On this page you will find training materials and sources of support for your studies. In addition to using these resources you may wish to contact your Academic Liaison Librarian for one-to-one help. They are here to help you find and use information. They can...
Got a question about the Library, finding information, referencing, literature searching or using EndNote/Mendeley?
Then come along to the Library drop-in.
When? Tuesdays 13:00-14:00 in term-time
Where? Harry Nursten Building Room 2-64 (the PC Lab at the back of the 2nd Floor)
Also online via Blackboard Collaborate - just follow the link below:
Conducting your pharmacy practice research project by 
Doing your research project: a guide for first time researchers by Watch this short video for an introduction to the Library and our services and support for Pharmacy.
There are two versions of EndNote - Desktop and Online. Use the guide and videos below to teach yourself how to use Desktop EndNote to manage your references and insert them in Word documents. EndNote Online will act as a backup for your library of references if you set up the sync option.
The University has a site licence for EndNote which covers installation on personal computers. Go to the DTS Self-Service Portal to get the software. Note that you will need to have the full version of Office installed before installing EndNote so that the EndNote toolbar can be added to Word (it will not work with the online version of Word). You can install Office by logging in to office.com with your University credentials and clicking on 'Install Office' in the top right of the screen.
This guide covers:
Watch this series of four videos to find out how to use Desktop EndNote. You will need to login with your University username and password to view these videos.
We have a range of videos designed to introduce you to the Library and show you how to use our resources.
Study advice
The Study Advice Team offer study guides, workshops, individual advice sessions, and much more to make your studying more effective and successful. See the Study Advice webpages for more information, or pop in to make an appointment at the Study Advice and Maths Support Desk on the Ground Floor of the Library.
Maths Support
The Maths Support service provides guidance on maths, statistics, psychometric tests and much more. Find all their resources on the website:
Digital Technology Services
DTS provide advice with using computer software and hardware. For individual support pop in and ask at the IT Service Desk on the 1st Floor of the Library. For more information see their website.
If you need guidance on using Microsoft Office products such as Word, Excel, Access or PowerPoint try these online tutorials:
International Study and Language Institute (ISLI) - Academic English Programme
If you are an international student, the Academic English Programme offers courses and 1-1 support. ISLI can also provide a list of private proof readers on request - email aep@reading.ac.uk.
This series of three videos (available via the tabs in this box) cover:
You will need to login using your University email address and password to view the videos.
We also have the following generic guides to literature searching and searching databases:
Literature search plan template and example
Use the following documents to help you plan your literature search to make it as comprehensive as possible.
This video covers finding journal articles using Summon, PubMed and Web of Science.
This video covers using the following specialist resources: MedicinesComplete (BNF/BNFC/Stockleys drug interactions), British Pharmacopoeia and The Cochrane Library (systematic reviews).
An introduction to planning your systematic review.
You will need to login using your University email address and password to view the videos.
See also our detailed guide to doing a systematic review:
This video covers the first four steps in doing a systematic review, including creating a protocol and searching for literature.
This video covers the fifth and sixth steps in doing a systematic review. It focuses on using Desktop EndNote to manage references and screening the literature.
The final in a series of four videos on systematic reviews which covers writing it up.
Most health-related systematic reviews will involve a search on PubMed. But do you know how to create the most effective search strategy to take advantage of the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)? This video created by John Hopkins University explains all the steps involved in ensuring your search is as comprehensive as possible.