The library offers free of charge teaching that we, together with you as a teacher, customise to your students based on subject and needs. We offer teaching in areas such as information searching, source criticism, reference management, study techniques, academic writing and archive information.
Information searching, source criticism and reference management
Are your students using scholarly articles or performing tasks that require information retrieval, reference management or source criticism? We offer customised teaching at different levels for your subject and your students. Examples of teaching content:
Search, find and write references (basic level)
Content
Searching in selected databases within the subject area.
Formulating keywords based on the student’s research question.
Finding scholarly material.
Critical evaluation of material.
Referring to the sources used.
Target group
Students in their first semester.
Duration
2 hours. You can also add a complementary 1 hour workshop.
Search, find and write references (bachelor's level)
Content
Clustering of keywords.
Formulating search strings based on the chosen topic.
Searching in databases using different techniques to narrow or expand the search result.
Finding scholarly articles and knowing how they are published and disseminated.
Critical evaluation of materials.
References in the text and writing a reference list.
Target group
Students who will write a bachelor's thesis.
Duration
2 hours. You can also add a complementary 1 hour workshop.
Search, find and write references (master’s level)
Content
Chain searching.
Systematic searching.
Formulating a search string based on the chosen topic.
Critical evaluation of materials.
Use of reference management software.
Target group
Students who will write a master's level thesis or doctoral students.
Duration
2 hours. You can also add a complementary 1 hour workshop.
Images and copyright
Content
The basics of copyright and images.
Using other people's images in your own work.
Copyright of your own and others' images.
How to refer to visual material.
Creative Commons and images.
Target group
Students who will use images in thesis or reports.
Duration
2 hours.
Keeping track of your references: Getting started with Zotero
Content
The basics of the reference management software Zotero.
Gathering references in your Zotero library.
Retrieving materials and references from databases and the web.
Adding materials and references manually.
Organising your Zotero library.
Shared folders.
Target group
Students who will write a bachelor's or master's thesis.
Duration
1 hour.
Archives and special collections - an introduction
Content
Differences between libraries and archives.
Archive-specific search methods.
Overview of different search paths to archives, including Arken, National Archive Database (NAD), Digitala forskarsalen and Svensk mediedatabas.
A general overview of the library's manuscript collection with a presentation of specific examples.
Overview of the databases available through the library, including a presentation of examples and searches.
Target group
Students writing a thesis.
Duration
90 minutes.
Academic writing, study techniques and oral presentations
The library's writing tutors can be booked for lectures, workshops and seminars. To best support the students' progress, our contribution should be well integrated into the course and planned together with you as the teacher. Contact us to make an arrangement that suits the subject that you are teaching.
Examples of areas where we can contribute knowledge:
Reading and understanding the form and language of an academic text.
Understanding and critically analysing academic texts in terms of content, form and argumentation.
Effectively reading academic texts to find information and critically assessing and analysing it.
Knowledge and skills in both writing academic texts and insight into the process that an academic text goes through.
Rhetorical skills in how to present arguments and ideas effectively and clearly both in oral presentations and in text.
Introduction to library facilities and resources
For new students, we offer introductions to our resources and premises.
Introduction to Umeå University Library
Customised introduction to either the University Library, the Medical Library or the Arts Campus Library.
Content
Presentation of the library's services and facilities.
Searching for and borrowing textbooks.
Requesting books that are out on loan.
The library's website.
Tour of the library's premises.
Target group
New students.
Duration
45 minutes.
Book the library in your teaching
If you would like to book teaching from the library or have questions about content and structure, you are welcome to contact us. Use the form below and we will contact you shortly.
