The Library Blog

Edinburgh Napier University Library blog. Filled with useful and fun blog articles on using the Library, the University, Edinburgh and many other fun topics.

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Academic Skills and Study Support

Academic Skills and Study Support

16/11/2025 / / 0 Comments

Academic Skills and Study Support.

Academic Skills is a vital part of your academic journey; it’s why at Edinburgh Napier, we have an incredible team dedicated to the cause.

You will find resources through the library to help you build up your academic skills for study support.

Dive in with this post to find out more.

Academic Skills Team

The Academic Skills Team is here to help you get the most out of university and strengthen the skills you learn in lectures and practicals. They are on a mission to provide advice and guidance for your studies so you can excel.

They are also available at any level of your study, whether it be starting your undergraduate or returning as a postgraduate or in your fourth year during exams. And they are also available to staff.

The support you can receive from the Academic Skills covers practical skills and theory for studying. Help with essentials such as note-taking, time management and organising your workload. And then more advanced advice with critical thinking, reading strategies and academic writing.

The team is there to develop key academic and study skills to help you along your degree, but also for long-term learning.

One-to-one appointments with advisors, and there are drop-in sessions as well. We also recommend you have a glance at their blog. This can keep you up to date, guides like explaining academic lingo and other guides such as essay structuring.

Academic Skills and the Library:

You can find a wide range of books regarding Academic Skills through Library Search, these will be available both online and in physical books.

As well as the academic skills team, you can contact your subject librarian, someone who specialises in your subject area. They can help you navigate databases, references and finding resources. Additionally, they have crafted lib guides that are tailored to your courses, as well as helping build research skills. Appointments with subject librarians are available through the library training and events calendar, or you can email them as well. Our training and events calendar also offers sessions dedicated to referencing management and how to use the journal collection.

Resources for Study Skills

We have a study and research tab on our library web pages. We have a section on study skills which covers how to evaluate information, essay writing tips and tricks and even grammar guides. You will also find a wide selection of study skill books available on Library Search. There are even more specialised sections for Postgraduate and International Students.

 

Maths Plus

Starting Monday, Maths Plus is back at Merchiston Library. Running between Monday and Thursday, 2pm to 4pm. This is arranged by the School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment. You can contact them for more information, scebe@napier.ac.uk.

Maths Plus is for anyone who needs mathematical help, from numbers to data analysis. Ideal study help for computing, built environment or engineering, but anyone is welcome. And these sessions make sure you can get 1.1 help.

Additionally, there is Engineering Plus, but you can contact the school office for more information.

Do you ever wonder about Napier graduates and if they have advice to pass down? Wonder no more, we have our “What do you wish you had known earlier”  guide.
Best online resources for finding news: Times Digital Archive & NexisUni

Best online resources for finding news: Times Digital Archive & NexisUni

15/11/2025 / / 0 Comments

Best online resources for finding news: Times Digital Archive & NexisUni

You probably know how to search for journal articles and ebooks, but have you explored the library’s news eresources? Whether you’re researching historical events or tracking current affairs, you will find plenty of material in Times Digital Archive and NexisUni. Let’s take a closer look at these two resources.

Times Digital Archive

If you’re curious about how events were reported in the past, Times Digital Archive is a treasure trove. It provides full-text access to The Times from 1785 to 2024, making it ideal for anyone studying, literature, politics, or media. You can browse original articles, editorials, letters, and even vintage advertisements—each offering a glimpse into the public discourse of its time.

The interface allows you to search by keyword or date, so whether you’re investigating the coverage of the suffragette movement or the cultural impact of the Beatles, you’ll find rich primary sources. Or you will come across little gems like this letter from a reader worried that nursing is not an interesting profession for young people anymore… 100 year ago!

Want to learn how to use it effectively? Join our online workshop on 27th November (11:00-12:00) to discover tips and tricks for navigating the Times Digital Archive.

NexisUni

For those focused on current events, NexisUni is your go-to. It offers access to thousands of newspapers and media outlets from around the world. It’s perfect for students in journalism, business, law, or anyone needing reliable, up-to-date information.

Beyond newspapers, NexisUni includes broadcast transcripts, legal documents, and company profiles, making it a versatile tool for research. Whether you’re comparing global coverage of climate policy or looking into corporate mergers, NexisUni helps you stay informed with credible sources.

Sign up for an online session on 20th November (11:00-12:00) to see all that NexisUni has to offer.

How to access these eresources?

Both platforms are available through the Databases tab in the LibrarySearch. They’re easy to use and offer much more than a typical web search.

Need help getting started? Check out our LibGuides for step-by-step instructions and research tips.

By Patrycja Respondek

Read more about our databases

Nature Reviews Immunology Journal

Nature Reviews Immunology Journal

14/11/2025 / / 0 Comments

Nature Reviews Immunology Journal

The Nature Reviews Immunology journal is a scientific journal which covers all topics associated with immunology in great detail and depth. This includes applied features as well as fundamental mechanisms. Immunology itself is the study of how the body protects itself against infection and fights against disease, as well as what can happen when our immune system and responses work against us. Immunology itself is a very varied and diverse topic where interest and research have grown in recent years of aspects such as cells, molecules and tissues which act as hosts for protective mechanisms. This is one of our ‘Spotlight’ journals currently at Sighthill campus library as most of its content addresses current research and discoveries in immunology, which makes it an ideal journal to consult if you are a Biomedical Sciences student or researcher specialising in this specific area.

 

What makes Nature Reviews Immunology a ‘Spotlight’ Journal…

 

The Nature Reviews Immunology journal covers various subjects and areas of immunology in significant detail and spotlights any current developments and discoveries in the field that have been raised in new articles. You can find a list of the subjects covered in their Aims & Scope Nature Reviews Immunology webpages. Some of these consist of topics such as Autoimmunity, Immunotherapy, Transplantation and Vaccine Development.

 

Because it covers a wide scope of current trends and advances made in the field of immunology, this makes it a great resource for Biomedical students and researchers to consult to stay informed and updated about the latest developments within this area. It also highlights and draws attention to papers, events, work and individuals who have contributed to the development and progression of immunology and immunological discoveries, so most of the articles and papers within this journal will have information and updates within relevant fields, which is current and up to date.

 

Nature Reviews Portfolio and other Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Journals…

 

The Nature Reviews Immunology journal is part of a wider portfolio of Nature Reviews journals, which publishes the most current and up-to-date scientific papers and literature to keep students, academics and clinicians up to date with the most relevant and recent findings and discoveries in various scientific fields. For example, one of their most recent review articles titled Astro immunology: The effects of Spaceflight and its associated Stressors on the Immune System was published just recently on the 16th of October this year!

Other Nature Reviews titles in this journal portfolio include Nature Reviews Clinical, Nature Reviews Cancer, Nature Reviews Disease and Nature Reviews Drug Discovery to give a few examples of relevant titles within this collection. There are also more relevant and related titles which Edinburgh University subscribes to and can provide you with access to, such as the Immunity journal, Seminars in Immunology, Current Research in Immunology and Immunotherapy Advances.

 

All of these titles as well as a list of the most popular and highly accredited journals, can be found in BrowZine, a desktop and mobile application which allows patrons to search for and access scholarly journals and academic papers which their library and academic institution subscribes to.

 

Also check out our Journal Search tab in LibrarySearch to see which other journals and e-resources you can access through Edinburgh Napier University libraries.

 

By Rachel Downie

Photo by Daniel Dan Pixels

Craiglockhart Remembrance

Remembrance Day

11/11/2025 / / 0 Comments

Remembrance Day

 

Remembrance Day takes place on the 11th of November each year. It is also known as Armistice Day.

 

The Armistice was an agreement signed by the Germans and the Allies to mark the end of fighting in World War I. The signing of the Armistice took place on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month and is still recognised today with a two-minute silence held at 11am on that day.

 

Remembrance Sunday occurs on the second Sunday of November. It is a time to reflect on the service and sacrifice made by those in the Armed Forces, and their families, from Britain and the Commonwealth, who have fought to protect our freedom and our way of life. We also remember the important role of emergency services and those who have lost their lives due to conflict or terrorism.

Memorial Services are held throughout the United Kingdom, bringing together people from different faiths, cultures and backgrounds

 

The poppy has been used as a symbol of Remembrance for over 100 years. It is also a symbol of hope for a peaceful future. During the devastation of World War I, the landscape became fields of mud where very little could grow.  Over time, the countryside healed, and beautiful, bright red Flanders poppies grew in their thousands. The sight of poppies growing in former battlefields inspired Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae to write his now famous poem, In Flanders Fields, after he lost a friend in Ypres in 1915.

 

Click the link to read the poem In Flanders Fields

 

We Will Remember Them

By Sharon McMichael

Our War Poets Collection

 

library study skills

Library Support during Exams

09/11/2025 / / 0 Comments

Library Support during exams.

 

It’s the time of year again, and I think we say nearly every time. Exams and assignments creep up quickly. We understand this time can feel like a lot. And the library wants to support you in the best way possible.

If things feel like they are way too much, there is wider support through the Wellbeing and Inclusion team; their webpages are filled with wonderful advice and contact information.

Exam Support Resources

We have a wide range of Exam Support Resources. Starting off with our Training and Events Calendar. Here you can find introductory sessions to advance research support to 1.1 appointments with subject librarians and academic skills advisors to help you along your academic journey.

Sessions are available online and in person, so double-check the information listed just in case. And if these times don’t suit, you can contact your subject librarian directly.  Not sure who your subject librarian is? Information is listed on the myNapier pages.

We also have study skills webpages, with helpful tips and tricks. Full of material that will help you with essays and dissertations, report structure, help with collecting data and grammar.

Here you can also find our libguides, which are divided into two types.:

  • Our subject guides have been specially designed by your subject librarians. These guides are filled with the best and most relevant resources to journals, databases and reference material to whatever subject you are studying.
  • Our Research Guides are created by the library team to help build research and digital information skills, covering things like analysis and data collection.

Together, these guides will give you ways to study more effectively and help you handle any assignment you may be facing.

 

Wellbeing and Exams Support at the Library

Exams can be stressful, and we want to help with that stress. Again, if things feel too much, please contact our wellbeing and inclusion team.

Each campus library has a relaxation space to help you take your mind off things. If you feel like you need a break, please visit them. Filled with comfy sofas, plants, and some games just to provide a bit of distraction.

We also have our wellbeing collection, which is available both in person and online. Through the wellbeing ligbuide, you can access a wide range of books to help combat that exam stress.

And from a previous post, we have some top tips to beat exam stress:

Here are our top tips to help get you through.

Top Tips for Beating Exam Stress

  1. Timetable and prepare a study plan.
  2. Create a study space that is comfortable, quiet, well-lit, organised, and has no distractions nearby.
  3. Put your information into a format that allows you to absorb it best.
  4. Take regular study breaks. Alternating subjects you’re studying will also help.
  5. Remember self-care!
  6. Schedule fun activities to reduce your stress.
  7. Eat nutritious foods and exercise regularly to keep your brain power and energy up!
  8. Make sure you have all the items you need for any exams. Get them ready the day before to avoid rushing on the day.
  9. Remove anything distracting to help you focus. Try putting your phone in a different room when revising.
  10. Write down revision targets for the day, review your progress, and update your revision timetable and targets appropriately.

Most of all:  Remember to rest – get a good night’s sleep – and also relax! Check out our Virtual Relaxation Space,

 

Craiglockhart Remembrance

Poetry under fire: what poems did during the First World War

06/11/2025 / / 0 Comments

Poetry under fire: what poems did during the First World War

5.30pm, Tuesday 11 November 2025
Craiglockhart Campus, Edinburgh Napier University (hybrid)
What did the First World War do to poetry? What did poetry do during the First World War? In this lecture, Dr Julia Ribeiro Thomaz will explore a brand new corpus of war poets to interrogate not what is a good or bad war poem nor what war poems say about the war, but rather the social and cultural functions accomplished by poetry in 1914-1918: inventing itself, creating social links, anchoring the war in relation to a poetic past and multiple imagined futures, mediating the experience of war, and producing knowledge about the conflict. She will explore how the expansion of our definition of war poetry allows us to ask new questions about the First World War, as well as future possibilities to continue broadening our understanding of what war poetry was and, above all, what it did and continues doing for those writing and reading it.
Dr Julia Ribeiro Thomaz is a postdoctoral researcher at Université de Lille. She completed her doctorate on French poetry of the First World War, at Université Paris Nanterre.  Julia has already published widely in academic journals, and is a Fellow of the International Society for First World War Studies.
This lecture continues the annual series of Remembrance lectures at Edinburgh Napier University, marking the historical significance of Craiglockhart as a War Hospital during the First World War, famously the meeting place of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon.  We also remember our late colleague Catherine Walker, who was for many years curator of the War Poets Collection.  Funding comes from the Centre for Arts, Media and Culture and the Centre for Military Research, Education & Public Engagement.
This year the event is also the Dennis Showalter Memorial Lecture, selected by the International Society for First World War Studies. Named after Dennis Showalter, the leading historian of Germany during the war and a longtime friend and supporter of the Society, it is delivered each year by a leading early career researcher in First World War Studies.
The event is held in the Rivers Suite at Edinburgh Napier University’s Craiglockhart Campus (Google map | travel info).  There will be a wine reception from 5.30pm; the lecture will start around 6pm.  The event will also be streamed via Zoom.
By Andrew Frayn
Read more about the War Poets Collection
Accessibility tools i

Make online reading easier: three accessibility tools worth trying

03/11/2025 / / 0 Comments

Make online reading easier: three accessibility tools worth trying

Accessing eresources can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when dealing with dense text or distracting layouts. To help, the library has created tutorial videos that walk you through some excellent accessibility tools. Here’s a quick overview of three tools that can make reading online resources much easier.

1. Read Aloud in Microsoft Edge

For students who learn better by listening or need to reduce eye strain, Read Aloud is a built-in feature in Microsoft Edge browser that reads webpages and PDFs aloud. You can choose from different voices, adjust speed, and select specific sections to hear. This tool is especially helpful for auditory learners and anyone who finds long reading sessions tiring. If you’re using Edge, you will find Read Aloud button at the right end of the address bar (you might need to click the three dots first) or you can turn it on using Ctr+Shift+U keyboard shortcut. Check out this short video on Read Aloud to see how to use it.

Accessibility Tools

 

  1. Helperbird Browser Extension

Helperbird is a versatile extension that helps make online reading more accessible. Its free features include:

  • Reading mode: Removes distractions for a cleaner reading experience.
  • Basic text-to-speech: Listen to content read aloud using standard voices.
  • Text adjustments: Change text size, spacing, line height and more for better readability.
  • Dyslexia tools: Use overlays and a dyslexia ruler to reduce visual stress and maintain focus.
  • Accessibility options: Reduce motion and highlight links for easier navigation.

These functionalities allow you to customise webpages to suit your needs, making reading less stressful and more efficient. You can add Helperbird extension to any browser, for instructions go to helperbird.com. For an overview of how to use it, see our bite-sized tutorial on Helperbird.

 

  1. Reader View Extension

Webpages often include ads and pop-ups that distract from the main content. Reader View removes these elements and presents text in a clean, simplified format. You can change fonts, text width, alignment, and colour schemes, creating a distraction-free space that supports focus. You can see how it works in this short Reader View tutorial. This extension is available for Edge, Chrome, Firefox and Safari.

 

Accessibility pages

 

Need More Support?

These tools are just a start: find out what support we offer on Library Accessibility and Inclusion webpage. And to see how your uni life can be made more accessible visit the Disability Inclusion team’s webpages.

By Patrycja Respondek

Eresources and Accessibility

Open Access

Publishing open access: why and how

21/10/2025 / / 0 Comments

Publishing open access: why and how

Open access (OA) publishing is more than making research freely available online. Most OA articles use Creative Commons licenses, which allow anyone to read, reuse, and share work, as long as proper attribution is given.

Read on to learn more about making the most of ENU deals with journal publishers and about our new open access policy. But first, why publishing open access is important?

Benefits of open access publishing

Open access publishing is a powerful way to increase the visibility of your research. By removing paywalls, it allows anyone—academics, practitioners, students, or community groups—to read, share, and apply findings. This can lead to real-world impact, influencing policy, improving education, and guiding funding decisions. It also enables faster collaboration across institutions and countries, especially within large, diverse research teams. Open access turns knowledge into a shared resource, helping to drive innovation and positive change beyond academia.

Publish open access for free with publishing agreements

Article Processing Charges (APCs) can be prohibitively expensive, but you can make your articles open access without paying a penny, thanks to our Read and Publish deals with journal publishers. These agreements cover both reading journal content and publishing your own work. You can find the full list of ENU OA agreements on our Open Access Blog. Most of these deals will allow you to publish open access free of charge in subscription-based (hybrid) journals.  Make sure that you’re the corresponding author and use your ENU email when submitting. If in doubt, contact us at repository@napier.ac.uk.

Updated Open Access Policy

The new Open Access Policy has been introduced recently, and it gives the university and academics more rights over their work (also known as ‘rights retention’). Because authors retain copyright to their research outputs, their manuscripts can be made publicly available in the Research Repository with a Creative Commons license. This allows all journal articles and conference papers written by ENU authors to be made open access, even in cases where OA agreements don’t apply. The only thing to remember is to upload your accepted manuscript to Worktribe!

Need help? Check out the Open Access LibGuide or get in touch with the Library’s Research Repository team. Register to an online session on 11th November where you will learn more about open access publishing at ENU.

By Patrycja Respondek

 

library study skills

Open access in practice

20/10/2025 / / 0 Comments

Open access in practice

It is the Open Access Week, a perfect time to have a closer look at what open access is in practice, how we can benefit from it and what Edinburgh Napier does to support open research.

What is open access and why is it important?

Open access means research is published online under one of Creative Commons licenses.  This means it is free to read, share, and reuse legally. This removes paywalls and improves access to knowledge.
For the academic community, open access speeds up the exchange of ideas. As well as making research visible so it can have more impact. It also makes it easier to build on existing research which is essential for high-quality scholarship.
For students, open access offers clear benefits: free access to reliable, peer-reviewed sources for essays, projects, and dissertations. It also helps you explore the latest research without restrictions, and after graduation, you can continue to access scholarly work without relying on costly subscriptions.

How to find open-access articles

Finding open-access content is straightforward. Start with the LibrarySerach, where many open access articles and ebooks are indexed. You will see the open access symbol, represented by an orange open padlock, next to publications that are available through open access. When searching for literature on other platforms, look out for the same symbol. You might also use the ‘open access’ filter. Directory of Open Journals can be useful in finding scholarly journals that publish fully open-access articles.
Be sure to explore institutional repositories, which store research outputs such as journal articles, theses, and conference papers from our university and other institutions. You will find that often repositories have open access versions of articles that are published behind a paywall. These are usually ‘accepted manuscripts’ and are exactly same as published articles, but because they are plain documents, they can be shared openly in a repository. Use CORE to search thousands of repositories in one click.

The university’s new open access policy

It takes the entire academic community effort to support open research, and Edinburgh Napier does its part by introducing new open access policy, focusing on the role of our repository in sharing ENU publications. The new Research Publications and Open Access Policy allows staff to continue publishing in the journals of their choice while making their papers openly accessible in the repository.

Make the most of openly available knowledge and if you’d like to learn more, visit our Open Access blog.

By Patrycja Respondek

 

 

World Statistics Day

World Statistics Day

20/10/2025 / / 0 Comments

World Statistics Day

Librarians love statistics almost as much as we love spreadsheets and shelving books – and today we celebrate World Statistics Day! Unlike the other World Awareness Days that we covered on the blog, which have spanned decades. World Statistics Day is relatively new to the global calendar, starting in 2010 and is only celebrated every five years, making each observation more important.

Statistics, you might think, is an odd day to celebrate globally. But statistics help the world go round. The reason why the United Nations have decided to mark their awareness is that statistics are important for social and economic tracking to bring in developing policies.

  • Highlighting the importance of evidence-based policies: Statistics are data that help governing bodies make decisions, whether it be about health care to climate change.
  • Tracking social and economic progress – reliable statistics help us measure employment, literacy and other services, which allows pinpoint areas that need attention.
  • Promoting transparency – transparent tats also hold governing bodies accountable and help the democratic process.

As information professionals, librarians understand the power of data to inform and the potential it has to inspire. So let’s give up for statistics and all the data professionals who help make sense of it.

Theme for World Statistics Day 2025

World Statistics Day has returned with the theme Driving change with quality statistics and data for everyone. The theme is the spotlight for the essential role that reliable, inclusive and high-quality data plays in shaping communities, societies and policies. The year also marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, giving more meaningful reflection on how much data collection/cooperation have come, all it has resulted and the potential it can.

 

Statistics have been foundational not only to the UN’s operations but also to addressing worldwide challenges such as peacekeeping, sustainable development, climate change, and public health. The global statistical community exemplifies international cooperation, bringing together professionals from all regions to establish standards, share methodologies, and ensure accurate, timely data. Trusted statistics enable policymakers, businesses, and citizens to navigate complexity and make informed decisions, helping to reveal critical issues and drive meaningful change. (https://www.un.org/en/observances/statistics-day)

Change is built on the information that statistics provide.

Previous themes have been

2010 Celebrating the many achievements of official statistics

2015 Better Data Better Lives

2020 Connecting the world with data we can trust

 

Join the 24-hour Global Statistics Webinar:

The UN Regional Commissions will host a 24-hour global webinar marathon featuring presentations around the world, which will highlight how statistics support development. You can find the link on the United Nations website.

Photo by Nasa Unsplash 

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