Sound Engineering, Visual Effects and Film Technology: Skills and Training

This guide brings together key resources to help you find information relating to Visual Effects, Digital Film Production, Music Technology, Sound Engineering and Production courses.

A librarian delivering an in person tutorial to a student

Image Credit: BCU Assets

In addition to your course, the Library offers online resources, courses and workshops to help you develop your information literacy.

Effective Information Searching

For undergraduates, searching skills are demonstrated as part of the first year module, DIG4154 Acoustic Fundamentals. They are also introduced as part of the academic research aspect of the second year module DIG5112 Music and Audio Industries and included in the second semester module DIG5129 Research and Testing Methods.

The literature review process is applied in your final year module CMP6200/DIG6200 for the Individual Honours Project. Each of these Moodle sites contains a presentation on the topic.

Literature reviews

Most recent reviews in sound engineering (Assuncao et al., 2022; Deka et al., 2022) follow the methodology of Kitchenham and Charters (2007) in software 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

James DeanWith 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.

 

Book a tutorial

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.

Information skills

Navigating the Library: Foundations of Academic Research

The Foundations of Academic Research course (Moodle) is designed for new and level four students or those 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
  • Use effective search techniques
  • Get personalised support.

Foundations of Academic Research (Moodle)