Postgraduate research

Abstract

Expanding reading skills and abilities to use library resources are necessary for the researchers’ progress. Reading helps by stimulating ideas, improving and organizing knowledge, avoiding duplication of accomplished work, and reinforcing or refuting hypotheses. Librarians can assist the learning of library resources. Learning includes understanding of university online catalogs, enhanced abilities for searching the literature through databases such as WorldCat™, Web of Science™ Core Collection, Scopus™, SciVal™, and Google Scholar™, besides discipline-based article databases and discovery services. Researchers also need to know how to access, evaluate, and manage reference articles through bibliographic software, and methods for staying current with the literature. Subject librarians can be helpful in related efforts through workshops and seminars they arrange or conduct, in addition to one-on-one instruction. Additionally, electronic update services, departmental seminars and guest lectures, journal clubs, and research group and professional organizational meetings assist in keeping abreast of scientific fields.