This LibGuide is designed to meet you at your point of need and to guide you through the process of planning and managing work at university, finding research material for your assessed work, and supporting you with outputting your ideas through referencing. It also provides guidance on other support provisions from the library.
Study Skills (Develop@Derby) and Video Tutorials: These tabs explore the study skills that you need to succeed at university. They also introduce the contexts of research.
Getting Started: Provides logistically and practical information about using the Library. For example, borrowing books, loan periods, booking study spaces, and opening hours.
Key Databases: This tab introduces the databases that you need to use to find research—books, e-books, journal articles—for your essays, assignments, or theses.
Finding theses and dissertations: many universities have digitised the theses and dissertations that their students have completed—which may help you in your own studies. You can search a database of this work here.
Newspapers: primary sources like newspapers might be useful to you during your degree/research. You can find current and historical newspapers in this section of the LibGuide.
Key journal titles: this section of the guide provides a clear link to a list of journals that the University of Derby provides for you.
School Practice: Some students may wish to borrow books to use in their placements. This collection offers many different books to support your classes' learning.
Not based in Derby?: if you don't live in Derby, this section of the LibGuide provides information about accessing other university libraries in the UK and about having physical content—held in the library—scanned to you. Of course, even if you live in Derby these services are available to you, too.
Referencing: This tab explains why referencing is a fundamental of academic research, and it guides you to appropriate resources to help you reference effectively.
FAQs and Help Me: Finally, these tabs aim to answer common questions you may have about the Library and its services.
The British Education Index (BEI) contains journal articles—and some magazines and books—that focus on the United Kingdom. So if you're doing a piece of work with a UK focus, then this a database that you really should take a look at in addition to Library Search.
The British Education Index includes information about a wide range of topics: including cognitive development, curriculum, English (second language), special educational needs, and teacher education.
How do I access the British Education Index?
You can access it from the Databases list on the Library homepage. Just search under 'B', and you will find it. Alternatively, you can follow the highlighted link here.
