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Biological & Environmental Sciences: Science & Academic Skills

This page contains a small selection of skills and other books/ebooks to help with your study and research. The books listed on the left of the screen are recommended by your Faculty.

Search in the Library Catalogue to find many more. Ask us if you would like help with your search.

Biology/Biosciences

Maths

Psychology

Study Skills & Writing Websites

There are a wealth of organisations providing help with writing - here are a few to get you started.

 

Resource freely available on web  

Guide to everything you wanted to know about writing undergraduate essays. Created by the Royal Literary Fund.

   

Writing skills support for dissertation writers and thesis writers. It’s not a conventional how-to guide, but rather provides a variety of voices. Created by the Royal Literary Fund.

 

Secrets of Good Science Writing from the Guardian provides a wealth of hints and tips on all kinds of science writing.

 

Science Writing Tips fom the Welcome Trust - a blog of the anecdotes and advice from professional science writers as part of the Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize

Resource freely available on web  

Useful website: Writing in Science, from Monash University

   

 

Literature search planning template

An initiave from the Open University and the Wolfston Foundation, the Open Science Laboratory features investigations based on on-screen instruments, remote access experiments and virtual scenarios using real data. It includes virtual field trips, tutorials on interpreting maps etc.Several activities are available to all, while others are available only to registered users.

Supporting research at all levels Sage Research Methods brings you books, chapters, reference works, journal articles, and instructional videos.  See Case Studies of real research projects and practice on Datasets (these can also be used for teaching).

The Methods Map can help those less familiar with research methods to find the best techniques.

More tips, videos and guidance available a the Sage Research Methods help pages.

Search across dictionaries, encyclopaedias and other science reference works.

Enter your search in the top right hand search box. In results: choose 'Quick Reference' filter for Dictionary definitions or 'Reference Library' filter for in-depth Encyclopaedias and Companions.

Writing Skills and Planning Essays & Dissertations

This is a very small selection of books - check in the Library catalogue for many more. Let us know if you need more help with your search.