide and the slides from the session give you the context of why it is import to reference and why you should be managing your information. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the amount of information out there (and that’s before you start your dissertation/project!), so getting into good habits it essential not only academically, but also for your wellbeing.

Why is referencing important?

  • It acknowledges the ideas and contributions of others that you have drawn upon in your work, ensuring that you avoid plagiarism
  • It highlights the range of reading you’ve done for your assignment and makes your own contribution clear, showing how you’ve taken ideas from others and built upon them
  • It enables the person reading your work to follow up on your references so they can learn more about the ideas you’ve discussed in your work or check any facts and figures.

How does referencing work?

Academic Skill Kit video on Managing Information; how to reference

Are there any tools that can help?

There are lots of referencing tools that can help you manage and format your citations and references correctly.  Given where you might be within your dissertation or project it might not be best use of your time to start learning a new tool now. But if you are working with lots of references or still writing up most of your dissertation then a digital tool might save you some time in the long run.

Here are some examples of tools that can help:

A very useful online tool that lists all the information you need to include in a reference and provides examples of how a reference will look as an in-text citation and in a reference list. 

  • Citation Buttons
Citation button consisting of a speech mark "

Keep an eye out for this symbol on Library Search and Google Scholar.  Clicking the button will provide the option for you to copy a reference in a particular style and paste it directly into your reference list.  You might need to tidy it up a little bit but it will save you time over writing them manually.

Reference building tools help you to create a bibliography using the correct referencing style.  You can input information manually or use import functions to pull information through from other webpages or documents.  As with the citation button above, reference building tools can save you time but you may still need to check the references are accurate.

  • Reference Management Software: e.g. EndNote

If you are writing a detailed essay, dissertation or thesis, you may like to use a reference management tool such as EndNote, Mendeley or Zotero to help keep all of your references organised.  This software allows you to manually add references or import them from Library Search, Google Scholar or Subject Databases; sort references into groups; attach pdf documents or add notes.  You can then use the reference management software while you write to add in-text citations and format your reference list.

The University has a subscription for EndNote which is available in all University clusters and can be downloaded to your own personal device. You’ll find information about how to get started with EndNote on our EndNote Guide.

Remember: whatever tool you use, it’s always a good idea to get to know the conventions of the referencing style your school or lecturer would like you to use.

Need more help?

If you feel you need to work on your referencing a bit more, and still a bit unsure about it all, we recommend that you complete Cite them Right’s Referencing and Plagiarism tutorial – this is available within Cite them Right. You’ll need to log in then select the tutorial button on the top right of the homepage.

Download our Referencing top tips from the Academic Skills Kit.

Take our online referencing quiz to check your own understanding.

Slides

Here’s a copy of our slides from our referencing drop-in session:

Be Connected: Using Newspapers and Audio-visual material in your research

As part of the University’s Be Connected week, we ran a webinar focusing on newspapers and audio-visual resources, highlighting the benefits of using these fantastic resources and how to get the most out of our databases. 

If you missed out on the webinar – fear not! We’ve put together a handy summary of key resources and take-aways for you to explore. Presentation slides from the webinar can also be found at the end of the blog. 

Three newspapers piled on a desk next to a mug of tea.

Why are newspapers and audio-visual resources useful? 

Well, these resources can be an invaluable source of information as they offer different perspectives on events or topics, by offering commentary and opinions and art (via adverts or cartoons) that reflect the social, political and cultural attitudes of a particular place and time. 

They’re a fascinating alternative to the more authoritative voice of journal articles and books – and while they obviously come with a range of bias and inevitable fake news, this presents unique opportunities for analysis and discussion. 

Can’t I just use Google to find out about the news? 

The main benefits of using Library resources over Google is access – while some newspapers, such as the Guardian, allow you to read their articles for free, most do not or if they do, you’ll find the page covered in annoying adverts and pop-ups.  With our resources it’s simple to access, download and save articles or images from a wide range of newspaper sources. 

Our databases also have tailored advanced search and filter options that help you to narrow down your search and find exactly what you need.  Google does have some basic date filters and you can use the advanced search to limit to a particular source and document type but it’s not as simple or intuitive. 

However, accessing newspaper websites via Google does offer the option of browsing through the day’s news articles, and provides the associated pictures and photographs, which are lacking in some of our databases. 

Where can I find the Library’s newspaper archives? 

The Library provides access to a wide range of UK and international newspapers from the 17th century to the present day, mainly in online format. You can access and find information about all these resources on our Newspapers Guide

As a starting point, we’d recommend trying Lexis for current news and Gale Primary Sources for historic news archives.  Both of these resources allow you to search a wide range of sources at once and both have great search tools! 

You can watch the video guides below to learn how to use these databases: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikfQPYSrMWo

Are there any other useful resources related to news and the media? 

For TV and radio news programmes, you might like to take a look at Box of Broadcasts, which provides access to broadcasts from over 65 channels dating from 2007. 

If you’re more interested in media commentary and analysis, the Film and Television Index provides coverage on film and television theory, writing, production, cinematography, technical aspects, and reviews, while Statista offers insights and data on the newspaper and television industries. 

For more ideas, explore our Film Subject Guide, and Images Resource Guide

Delving Deeper

To find out more about this subject of news resources and getting the best out of them, check out the slides from this Be connected: using newspapers and audio-visual resources webinar.

Be Connected: skills for postgraduate students

Join us for a summer of connecting and learning with our two-week programme of online supportive sessions for Be Connected (w/c 14th June 2021), and end your academic year (or start your summer!) on a positive note.


Throughout Be Connected weeks the Library, Academic Skills team, and Writing Development Centre are hosting a series of online live events that will help you enhance those all-important academic skills. We will also be highlighting our very best resources, so you’ll have a host of useful tools and advice at your fingertips.  

A good place to start 

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Now is a great time to take a step back and assess your academic skills, review your deadlines, and organise your research. Join the Academic Skills Development team for an essential workshop on Time Management or sign up to a session to work on academic skills for your dissertation. The Library’s live session on ‘Getting the most from your search strategy’ will give you the tools to improve your search skills, particularly if you are undertaking a Systematic Review: 

Time management: priorities and breaks

Academic skills for dissertations

Getting the most from your search strategy – Hints and tips

Library Subject Support Blog: Top tips 

Academic Skills and Writing Development blog: Time Management 

Getting results 

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As you embark on your dissertation or research project there are many ways the Library, Academic Skills Development team and Writing Development Centre can advise and support you with your reading, notetaking, searching, and critical thinking. Our live Dissertation and Literature Review sessions are designed to help you at each stage of your research, whether you’re looking to plan your next steps, or add in finishing touches before submission. Also check out a fantastic session from our Special Collections and Archives team, which highlights how you can use our incredible collections for your research.

Critical writing: indicating stance

Managing a Dissertation, Thesis or Research Project

Dissertations: Building from firm foundations

Dissertations: The Finishing Touches

The Literature Review: in Discussion with the WDC

Introduction to Special Collections and Archives

Library Subject Support blog: Subject Guides 

Academic Skills and Writing Development blog: Dissertations 

Searching, Reading and Notetaking 

Fine-tune your skills 

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You might feel confident with your academic skills, but maybe some of those abilities could use a little bit of fine-tuning? Take time during Be Connected to hone your skills with the help of our live sessions.  Referencing and referencing management can easily fall off your list of priorities, so to help you keep on top of all those citations and bibliographies the Library will be looking at common referencing problems and where to find help. Or you might like to investigate some of our subject specialist resources, such as newspapers, audio-visual, company information or market research:

Finding newspapers and audio-visual sources for your research

Business resources: finding and using company information for your research

Business resources: finding and using market research for your research

Referencing drop-in

EndNote drop-in

Library Subject Support blog: Referencing 

Shape the future

During these two weeks the Academic Skills Development team want to hear from you at two focus groups to gather feedback on the redevelopment of the Academic Skills Kit website and to inform the creation of future resources:

Wednesday, June 16th, 2pm: Academic Skills Development Team focus group

Wednesday, June 23rd, 3pm: Academic Skills Development Team focus group

We look forward to seeing you soon!