Student Portal Napier University

Study skills

This section offers you advice and support when adapting to the world of university study.

Your key place to start with academic skills is the wide range of support available at Improve your Academic and Study Skills.

Our LibGuides will help you with key topics like Referencing in APA 7th Style and how to find the best information for your subject. See the list of LibGuides.

Below you will find other relevant Library books and resources.

Library resources

Evaluating Information Resources

It is always important to evaluate the information resources you use. Anyone can put information online, for a number of reasons including selling products or promoting their own ideas, so you need to remain aware of your sources at all times.

Evaluating Content

Apply RUDOLF against your search results:

R - relevant to your needs?

U - useful for the problem in hand?

D - date of publication appropriate?

O - obtainable?

L - level of information correct? Too simple/advanced?

F - fresh information? Do you know this already?

Evaluating quality

Useful guidelines can be found using the following websites:

Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites - a checklist for evaluating the authority, purpose, coverage, currency, objectivity, and accuracy of websites. Dalhousie University Libraries, Canada.
Evaluating Information Sources - University of British Columbia resource.

Literature Searching

Literature Reviewing LibGuide
Subject Guides - find the key resources available at Edinburgh Napier for your subject area.

Study advice and support

Check out Improve your Academic and Study Skills. You'll find details about Academic Skills workshops, appointments and drop-ins - as well as videos to watch about online study, exam preparation and writing for university.

Maths Plus

If you need help with maths at any level, visit Maths Plus at Merchiston Library for one-to-one help with any numbers or data analysis problems.

Contact Dean Whittaker, d.whittaker@napier.ac.uk or +44 (0) 131 455 2236.

Engineering Plus

Contact the School Office for more information.

English for Academic Purposes

Help for international students with using English for studies. Email eap.enquiries@napier.ac.uk.

What do you wish you had known earlier?

See the new learning object, What do you wish you had known earlier?
You'll find advice from other students about what they wished they had known when they started studying.

All getting too much?

See the Counselling and Mental Wellbeing pages for more help.