Information Services offer support to students at every stage of your dissertation. During #StirDisserationWeek we will be highlighting the support and resources available to you. Dissertation Week will take place from Monday, 10th to Friday, 14th February.
Library and IT Support
Brand new Word Processing Your Dissertation workshop added to our dissertation support services! Sign-up now.
Reading List and Book Display
Our librarians have created a list of print and ebooks available in the Library to help with your dissertation. View our Dissertation Week Reading List or pop into the library during dissertation week to see some of these books in our library display.
Finding Resources
Struggling to find articles and books on your dissertation topic? Our Librarians are here to help you find resources for your dissertation research. You can also request an appointment with your Librarian.
Wondering how to find past dissertations? The Library has some past undergraduate and taught postgraduate dissertations. Find out how to search for a dissertation and how to request it from store (scroll down to the section called Finding past dissertations).
Sometimes the library will not have all the materials you need for your dissertation. You should still be able to access everything you need by using our Document Delivery Service.
Sign up for one of our workshops below:
| Session | Date | Time | Book a place |
| Finding library resources for your dissertation | Tuesday, 11 February | 12:00 – 13:00 | Book a place |
| From Headlines to Citations: Navigating Newspaper Databases | Wednesday, 12 February | 11:00 – 12:00 | Book a place |
Gale Primary Sources
Gale Cengage will have a stall outside the library to promote Gale Primary Sources, a valuable resource for dissertation research on historical topics. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore and learn more about these essential tools for your academic work. Visit the stall on Tuesday, 11th February, 10:00 – 15:30.
What are Gale Primary Sources?
Gale Primary Sources is a valuable resource for academic research, offering access to millions of pages of historical newspapers, periodicals and books. It includes collections such as British Library Newspapers, Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO), Nineteenth Century UK Periodicals and the Times Digital Archive.
Referencing
For comprehensive guidance on how to properly cite sources and use referencing tools effectively, see our LibGuide on referencing and referencing software. This resource provides detailed instructions on various referencing styles, tips for managing your references, and information on different referencing software options available to you. Whether you’re new to referencing or looking to refine your skills, our LibGuide is an essential tool to help you navigate the complexities of academic citation.
Sign up for one of our workshops below:
| Session | Date | Time | Book a place |
| APA referencing | Thursday, 6 February | 11:00 – 12:00 | Book a place |
| Harvard Referencing | Thursday, 6 February | 12:00 – 13:00 | Book a place |
| Chicago Referencing | Wednesday, 12 February | 12:00 – 13:00 | Book a place |
| Harvard Referencing | Thursday, 13 February | 12:00 – 13:00 | Book a place |
| RefWorks Fundamentals | Thursday, 13 February | 13:00 – 14:00 | Book a place |
For more workshops on referencing see the Stirling Essentials Study Skills Workshops SharePoint Site.
Word Formatting Your Dissertation
Are you dreading the word formatting part of your dissertation? Fear not! We’ve added a new section to the Canvas and Learning Technologies (Students) module, including help, training videos, and a template document to drop your text into.
From creating and saving a new document to creating styles to adding and editing footnotes, we’ve got it covered.
Check out the Word-Processing a Dissertation section now.
Join our Word Processing Your Dissertation workshop! This session will cover essential skills such as working with sections, creating reference tables, using styles effectively, and working with tables and graphics.
Sign up for the Word-processing your Dissertation workshop below:
| Session | Date | Time | Book a place |
| Word Processing Your Dissertation | Friday, 28 February | 09:30 – 12:30 | SOLD OUT! |
Please note the Word-processing your Dissertation session is run by an external training company and spaces are limited to 15 attendees. Sign-up ASAP!
Microsoft Excel for students
Learn how to create basic formulas, add formatting, and a few other useful tools to create and work with basic spreadsheets.
| Session | Date | Time | Book a place |
| Microsoft Excel for students | Friday, 28 February | 13:30 – 16:30 | Book a place |
Please note the Microsoft Excel for students session is run by an external training company and spaces are limited to 15 attendees. Sign-up ASAP!
Printing and Binding your Dissertation
If you are required to submit a hard copy of your dissertation (please double-check with your department first) you may be required to print on a higher-quality dissertation paper. We have two student printers, located in the Cottrell print suite 2A18, loaded with higher quality paper for printing dissertations.
For more information on how to send your dissertation to these printers and details on the cost please see our section on printing your dissertation in UniDesk Self Service.
Graphics and Print Services also offer a dissertation (soft) binding service. See our section on binding your dissertation in UniDesk Self Service for all the details.
Don’t forget to look at our Dissertation Support pages in UniDesk Self Service for all things dissertation-related.
Digital Skills for Students
As dissertation students your time at Stirling is nearing the end, and your digital skills are even more important for your future employability.
Visit our pop-up stall in the Atrium on Tuesday, 11th February between, 10:00 – 12:00 to learn how to assess your digital capabilities using the Jisc Discovery Tool.
See our blog post for more information about this event.
Student Learning Services Support
Student Learning Services (SLS) are available for face-to-face, virtual, and drop-in tutorials. If you have any questions about the structure, writing, referencing, or editing of your dissertation please do get in touch via email at sls@stir.ac.uk to book a slot.
SLS also offer a range of helpful workshops as part of the Stirling Essentials Study Skills programme. Visit the Stirling Essentials Study Skills Workshops site to see what’s on and to book a place.
| Session | Date | Time | Book a place |
| Criticality and Critical Thinking | Tuesday, 11th February | 12:00-13:00 | Book a place |
| Dissertations: Ask Us Anything | Wednesday, 12 February | 10:00 – 11:00 | Book a place |
| Writing Process and Techniques | Wednesday, 12th February | 13:00-14:00 | Book a place |
See the Dissertation Section in the Student Learning Services module in Canvas for tips on structure, proofreading, and editing techniques.