Our new tool allows you to find and browse scholarly journals that we subscribe to in your subject area and keep up to date with the latest research.

Access Browzine directly from the “Browse Journals” link on the Discovery home page, or select “Browse articles in this journal” from search results. 

Then browse journals in your subject areas and register for an account to add journals to your ‘Bookshelf’. You can also download an app for iOS and Android, which will alert you when new issues of the journals on your bookshelf are available.   

Anyone who has been to one of our classes on Literature Searching will be aware of the importance of evaluating information – and its source – for your academic work. This is also important in your day to day life as well, especially if you get most of your information from social media. When reading anything online, take a moment to stop and follow this guide. If the story sounds suspicious, you can also use fact checking sites like Snopes and Full Fact.

Here is some updated advice following the latest round of Phishing emails, with subject lines such as ‘Email De-activation Request’ or ‘Important Doc’.

When you receive a suspicious email, stop and take a moment to think about:

• Who
• Why
• What
• When 
• Where

1. Who and why: Check the sender and the logic of their request

Most of the time a spam email will come from an unfamiliar organisational email address. However, if it is from a recognised email address, you need to be extra cautious and report it immediately to the owner or the email administrator to verify it.

In the recent case, where staff and student accounts were compromised, the sender appears as a genuine HWU user. In that case, consider whether it’s reasonable that a fellow student or teaching member of staff is asking you to verify your IT account details.

2. What: Read the message

Don’t ever fall to trickeries stated in the email example like a link asking for a reset password which you don’t request, quizzes that require you to login or asking for your digital signature. Always be sure that the email is legitimate before proceeding to click any links in it. If in doubt, check with ithelp@hw.ac.uk in the first instance.

Never feel so rushed into doing something in a hurry. Think what you’re being asked to do. In general terms, deleting a message is the safest course of action after reading and considering the contents of an unexpected email.

4. Where is it taking you: Got an attachment or link? Look out!

Attachments may contained malware and viruses. Again, be vigilant and always ensure the email that you received is legitimate and from a trustable source. Check (hover over or right click on a link) to see where it is you are being sent. If the web address is unfamiliar or in any way suspicious, don’t go there. If you do arrive at a strange site though, never enter your Heriot Watt credentials in any of the forms there.

5. When: Report it, immediately

If you are unsure don’t wait but please report any suspicious email right away to IT by attaching the email and send it to Abuse@hw.ac.uk. If you think your account has been compromised, don’t delay and please seek assistance immediately from ITHelp@hw.ac.uk

If you think you have received a spam or phishing email:

DON’T click on any links or open any attachments

DO forward the email to abuse@hw.ac.uk and delete it

Today marks the start of Libraries Week 2018. We’ll be writing all week about how you can maintain your digital wellbeing, whether that’s how to spot a phishing scam or how to manage your ‘Digital Footprint’. Today, we wanted to focus on some of the ways in which we work with Student Wellbeing Services to support you.

Bibliotherapy Guide.

We worked with the Student Wellbeing Services to develop the Bibliotherapy Guide as a list of self-help books, websites and other resources on a range of topics. It’s constantly being developed, but if you have anything you’d like to suggest do contact us at LibHelp@hw.ac.uk.

Power Hours. 

Wellbeing Services have been running sessions as part of the Power Hours programme on the Edinburgh Campus for close to 10 years. For example, this week they are running the following sessions on the Edinburgh Campus:

Self Care and Your Studies: Tuesday 9 October, 15.30 – 17:00.

This session focuses on how to manage your wellbeing and how to deal with the challenges and stresses of students life. Run by the Student Counselling Service, this workshop will provide an opportunity to think about your work/life balance, discover resources and gather helpful tips to enhance your University experience.

How to Stop Putting Things Off: Friday 12 October, 12:15 – 13:15, Anderson Room .

Putting things off until tomorrow? Avoiding completing tasks altogether? Feeling de-motivated? Putting off or delaying starting work can result in us feeling more stressed and under pressure, yet we can find ourselves repeating this behaviour time and time again. This workshop will explore: the reasons why we put things off, what we can do about it and ideas to help with motivation and “getting started”.

To book, visit the Power Hours website 

To find out more about what Student Wellbeing Services are doing on your campus, visit their webpages.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No? Maybe it’s the International Space Station.

Nasa’s Spot the Station website will let you know when you can expect to see the Space Station (ISS) in your area and gives you tips on how to identify it. It also has some beautiful images taken on the ISS which are well worth a look.

Are the skies near you too cloudy to see anything? Stellarium is an open source programme that allows you to see the stars as if there is no interference from clouds, light or even the atmosphere.