DWLresearch

At the beginning of advent research students start preparing for the holidays, getting ready to see neglected family and friends and thinking of a well-earned rest...but when embarking on such a long project it can be vital to keep up momentum over the festive period. The Graduate School Reading Room invites you to rev up your motivational motor over refreshments at the festive special of the Thesis Workshop with a theme of Goals and Targets: maintaining motivation over the festive period . ~ Ideas and advice on motivational tactics and techniques ~ Guided practical exercise - come away with a plan for the next month ~ Time for questions and discussion over refreshments Thursday 10 December at 4pm in the Library Seminar Room

Today saw the opening of the Graduate School Media Zoo. We had a great time exploring Second Life, debating the research possibilities of various gadgets and thinking about digital media. Malcolm Read opened the Zoo with a few words about the importance of new technologies for the 21st Century researcher. New History Lab and Creative Cuppa were strongly represented in the audience...and it was great to see so many postgraduates interested in web 2.0 and digital technologies. We are now open for business, so come up and visit the Zoo on weekdays from 2pm or make an appointment to see how you can bring your research into the second decade of the 21st Century!

Tomorrow sees the launch of the Graduate School Media Zoo, from 2-2.30pm in the Graduate School Reading Room. All postgrads are welcome to come along and play with the 'technological wildlife' and shiny gadgets. Malcolm Read from JISC will be cutting the ribbon and saying a few words, then we will open the zoo for demonstrations and experimentation. Come and try out Kindle and Sony e-readers, a digital voice recorder, a flip videocamera and Second Life.

We have another new addition to our exclusive GSRR postgrad-only bookshelf! How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing by Paul J. Silvia. It's a short but effective tome on everything from motivation to style. Enjoy and be productive!

We are adding to the selection of books about writing your thesis in the GSSR. New additions today are: Authoring a PhD by Patrick Dunleavy and Your PhD Thesis by Prof. Robert Brewer. More soon to come so watch this space!

A date for your diaries: the GSRR will be offering a new service to postgraduate researchers from Wednesday 25 November, when we will launch the Graduate School Media Zoo. The launch will take place in the afternoon, when the zoo will be officially opened by Dr Malcolm Read OBE, Executive Secretary of the Joint Information Systems Committee . New technologies to explore in the zoo include E-readers, Second Life, wikis and blogs, podcasting equipment etc... Drop in for advice on how these can be used in your research. We will be announcing a programme of workshops on themes such as Second Life for Researchers, RSS and Journal Portals, and Web 2.0 for postgraduates. For more information visit the Graduate School Media Zoo website . To have your say complete the Media Zoo survey .

If you're looking for something to get you in a festive mood ready for December, look no further than the library. Special collections have already started their Christmas exhibition, looking at events from the festive season in times past, including shipwrecks, frost fairs and student political activity! Visit the exhibition cases in the Library basement for a productive, pre-festive break from your studies.