Skills Topics

Resource Collections

Frequently Asked Questions

There are a number of queries that Skills for Learning commonly receive. This page aims to answer these queries directly or provide guidance on how to find a solution.

The list is divided into categories to help you find the question/answer you are looking for.

Accessing Skills for Learning
Where can I find…?
Workshops and Tutorials
Need help with…?
Referencing and Plagiarism

1. Accessing Skills for Learning

What is my password for accessing Skills for Learning?

My password doesn't work.

You can log on to the live 'Skills for Learning' website if you have a 'Campus Card' (Leeds Metropolitan University) staff or student card, with a Leeds Metropolitan University username and password. If you have one of these and you want to use 'Skills for Learning' from outside Leeds Metropolitan University (off-campus), follow these instructions:

Click on a link to the 'Skills for Learning' website from the main University website, Library Online, the Student Portal or X-stream. You can also access 'Skills for Learning' directly using this URL: http://skillsforlearning.leedsmet.ac.uk/
To view most parts of the 'Skills for Learning' website you must be logged in. The first time you click to access one of these pages you will be asked to enter a username and password.
Enter you username - this is your 'c number' (including the 'c') written on your 'Campus Card' card. (Staff will have a different username based on their surname - for example 'smith06').
Enter your password - this is the same password you use for logging in to on-campus Leeds Metropolitan University PCs, the Portal and X-stream.

If you need help or more information please contact:

Students
Leeds Metropolitan University Library (0113) 812 1000

Or use the contact form on the 'Email Us' page of Library Online.
Staff
Contact the Staff Helpdesk:
- Phone: 0113 812 3427
- Email: cs.helpdesk@leedsmet.ac.uk

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Can students (or staff) from other universities use Skills for Learning?

We are pleased when staff and students at other institutions show an interest in our website and resources. However, the Skills for Learning website is only available to Leeds Metropolitan University students and staff.

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2. Where can I find…?

Where can I see the Belbin questionnaire?

The Team theory section of the 'Skills for Learning' website gives some information about Belbin's well known team roles.

You can find a copy of Meredith Belbin's self-perception inventory (questionnaire) in:

Belbin, M. (2004) Management teams: why they succeed or fail. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.

The Library has several copies of this book including an electronic version. To access the print or electronic version, search the online Library catalogue.

Another resource which gives access to the basic version of Belbin's self-perception inventory is the Belbin website. Note that the Belbin organisation charges for some services.

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Where can I get a copy of 'Quote, Unquote'?

'Quote, Unquote' is our guide to the 'Harvard' referencing system. Students and staff can purchase the booklet from the campus Libraries and University shops for £3.00. For more purchasing information, see the 'Publications' page.

A online version of this guide is available on the 'Skills for Learning' website: "Quote, Unquote" - Online

There is also a short guide to referencing which is available from the Library Online Guides and Tutorials page. The title is 'Referencing: "Quote, Unquote" short guide to Harvard style of citing and referencing'.

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Can staff and students from other universities access the full text of 'Quote,unquote' online?

The online version of 'Quote, Unquote' is accessed from within the 'Skills for Learning' website, and although we are pleased when staff and students at other institutions show an interest in our resources, the Skills for Learning website is only available to Leeds Metropolitan University students and staff. There is a Short guide to referencing on our 'Library Online' website which is freely available; this contains an outline of our style and a selection of examples.

Printed copies of 'Quote, Unquote' are available for purchase - see our 'Publications' page.

Learning development or library staff from other universities who wish to use 'Quote, Unquote' for the purposes of checking our referencing practice, should contact us with a request.

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Where do I get 'The Little Book of Cheating, Plagiarism and Unfair Practice'?

The 'The Little Book of Cheating, Plagiarism and Unfair Practice' is produced by Leeds Metropolitan University. It is designed to help students understand what plagiarism is, and how to avoid it. The document can be downloaded from the Leeds Metropolitan University website: The Little Book of Cheating, Plagiarism and Unfair Practice.

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What self-diagnostic tests do you have?

What skills tests do you have?

There are several different types of skills tests or assessments within 'Skills for Learning'.

There is a self-diagnostic grammar test.

In the 'Plagiarism' section, there are two self-tests which allow you to check your knowledge of this topic:

We also have a paper based maths test and a variety of other quizzes and activities within different areas of the website.

In the 'Personal Development' section, under 'Careers', you will find links to the 'Futures' series of workbooks, published by the University Jobs and Careers Service, which contain some self-assessment questionnaires.

If you have been asked to take a particular test by your tutor and you are not sure which one it is, then please check with them.

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Where are the Futures workbooks?

The material on the 'Skills for Learning' website about job applications and employment was supplied by the University Jobs and Careers Service. Their website provides copies of the 'Futures' series of workbooks in both PDF and Word document formats.

These workbooks give lots of advice about job-hunting and contain some self-assessment questionnaires to help you decide what sort of work might be suitable. They also contain useful advice about completing job applications; though you must remember that applications should be tailored to a specific job.

The University Jobs and Careers Service website provides contact details for their service.

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Have you got some information about writing a CV?

You will find advice on writing a good CV from the 'Write a good CV' section of the University Jobs and Careers website.

Skills for Learning provides links to a number of resources from the University Jobs and Careers Service. Their website provides copies of the 'Futures' series of workbooks in Word document format.

The University Jobs and Careers Service website provides contact details for their service.

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Where can I get a questionnaire to see what sort of job I could do?

How do I write a personal statement for a job application?

The Jobs and Careers Service can give individual guidance on job applications. Probably the easiest way to use their services is by personal contact - drop in to their offices at either campus or make an appointment. You can also phone or use their email advice service. See the Jobs and Careers Service contact details page for details.

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3. Workshops and Tutorials

I want to come to a workshop on… when is the next one?

Can I book a place on the… workshop next week?

Our workshops timetable lists all the drop-in workshops we offer. There is no need to book - just check the details for the session you want to attend and come to the correct room at the date/time listed.

You can add the 'Skills for Learning' workshop timetable onto your own Google Calendar - instructions can be found on the workshops timetable page. Copies of the timetable in PDF format can also be found at the bottom of the timetable page.

Printed timetables are available in the Libraries and Student Hubs at both campuses.

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Can you confirm that I attended a workshop?

Skills for Learning tutors are happy to confirm your attendance at a particular workshop provided that you supply them with your name and university email address at the end of the session. The confirmation will take the form of an email addressed to you. They may refuse to verify your attendance if you arrive more than ten minutes after the scheduled start time.

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How do I book a tutorial?

You can book a tutorial in academic communication, maths or IT skills but we recommend that you attend a workshop first.

You can request a tutorial session if:

You have a specific need for help which can best be dealt with on an individual basis.
You are unable to attend any of our scheduled workshops because of other commitments.

To request a tutorial use the online tutorial request form.

Alternatively you can send an email to skillsforlearningtutorials@leedsmet.ac.uk giving the following details:

Name
Username (This is usually a C followed by 7 digits, e.g. C1234567)
Contact phone number or email address
Your course title and year of study
The dates/times you are available
Whether you would prefer to meet at City Campus or Headingley Campus
Indication of which academic skill topic(s) you would like to cover during the tutorial, e.g. essay writing.

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Several students in my class are interested in a session on… (e.g. reflective writing). Can you arrange something for our group?

We do arrange tutorials and workshops for groups but often it is more efficient to make an arrangement through your course tutor - especially if the need is common to a whole class. Perhaps you could ask your course tutor to contact us?

Alternatively follow the instructions under 'How do I book a tutorial?' and we will arrange a session.

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I have a weakness in my writing skills. Should I have a tutorial or go to Dyslexia Support?

We are happy to arrange a writing skills tutorial during which we can advise you on the most appropriate support for your development.

To book a tutorial follow the instructions under 'How do I book a tutorial?' and we will arrange a session.

You might also like to contact Disability Support or Library Disability Support and/or take the Quickscan test (which shows if you might have dyslexia) on a student PC.

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4. Need help with…?

Can you proofread my assignment?

Our Academic Skills Tutors do not proofread assignments but we can arrange a tutorial to discuss any issues with your academic writing. You can bring samples of your written work to the tutorial for analysis and feedback.

Help with your academic writing skills is available from the 'Academic Communication' theme of the 'Skills for Learning' website.

The following workshops deal with aspects of academic writing:

Critical thinking
Avoiding plagiarism
Essays - planning and writing
Reports and dissertations
Writing skills

Printed timetables are available in the Libraries and Student Hubs at both campuses.

You might want to book a tutorial session. For information on how to book a tutorial see 'How do I book a tutorial?'

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I need help with writing my assignment.

I need some help with my grammar.

Help with your academic writing skills is available from the 'Academic Communication' theme of the 'Skills for Learning' website.

The following workshops deal with aspects of academic writing:

Critical thinking
Avoiding plagiarism
Essays - planning and writing
Reports and dissertations
Writing skills

Printed timetables are available in the Libraries and Student Hubs at both campuses.

You might want to book a tutorial session. For information on how to book a tutorial see 'How do I book a tutorial?'

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Can I get some help with re-taking my Maths (or English) GCSE?

You could re-take your GCSE Maths or English at one of the local Further Education colleges. They also run classes. Contact a college directly for advice.

Our Academic Skills Tutors might be able to help you with any specific problems, but they would not have time to coach you through an entire GCSE course.

For information on how to book a tutorial see 'How do I book a tutorial?'

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I need to use SPSS - can you help?

The two main packages available in the University for analysing research data are:

SPSS for quantitative data.
NVivo for qualitative data.

Before you can use these packages, you need to know what data you want to collect and how you plan to analyse it - for example if you are planning a quantitative analysis, you must understand statistical techniques.

There is some more information on Analysing and presenting data on the 'Skills for Learning' website.

'Skills for Learning' workshops on statistics might be useful. Our workshops timetable lists all the drop-in workshops we offer. There is no need to book - just check the details for the session you want to attend and come to the correct room at the date/time listed.

Printed timetables are available in the Libraries and Student Hubs at both campuses.

If you would like to request a tutorial session with our Maths/Statistics Academic Skills Tutor, follow the instructions under 'How do I book a tutorial?'

Staff and postgraduate researchers will find some useful information on the the Research Support pages.

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Can you help me with my statistical data?

There is some information on Analysing and presenting data on the 'Skills for Learning' website.

'Skills for Learning' run some statistics workshops. Our workshops timetable lists all the drop-in workshops we offer. There is no need to book - just check the details for the session you want to attend and come to the correct room at the date/time listed.

Printed timetables are available in the Libraries and Student Hubs at both campuses.

If you would like to request a tutorial session with our Maths/Statistics Academic Skills Tutor, follow the instructions under 'How do I book a tutorial?'

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Why haven't you replied to my personal email address?

You will be aware that University policy is that you should always communicate with us using your official Leeds Metropolitan University email address.

Skills for Learning will reply to your Leeds Metropolitan University address which can be accessed through the Student Portal.

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5. Referencing and Plagiarism

How do I mention an author in my assignment?

'Quote, Unquote' is our guide to the 'Harvard' referencing system. For information on where to find a copy, see "Where can I get a copy of 'Quote, Unquote'?"

The following advice on citing authors is taken from 'Quote, Unquote'.

There are two stages to referencing sources for a piece of academic writing using the author-date or Harvard system.

Refer to the source in your text (the citation)
Give full details of the source in your bibliography or list of references at the end of your work (the reference)

Inserting the author's name and date of publication

Using the author-date or Harvard system of referencing does not require any numbering or footnotes on each page. In most cases where you are paraphrasing, summarising or referring to a source, simply insert the author's name and the date of publication in brackets, after you summarise, paraphrase or mention the information you have taken from the source.

Example

Workers in teams tend to adopt particular roles (Belbin 1996).

Where the author's name appears naturally in your work

In many cases, you can simply insert the author's name, followed by the date of publication in brackets, into your text.

Example

Role theory applied to the behaviour of individuals in teams was first elaborated on by Belbin (1996) who suggested that…

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How do I write a reference for a [book, article, e-journal etc.]?

'Quote, Unquote' is our guide to the 'Harvard' referencing system. For information on where to find a copy, see "Where can I get a copy of 'Quote, Unquote'?"

A reference contains details of each source you have used. It must contain particular items, presented in a standardised format and all of the references in your list (known as a 'list of references' or a 'bibliography') must be consistent with each other. 'Quote, Unquote' recommends a style and gives examples of references for different types of sources.

Each source in your list of references or bibliography is listed only once, regardless of how many times it has been mentioned (cited) in the essay or assignment. The sources are listed in alphabetical author order (or title where that is used first in the reference) and there is usually no labelling of different types of material, such as a separate list of websites.

A short list of example references is available in print from the Libraries or you can download a PDF copy from Library Online.

Some subjects or courses will require these lists to be presented in different ways. Check requirements for your course.

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What's the difference between a bibliography and a list of references?

My tutor says I need a separate list of background reading - is this right?

The list of references or the bibliography (or both) comes at the end of your essay or assignment.

There are three possibilities for listing references:

A list of references giving full details of all the items you have cited in the text of your essay or assignment. Only sources which match citations in the text will be included.
A bibliography giving full details of all items cited in your text plus any other relevant items which you have consulted for background reading.
Two separate listings: a list of references which gives full details of all items cited in your text, plus a separate bibliography of background reading.

Which of these options you produce will depend on the conventions of the subject you are studying and any particular requirements of your course or module.

Accepted practice varies across subjects; take careful note of advice given in course documentation, or by your course tutors, on what is expected.

This advice is taken from 'Quote, Unquote' which is our guide to the 'Harvard' referencing system. For information on where to find a copy, see "Where can I get a copy of 'Quote, Unquote'?"

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Are quotations and citations within my assignment text included in the word count? What about the references at the end?

The usual convention is that every word within your actual text is counted. So quotations are counted. To reduce the number of words, make sure you use only highly relevant quotations. Citations in your text are usually counted. For example:

…Smith (1992) argued that… would count as four words.

The list of references or bibliography at the end of your assignment is not usually part of the word count. Nor are appendices.

However, there are variations in referencing practice across different subjects and courses. Check course documentation or any guidance you are given.

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I want to use the Turnitin plagiarism software

Turnitin is anti-plagiarism software which a tutor can use to check a student assignment against millions of journals, books, websites and other published resources. At Leeds Metropolitan University, Turnitin is used within the 'X-Stream' system. For more information on this - and on plagiarism in general - see the Plagiarism section.

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Skills Topics

Resource Collections

Frequently Asked Questions

Contents

1. Accessing Skills for Learning

2. Where can I find…?

3. Workshops and Tutorials

4. Need help with…?

5. Referencing and Plagiarism

Inserting the author's name and date of publication

Example

Where the author's name appears naturally in your work

Example