Study Skills links
Quick Links
- Writing Skills and Referencing Resources
- Maths and Numeracy Skills
- Statistics and Epidemiology Skills
- Library and Literature Searching Skills
- IT Skills
- General Study Skills
- Group Work
- Memory Skills
- Time Management
- Presentation Skills
- Research Skills
- Using the Internet
- Science Study Skills
- Searching Databases
- Research Degree Study Skills
- Other
NB For current students, please see the separate page for English Language Support resources (including details of the School's in-house English for Academic Purposes classes for London-based face-to-face students, and links to external UK-based English language courses and additional external electronic resources for all Distance Learning (DL) and London-based students).
Writing Skills and Referencing Resources
Click for a package of materials developed by LSHTM staff to help you develop your academic English writing skills* prior to progressing with your Distance Learning (DL) or London-based face-to-face course (which will be particularly important in essay-based modules and exams, and for your research project report). The materials include an online interactive self-assessment exercise in which you are provided with immediate feedback and links to further support available on external websites.
The School also has an Academic Writing Handbook* giving general guidance about how to write in the 'academic style' the School expects (relevant for all students, including DL and London-based students). The Library and Archive Services also maintain an Academic Writing Bundle with many useful links to aid you with any academic writing such as tips on planning, structure, style and composition.
Maths and Numeracy Skills
Click for a package of materials developed by LSHTM staff to help you refresh your basic maths skills* prior to progressing with your Distance Learning (DL) or London-based face-to-face modules (some of which will contain basic mathematical content - in particular those with 'Statistics' or 'Epidemiology' in the module title). The basic maths materials include an online interactive self-assessment exercise (in which you are provided with immediate feedback and solutions), PowerPoint slides and a Word document of notes, exercises and solutions.
You may also find the links below of use as well:
- Math Tutor - UK-based site with video tutorials on more than eighty topics, including diagnostics, summary text and exercises (with those on arithmetic and algebra of most relevance for the majority of LSHTM MSc students)
- The Math Forum@Drexel University - a good source to find online links to a number of topics
- Maths Online
- Learnthings.co.uk - contains basic maths worksheets and tests
- S-Cool A Level - includes a useful statistics section under The Basics
- S-Cool GCSE - useful for indices, percentages, approximations, graphs, representing data, probability & calculators
- BBC Maths GCSE Bitesize - useful for basic algebra and number (rounding & fractions)
- BBC Maths Key Stage 3 Bitesize - useful for formulae and rounding off
Statistics and Epidemiology Skills
All LSHTM Distance Learning (DL) and London-based face-to-face students will receive formal teaching on statistics and epidemiology, if these are required components of their courses. As pre-course reading, you may find the following book helpful:
- Rowntree D. Statistics without Tears: An Introduction for Non-Mathematicians. Penguin Books Ltd, England; 2000. ISBN-13: 978-0140136326
In addition, Professor Hans Rosling (co-founder of the Gapminder Institute), provides an interesting and useful one hour long video on ‘The Joy of Stats’ on his website:
If you are unable to watch the full video but would like to view, listen to, or read the transcript of the most relevant extracts from this video for your courses then click the following link to the Open University website compilation:
On this Open University website, the four extracted mini videos (3-5 minutes each) of most relevance for LSHTM students are:
- The Joy Of Stats: 200 countries, 200 years, 4 minutes
- The Joy Of Stats: Above average
- The Joy Of Stats: The Lady with a Data Visualisation
- The Joy Of Stats: Meaningless and meaningful correlations
In addition, there is a useful 3-4 minute introduction to ‘statistical distributions’ starting 20 minutes into the full video (available from http://www.gapminder.org/videos/the-joy-of-stats/), which would be best viewed after ‘The Joy Of Stats: Above average’ but before ‘The Joy Of Stats: The Lady With A Data Visualisation’.
Library and Literature Searching Skills
If you are a Distance Learning (DL) student, click for a brief introduction to LSHTM Library Services for DL students.* On any slides where you are prompted for your username and password, enter your Portal login details provided by the University of London International Programmes.
If you are a London-based student attending face-to-face classes, click for a guide through LSHTM Library Services and the associated training that is available. Enter your usual network login details in order to access any intranet web pages that you may be directed to.
The following resource has been developed by LSHTM Library staff to help you with searching the literature effectively (and is relevant for all DL and London-based students).*
IT Skills
For IT training materials to help guide you in the use of Microsoft Office applications (such as Word and Excel), bibliography database / reference manager applications, and in using the Internet, please click the following link:
http://intra.lshtm.ac.uk/its/ittraining/learningmaterials/ You will be prompted for your username and password (see below for details).
If you are a London-based student attending face-to-face classes then enter your usual network login details here in order to access the intranet.
If you are a Distance Learning (DL) student then enter your Portal login details here as provided by the University of London International Programmes.
General Study Skills
- Key Skills Online - University of Bath - a very comprehensive site
- University of Leeds - Study Skills - useful information on exam skills, writing skills, group work, voice presentation, listening skills, finding journals online etc.
- Study Guides and Strategies - comprehensive study skills advice
- Academic Skills Programme - University of Canberra - useful tips about lectures, critical reading etc.
Group Work
- Skills for Group Work - University of Bath
Memory Skills
- The Memory Page - extremely useful, a large amount of information is given & is easily located, includes tutorials, tip & tricks, further reading & study and activities
- Learning & Remembering - University of Waterloo - basic tips including learning & remembering, time management, listening & note taking, reading, concentration & distraction, preparation, revision and writing exams
Time Management
- Time Management Strategies for Improving Academic Performance - Virginia Tech
Includes a quiz to assess your time management skills - Improving Own Learning & Performance: Time Management - University of Surrey
Good all round guide, includes a time action form to help you focus on putting the tips into action
- Time Management Strategies for Improving Academic Performance - Virginia Tech
Presentation Skills
- Communications - University of Surrey - brief guide, including: "Gathering information", "Essay/Report writing", "Oral Presentations" and "Communicating Electronically"
Research Skills
- The Seven Steps of the Research Process - Cornell University Library - useful for literature reviews
Using the Internet
- Evaluating Web Pages: How and Why - UC Berkeley Library - some good notes on assessing the quality of a web page and tips on effective Internet searches.
- Intute - Online database of education and research resources on the web; selected, evaluated and described by subject specialists (collaboration between several UK universities).
- Intute Virtual Training suite - Internet tutorials for different disciplines (quite basic)
- Intute "Internet Detective" - General tutorial in using the Internet to help with research for coursework and assignments
- Evaluating Internet Health Information: A Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine - useful information about evaluating health information online
- Google Help Cheat Sheet - Google search tips
Science Study Skills
- How to Read a Paper: Papers that Report Diagnostic or Screening Tests - British Medical Journal - comprises a critical analysis of the statistical validity of a paper
- Instructions to Authors in the Health Sciences - Raymon H Mulford Library/ Universityof Toledo, Health Science Campus - easy & comprehensive instructions for authors
Searching Databases
- Searching databases effectively
- Quick Guide to PubMed - Short guide to using PubMed Medline
Research Degree Study Skills
- QAA PG Research Programme Code of Practice
- Writing & Presenting your Thesis or Dissertation - Michigan State University - from an American perspective so needs adapting to British situation. Includes some useful hints for the different stages of your PhD
- How to Write a PhD Thesis - University of New South Wales - available in French & Spanish
Other
- How Literature is Structured - Cornell University
- Copyright Licensing Agency
- LSHTM Library Web Links
If you have any comments about this page or come across any broken links, please contact Hazel Young in the Quality & Management Team.
* The study skills materials on this web page that are marked with an asterisk (*) have been developed by staff of LSHTM specifically for LSHTM MSc students (and tailored to their needs), with copyright held by LSHTM. Those outside of LSHTM may also find a selection of these materials to be of some interest. The sharing of these LSHTM study skills materials is covered by the following creative commons licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/