Art and design blog

Do you ever find yourself wondering what the best way is to keep track of your references? If so, check out our new Referencing Management Software guide.

This guide introduces the reference management tools available to you at the University of Sunderland and provides clear step-by-step guidance for beginners in using the software.

Reference management software is a helpful tool for managing your references particularly when you have a large number of references, but it's important you always review the references it creates. These tools are not a replacement for knowing how to reference. Always use Cite Them Right to check the references are accurate in whatever document you are including them in.

If you need a refresher on the basics of referencing, check out our introductory guide to Referencing. 
 

Through our Sage Catalyst subscription, we have access to a range of books on research methods.

Log in to Sage Catalyst and select 'Research Methods and Evaluation'.

Titles include:

• An adventure in statistics
• Evaluating research
• How to do your research project
• Information visualisation
• Introduction to research methods
• Research design
• Visual methodologies
• and so many more

Head online, login and happy reading!

Through our Sage Catalyst subscription, we have access to a range of ebooks on study skills.

Titles include:

• Your Guide to Wellbeing at University
• The Essential Guide to Building Your Argument
• From Wellbeing to Welldoing
• Be a Brilliant Dyslexic Student
• Essential Study Skills
• Productivity and Publishing
• How to Think
• Create Your Research Poster
• and much more....

Head online, login and get reading!

The University of Sunderland Library Services web site brings you a new feature called 'Collections', which replaces our monthly new book lists for all subject areas.

Previously, our new book lists have been included within our Library Reading Lists web page, and have been a way to showcase new title purchases over the academic year. These reading lists which were updated monthly reflected the continuing development of our library collections as subject areas evolve.

Collections are embedded into our Library Search, which brings with it new features that will prove useful to students and staff looking to make use of our latest titles, including the ability to pin both the collection and individual books to your 'My Favourites' within your library account.

New book collections are continuously updated as new titles are purchased, meaning you are able to view our latest titles as soon as they are available. We hope that you find Collections a useful addition to our library services.

Visit this link to access the New Books Collection for the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries now. 

Are you a student interested in developing your skills in academic writing, critical reflection, managing stress and much more?

Are you a member of academic staff wanting to develop your module reading lists to include resources on study skills?

Explore our new Study Skills book collection which pulls together books on many different aspects of study skills.

The library subscribes to Convergence (the international journal of research into new media technologies) from 1999 to the present day, with online access from 2018 onwards.

This academic journal is internationally peer-reviewed and aims to encourage and advance interdisciplinary enquiry into contemporary convergent media and allied innovative technologies.

Articles in recent issues include:

• A Special Issue on Digital Expressions of self
• QR codes during the pandemic
• Microstock images of artificial intelligence
• Digital reproducibility in locative media
• Sexualising characteristics of adolescent on TikTok

Hop onto Library Search to get stuck into this journal.

Naomi Austin, one of our Senior Lecturers in Fashion at the University of Sunderland, recommends two of our library databases to her fashion students.

“I’d recommend IBISWorld for industry data on the fashion industry (manufacture, wholesale, retail etc.) and Euromonitor for market sector (consumer trends, consumer spend, market and industry stats, turnover and the like). Using these resources ensures you have access to clear and current statistics which means that you can understand the market at a professional level.”

On IBISWorld, each industry report provides detailed performance data and analysis on the market, supply chain, operating strengths and weaknesses, external drivers, major player market strategies, industry profit and cost structure benchmarks.

Euromonitor focusses its Industry analysis across consumer goods and services, including market performance, market size, company and brand shares and profiles of leading companies and brands.

There are excellent help videos provided by each of the databases which will help you navigate around the system and find the information you want for your research.

Let's have a look at some of our books on gaming design:

• Bang (2016) Picture this: how pictures work
• Barker, Smith and Attwood (2021) Watching Game of Thrones: how audiences engage with dark television
• Galuzin (2016) Preproduction blueprint: how to plan game environments and level designs
• Lemarchand (2021) A playful production process: for game designers (and everyone)
• Lengyel (2016) Foundations of game engine development. Volume 1 - Mathematics
• Lengyel (2019) Foundations of game engine development. Volume 2 - Rendering
• Rogers (2019) Understanding esports: an introduction to the global phenomenon

Our Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries Creative Lives talks offer many examples of how creative professionals live, work and thrive in the arts and creative industries. You will gain an insight into the creative process and career routes through a series of talks from local and nationally-renowned practitioners at different career stages, many of whom are University of Sunderland alumni. You’ll hear from artists, designers, makers, photographers, curators, filmmakers, and much more.

These online talks are open to all students and staff in the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries, as well as other member of the university and the general public. There’s no need to book individual places, just join online on the day - Tuesdays at 4pm online.

• 30th January - Paul Raymond
• 6th February - Jill McKnight
• 13th February - Sophie Buxton
• 20th February - Ross Millard
• 27th February - Mark Duffy
• 5th March - Vicky Higginson
• 12th March - Dominic Wilcox
• 16th April - Laura Brewis

Please join us via this link – Click here to join the meetings.

The joy of our library resources is that you can research topics of interest from multiple sources and compare and contrast what you find.

For example, the Tate Modern London is currently exhibiting 'A World In Common: Contemporary African Photography', bringing together 36 artists who use photography to reimagine Africa’s place in the world. It is inspired by the continent’s rich cultural traditions, as well as present-day social and political realities. 

If you're visiting London you can visit the exhibition in person, and there is a really useful guide to the exhibition on the Tate web site. 

However, through the University library you can also borrow the Exhibition Catalogue which is an extremely vivid catalogue which textual entries complementing the images. Suzie Williams, our Academic Liaison Librarian for the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries has read the catalogue and has discovered lots about the artists, their work and their message.

The exhibition was also featured on 'Sunday Brunch' on Channel 4, which current students and staff can watch through our subscription to Box of Broadcasts (log in with your Univeristy login details to watch this clip).

VADS, the Visual Arts Data Service, is an online resource with over 140,000 images from over 300 art and design collections in the UK. These images are free to use for non-commercial use in education providing that you give appropriate acknowledgement through your referencing.

Images cover many areas in the visual arts including fine art, media, design, applied arts and fashion. To check how you can use these images, explore the FAQ section which gives clear advice to ensure you use the images in an appropriate manner.

Remember that you can use Cite Them Right, the university’s referencing tool, to ensure you reference all your sources correctly.

These resources are really valuable when researching for your assignments.

Euromonitor focusses its industry analysis across consumer goods and services, including market performance, market size, company and brand shares and profiles of leading companies and brands. For example, fashion students may want to research market sector data on consumer trends and spending.

The Fashion History Timeline is an open-access source for fashion history knowledge, featuring objects and artworks from over a hundred museums and libraries that span the globe. The Timeline website offers well-researched, accessibly written entries on artworks, garments, films and specific time periods, for those interested in fashion and dress history.

IBISWorld provides industry intelligence that analyses the environment of over 400 UK industries. Each industry report provides detailed performance data and analysis on the market, leading competitors, operating strengths and weaknesses, external drivers, major player market strategies, industry profit and cost structure benchmarks. For example, you can access industry data on the fashion industry on manufacture, wholesale and retail.

World Global Style Network is an online style gallery. The first time you use it, you will need to set up an account with your university email address (username@sunderland.ac.uk).