How to write an essay

1. DISCOVER YOUR LIBRARY
INFORM YOUR SELF!
Anna Charalambous
Subject librarian for the Faculty of Engineering & Technology

2. Agenda
2
 Information skills resource
 Searching & Accessing Library’s Collection
 Pantognostis
 Google Scholar
 Standards
 Key Databases
 Library services

3. Information Skills Resource
3
 Starting
 Searching
 Writing
 Plagiarism
 Referencing

4. Information Skill Resources
4 Starting: Making an effective start is a crucial stage in a successful literature search

5. Information Skill Resources
5 Searching: Finding sources for your research
Pantognostis: learn how to use Library Catalogue, search to find Print & Electronic material

6. 6
Databases: what is a database, how to create a successful search strategy
Searching: Finding sources for your research
Information Skill Resources

7. 7
Internet searching: choose the most appropriate search tool – effective internet search
Searching: Finding sources for your research
Information Skill Resources

8. Information Skill Resources
8
Effective searching:
 Define topic
 Use a keyword or phrase
(combine two or more words)
 Boolean Operators
 AND
 OR
 NOT
(combine or exclude keywords &
reduce or expand the amount of
results)
Searching: Finding sources for your research

9. Information Skill Resources
9 Searching: Finding sources for your research
Evaluate information sources:
Authority:
 Authorship (author or Organization)
 Scholarly/Academic
Accuracy
 Currency (date)
 Objectivity (free of advertising)
Evaluate information sources:
Scope:
 Coverage
 Purpose & Audience (appropriate
level)
Primary Sources:
A primary source is a work that was
written or created at a time that is
contemporary or nearly contemporary
with the period or subject being studied.

10. 10
 Collect relevant material
 Purposeful reading (questions)
 Use varied sources of information
 Referencing
Avoid Plagiarism
Information Skill Resources
Writing: write in an effective academic manner

11. 11
IEEE defines plagiarism as “the use of someone else’s prior ideas,
processes, results, or words without explicitly acknowledging the
original author and source”
Avoid Plagiarism
Information Skill Resources
Plagiarism: cheating or passing off someone else's idea as your own

12. Information Skill Resources
Avoid plagiarism – Good
practices:
 Understand plagiarism
 Take notes and summarizing
 Citations & References
 Collaboration not Collusion
 Detection & Penalties
12 Plagiarism: cheating or passing off someone else's idea as your own

13. 13
Ephorus and TurnITin are joining forces
Avoid Plagiarism
Information Skill Resources
Plagiarism: cheating or passing off someone else's idea as your own
http://www1.ephorus.com/

14. Information Skill Resources
14 Referencing: essential component of academic writing
Referencing:
 Avoid plagiarism
 protect the rights and give credit to
the author of the original work.
(copyright)
 locate and check the original
sources
 provide evidence to support the
claims in your own assignments
https://development.standards.ieee.org/myproject/Public/mytools/draft/styleman.pdf

15. Searching & Accessing Library’s Collection
15 Pantognostis: search to find Print, Electronic & Multimedia material
http://library.cut.ac.cy/

16. 16
Results Limitation
Pantognostis: search to find Print, Electronic & Multimedia material
Searching & Accessing Library’s Collection

17. 17
Searching & Accessing Library’s Collection
Pantognostis: Printed Books limitation

18. 18
See also
Searching & Accessing Library’s Collection
Pantognostis: Printed Books limitation
Export bibliographic data

19. 19 Pantognostis: Articles search
Searching & Accessing Library’s Collection
Peer Reviewed articles are written by academics and/or
professionals, are reviewed by several other experts in the
field before the article is published in the journal.
(ensures quality & validity of the paper)

20. 20 Pantognostis: Articles search
Searching & Accessing Library’s Collection
Download PDF format when
it is given

21. 21
Google Scholar
http://scholar.google.com/

22. Google Scholar - Setting
22

23. Google Scholar
23 Search results
Create
your
personal
Library

24. Google Scholar
24 Google Metrics: top rated publications

25. Key Databases
25
 IEEE Xplore
 Science Direct
 Scopus
 Web of Science
 Taylor & Francis online
 Springer Link
 Academic Search Complete (EBSCO)

26. Standards - Full text access through Cyprus
Organization for Standardization (CYS) web
service26
Content:
 National Standards (CYS)
 European Standards (CYS EN)
 International Standards (CYS EN ISO)
Access:
 Library Web page - Databases (http://library.cut.ac.cy/)
OR
http://sms.cys.org.cy/academic/
Personal Accounts is required

27. 27
 Interlibrary Loan
 Book or journal article which are not included in Library’s
Catalogue
Interlibrary Loan form
 Collaboration with other Libraries
 Borrow material or use other libraries services with no
cost
Library Services

28. Virtual private network
28
 Library 24/7
 Virtual Private Network
https://vpn.cut.ac.cy -
Anyconnect

29. Subject librarian
29
 Ask your librarian:
 research strategies
 instruction classes
 advanced research consultation on your subject
 create & organize in text citation and bibliography
 Contact details:
 phone, email
 At my office (appointment required)
 Vasilis Michaelides Library every Friday 10:00-13:00

30. 30
Anna Charalambous
THANK YOU!