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Library skills support is available on an individual basis to address specific research needs where a tailored approach is necessary. It is not intended to provide general training in library skills or be a substitute for attending a training course or undertaking self-directed training. See also:
Support available may vary across the service and at different times of year depending on demand and staff availability. We welcome requests for individual library skills support from students who have been referred by teaching staff or their supervisors, but when this occurs with more than a few students without consultation with the librarian it can lead to disappointment around expectations and availability.
Prior to making routine referrals for students to request individual support from their librarian, we strongly encourage teaching staff to consult with the librarian.
It is important to consult with your librarian prior to making routine referrals so as to:
PhD / research supervisors should refer students to our guidance for students and researchers for expectations around individual support:
A student should be recommended to seek individual support from a librarian only when they have already attended training and have developed their search but have further queries or problems with their strategy. See:
With student cohorts, we may offer scheduled slots for individual consultations for which students can sign up individually or in small groups. Where students have been partnered to provide peer review for each other’s search strategies, it can work well to see these students in their pairs.
We request that PhD supervisors recommending students to request individual support from a librarian also refer their students to our guidance to students and researchers for expectations around individual support.
The support we offer in relation to systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and other similar studies is for the literature searching process only. We may refer students back to teaching staff or their supervisor for support with other aspects of the methodology of a review. See also our guidance on stages of a Systematic Review for further information and links to additional resources.
Where a cohort of students have an assignment to produce a systematic review, scoping review or similar in a defined timeframe, we recommend arranging group training sessions embedded in their timetable where we can teach the skills they need to develop their search strategies and translate them to other databases.
It works well to follow these up with optional timetabled Q&A sessions when students have developed their strategies and have specific queries. These can enhance learning through peer involvement, help students manage their time by ensuring they develop their strategies ahead of timetabled Q&A sessions and reduce the need for individual consultations, which may not be possible to accommodate within the capacity of the librarian.
We can review a search strategy based on a visual inspection and provide feedback such as suggestions and guidance on structure and use of search syntax, but only where our capacity allows. Where a cohort of students is working to a single defined timeframe, our capacity to provide this service for all students is unlikely to be achievable. We recommend students support each other, e.g. they may be paired with a fellow student, to undertake peer review of each other’s search strategies using standard criteria (See Checking your search strategy).
The peer review could be undertaken in a group session facilitated by a librarian or carried out in their own time with the opportunity to ask questions of a librarian at a timetabled Q&A session, and can enhance and expand their learning.
