Built Environment: Skills and Training
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In addition to your course, the Library offers online resources, courses and workshops to help you develop your information literacy.
Effective Information Searching
For final year built environment students, effective information searching is included in week two of the Individual Research Project module.
For final year architectural technology students, it is included in your Research in Practice module.
For final year civil engineering students, it is included in your Undergraduate Project module.
For postgraduates, it is included in your Master's project module.
Literature reviews
Recent systematic literature reviews in construction (Sanchez-Garrido et al., 2023; Tennakoon et al., 2023; Zhang et al., 2023) in planning (Abduljabbar et al., 2022; Ezennia and Hoskara, 2022; Wang et al., 2022) and in real estate (Abidoye et al., 2022; Saari et al., 2022) follow the processes of Kitchenham and Charters (2007) in software; Xiao and Watson (2017) in planning or the PRISMA statement (Page et al., 2021).
The key steps in building a systematic review consist of:
A. Planning the review
- Identify the need.
- Specify your research question.
- Develop the review protocol.
B. Conducting the review
- Identify research
- Select studies
- Quality assessment
- Data extraction
- Data synthesis
C. Reporting the review
- Specify dissemination mechanisms.
- Format the report.
Tutorials with your specialist librarian
With access to millions of resources, sometimes the library can seem like an intimidating place. Our specialist Librarians are here to help you make sense of it all by providing in-depth guidance and support in your chosen subject area.
James Dean is the Librarian supporting the Computing, Engineering and Built Environment (CEBE) faculty. James offers tutorials either face-to-face or online via MS Teams.
Online courses and resources
Information skills for foundation and first year students
During year one, students are expected to be able to identify, locate and evaluate the different resources and types of sources appropriate to their area of study and construct a search strategy using discipline specific keywords and search techniques in the ethical use of information.
This page contains resources that will help you build the information skills required to meet the information literacy learning outcomes for year 1 or level 4. Check the Library learning programme for year two, three and postgraduate students.
Navigating the Library: Foundations of Academic Research
The Foundations of Academic Research course (Moodle) is designed for new and level four students or people returning to higher education.
The course objectives are to help you:
- Discover library services and support
- Identify, locate and evaluate resources and sources
- Construct a search strategy using keywords related to the built environment
- Use effective search techniques
- Get personalised support.