Welcome to the Postgraduate Library Guide for the Built Environment at the University of the Witwatersrand! This guide is designed to provide you with all the essential resources and tools to support your academic journey, research, and thesis/dissertation writing. Whether you're in Architecture, Planning, or Construction Economics, the library is here to empower you with the information and skills you need to excel. 🏗️📚
As postgraduate students, you’ll encounter various stages of research—from advanced searching to publishing your findings and ensuring academic integrity. This guide will walk you through key topics, tools, and services to help you at each stage of your research process. Let’s dive in and build a strong foundation for your scholarly success! 💡💼
Each section of the guide will be structured as a series of steps, supported by relevant resources, tools, and examples. Here's the proposed content order:
1. Introduction to Library Services 🔍✨
2. Advanced Search Strategies 🔍💻
3. Finding Scholarly Articles 🔍
4. Evidence Synthesis 📚🔗
5. Plagiarism & Copyright Awareness 📜🚫
6. Reference Management Tools (Zotero) 📑💡
7. Research Data Management (RDM) 🗂️🔒
8. WIReDSpace (Institutional Repository) 🏛️📁
9. Publishing 🌍📈
10. Researcher Visibility 📣📊
Information literacy skills can help to:
⏳ Save time: Knowing what you're looking for will help you save time when completing your research project.
🔍 Find better sources: You'll be able to differentiate between scholarly information and just Google.
📚 Receive better marks: Using a variety of high-quality sources will show your lecturer that you understand the topic you're researching.
Graduate School of Engineering and the Built Environment: Style Guide for Theses and Dissertations.
