Study Resources
The quality of what you read, how you select it and how you evaluate it is vital to the success of your studies - no matter what subject you are studying. The Library Resource Centre (LRC), or the equivalent offered in-country by one of our ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø Global partners, is a gateway to millions of books, articles and texts.
Top Tip
Learning how to use the search tools is an important part of how you gain access to the books, articles and texts you require to study effectively. As such, watching the videos prepared by the subject Librarians on how to use the LRC services is a great place to start (do remember that whilst some resources may be relevant for Edinburgh campus students, there are a great many fantastic resources available online).
The standard of the materials available means that the resources you are accessing are contemporary, high quality, research-based and peer reviewed and are therefore reliable sources of data unlike what is often generally available online.
It is strongly recommended that you take the time to learn how to use the library systems early on in your academic career so that you are familiar with them throughout your studies.
The resources highlighted in this page are only some of the many available to you and it is not intended that you use only these. Your Study Guide will offer direction to many fantastic, supportive and appropriate resources. However, highlighted below are those identified as perhaps being, at the very least, a good starting point.
The ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø Library team have created many incredibly useful Subject Guides, designed to be a starting point for the programme you are studying. Within these Study Guides, you may find a great many resources, including links to books, journals, databases and so on: all of which are collated within your subject focus and designed to support you on your learning journey.
Please access the Study Guide that supports your programme
²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø UG & PG (Edinburgh Campus) + ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø Online
inc. Statistics & Data Resources
²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø Global
- Please note that whilst the Study Skills resource is available via Canvas - ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø's Virtual Learning Environment - students who do not use Canvas as their VLE will still have access via an 'open page' which is available for self-enrolment. However, do be aware that some links within this page may not be accessible.
Guidance for literature searching at ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø
One of the underlying principles of university work is that evidence underpins what we say in our academic thinking, writing, and presentations – literally any of the work we produce!
To do this effectively, we use referencing to show what sources you have read, watched, listened to, etc. to help form the discussions you are having in your academic work.
Key to all of this is where you find the evidence that you choose to bring to your academic work, and ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø online Library is a fantastic resource for you as a student. At times looking for academic sources can be challenging, and so the guide below will help you navigate ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø’s systems and databases.
²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø’s Library has evolved over recent years, moving away from printed texts to many more online accessible research sources - meaning no matter where and how you are studying in the world, there are resources available to you to support your ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø studies.
Within the Library these are organised into two main areas;
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Digital catalogue of books and other learning resources
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Digital database of academic journals
Once you have matriculated, to access these, you use your ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø email address and password. If you are a matriculated student;
The next challenge for any student is navigating the tens of thousands of books, resources and academic articles that you have access to – simply put, how can you search for the ‘right thing’ for you?
Literature Searching is the process by which you find the freely accessible, ‘right’ resources for your research using the catalogues and databases. The search strategies you use refine your searches so that you don’t end up with millions of irrelevant results (as with Google Scholar, which doesn’t give you access behind paywalls). Check out these handy 'how to' videos:
Literature searching 5. Saving your search results
You can save your search results within each of the main database platforms and the following 4 videos show you how. Alternatively, you can gather all your search results in one place using the reference manager software Endnote which also enables you to create references automatically as you type your assignments in Word. For this, please see the video on how to manage your literature search results in one place and create references automatically as you type your assignment in Word
Literature searching 6. The SAGE Research Methods database
This is useful for your research projects and dissertation to help you either select the correct research method/s for your study or for in depth understanding of the research methods you already use.
Go to Library webpage > Library Resources > ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø Library Guides. Choose your subject or programme guide. Select the Research Methods tab. Watch the two-minute videos on how to use SAGE Research Methods (which are also below) and then access the database from the same page.
Further Help
Relevant library guides
includes the Cite them Right Guide and Referencing)
includes the databases accessed in the videos above
to help you manage your references
- for all your study skill needs, including how to read and write academically (you can access the course, but to be able to do the activities, you need to enrol).
Contact or make an appointment with your librarian
For support with any of the above and more, contact your librarian, Ileana Thomson (ithomson@qmu.ac.uk) or .
Online workshops
These are where you can register to attend from wherever you are in the world based on Greenwich Mean Time.
To familiarise yourself with Referencing and what is meant by the term 'Plagiarism', please refer to the created by the Library which will support your understanding within which you will also find a page outlining the ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø suggest be used as a resource to support you in maintaining your Academic Integrity.
Cite Them Right
To support effective referencing, the tool recommended by ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø is Cite Them Right. is a helpful guide on the importance of why and how we effectively reference in our academic studies. The website is accessible via your ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø account and contains useful guides to creating appropriate references for a range of different media.
Library Information on ReferencingÌýÌý
Giving credit to the authors whose work you use is not optional and, for any assignment to meet the standards required to pass , you need to reference the literature you use otherwise your work will be deemed to plagiarise (even if unintended) which is unacceptable at ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø and the consequences can lead to assignments failing to pass the marking criteria since referencing is marked. You will learn how to meet the specific referencing requirements at ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø to avoid plagiarism so that you do not fail your assignment or use the wrong referencing style.  You will also learn how to manage your references and create them automatically using reference management software.Ìý
Ìý
Ìýto manage your literature search results in one place and create references automatically as you type your assignment in Word.
With many resources being made available to you (via your programme LibGuide), this can perhaps feel overwhelming and whilst there are several databases you may wish you use and have access to Statista may be one you want to consider using (though, of course, not suggesting that this be the only one you use).
Statista is a database of contemporary statistics, accessible via your ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø email address, that you can use to demonstrate key aspects of how global society evolves; including business, society, politics, governance, economics, world trade and sectoral evolution.Ìý
Let’s imagine you have been set the task of looking at how trade between two countries has evolved over five years. Statista could be used to look at both countries, and their trade, so that you can compare them and even download a graph that demonstrates the numeric data in an easy to access format.
Whilst only being one of the many resources available to you in support of your studies (available to access via your comprehensive LibGuide),Ìý is an online streaming platform that will support your studies utilising a range of film-based assets. Create an account using your ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø email address to access classic cinema, indie films, and top documentaries.
The is an international ‘think tank’ that has a goal to shape the global agenda. The research undertaken by the WEF is generally of high quality and is highly accessible. WEF publications are a useful and contemporary snapshot of some of the world’s pressing problems.
²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø is very proud to be a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) and a member since October 2023.
PRME also provide a range of resources that can support you with your studies, including their curated lists of best multimedia available in categories related to sustainability and leadership education. We recommend their which breaks down their top recommendations on topics such as business & human rights, and research on responsible management.
To support the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) it is useful for all ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø students to have a working knowledge of the .
Increasingly, businesses are working within the UNSDGs in terms of strategic approach, growth, trade and product development. As a manager and leader of business in the future, you too will have to reflect on how your commercial activities are impacting our planet and life on it.
Getting you ‘work-ready’ is something that is built into the ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø Business School offering. We have a mix of assessments that help you develop skills in key areas such as presentations, team-working, critical thinking, and even debate.
Adding to this mix through undertaking additional training and development will broaden your appeal in the marketplace. As such, look for short-training courses that you think will help enhance your career.
There are resources available through Business Gateway, LinkedIn, ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø Careers, and commercial providers such as:
- - A useful resource for finding discounts on subscriptions.
- - Free online training courses, some of which are certificated.
- - A great resource to further broaden your world view and understanding.Ìý
- - Over 1,000 expert-led courses on leadership and management
It is always good think about what you want to do when you graduate and to focus your efforts on training and development that will help support your future career.Ìý
In addition to formal learning, there is ongoing informal learning like quality newspapers, podcasts, subscribing to websites, etc.Ìý
Thinking of starting your own business - either during or after studying - and would like some advice and guidance? Would you like to expand your entrepreneurial knowledge and mindset?
Students at ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø can access our dedicated Startup Studio service, which offers guidance and support to those considering their future and planning ahead.
In partnership with Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh College, ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø students - no matter where you live, work and study in the world - have access to the free enterprise support resources available via Bright Red Triangle (BRT). Register to .
By students for students, the PALS programme at ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø delivers many terrific study and learning resources. Whilst some of these resources may, however, be particular to students studying on campus in Edinburgh, there are still some useful guides, videos and online learning sessions available via which may offer some support from your ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø student peers which could help you on your learning journey.
For some more resources, please consider using the following:
- A non-profit organisation that provides free access to data on topics related to the world's largest problems.
- An open access resource of statistical databases provided by the United Nations Statistics Division.
- Global members association for hotel General Managers providing international networking opportunities, independent career development, etc.
Media Links
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Student Essential Information
General Assessment Regulations and Policy including Grade Descriptors
Please review General Assessment Regulations and Policy including Grade Descriptors to understand how Assessments undertaken on ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø programmes are regulated. Do be aware that programme specific regulations may supersede these regulations, so it is important to look at your in-country Programme/Student Handbook to make sure you fully understand your responsibilities/expectations, how marks are awarded, grade descriptors and so on.
Business School Library Resources
If you have any questions about Business School resources available through our library, please contact our Liaison Librarian.
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