Research & Writing Tips: Critical Analysis

This video is from the University of Leicester and looks at what it means to be a "critical student". It explains the principles of critical thinking in a clear and straightforward way.

Research & Writing Tips: PAD Student interview: Dissertation writing

Here's a video from PAD of a student being interviewed about what she did to prepare for her dissertation over the summer vacation - lot's of good, sensible advice.

Research & Writing Tips: How to Write A Literature Review

This is a video from North Carolina Stae University Libraries. It is aimed at graduate students (Masters & PhD) however the things it has to say about what literature reviews are and how you go about evaluating the literature are just as relevent for undergraduates.

Research & Writing Tips: Creating A Research Question

Here's a video by Jill Ostrow on creating a research question. This video is from America and is aimed at education students but the advice she gives about what makes a good research question is applicable to all subjects.

Bedfordshire Refugee Week 18th - 24th June 2012

18th - 24th June 2012 is Refugee Week. Its purpose is to deliver positive educational messages that counter fear, ignorance and negative stereotypes of refugees, through arts, cultural and educational events that celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK and promote understanding about the reasons why people seek sanctuary.



Events to support Refugee Week are taking place across Bedfordshire in the following ways:


Monday 18th June:
Launch of Refugee Week Refugee - Look out for banner on silver street in the Harpur Square shopping area.

Tuesday 19th June:  
All day: There will be a market stall near the Bedford central library.

7.00pm: An Evening with Damien Lewis Bedford Central Library Tuesday 19th June 2012 - 7.00pm

Juice bar and light refreshments from 6.00pm

Free tickets available at Bedford Central Library

Damien Lewis has spent twenty years reporting from war, disaster and conflict zones around the world, chiefly as a TV journalist but also writing for the quality press. He has written a dozen non-fiction and fictional books, topping bestseller lists worldwide, and is published in some thirty
languages. He was recently chosen as one of Britain’s ‘twenty favourite authors’ for the
Government’s World Book Day, and his books have won a number of prestigious awards. Two of his books are being made into feature films, with a number of others presently under development, and one of his books is being produced as a stage play.

Some examples of his collaborations include: Little Daughter with Zoya Phan,
Tears of the Desert: one woman's true story of surviving the horrors of Darfur
with Halima Bashir, Slave with Mende Nazer.

Thursday 21st June:
At the University’s Luton, Park Square, Campus Centre.

Head of the Department of Applied Social Studies Professor Ravi Kohli, will discuss his work with Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children.

Junior Badila, an asylum seeker from the Congo will share his extraordinary story.

The British Red Cross will look at the difficult yet rewarding process of tracking down and reuniting family members who have been separated.

The film In This World, a story about two asylum seeking making their way to London from Pakistan, will be shown and there will be a chance to discuss the film with screenwriter Tony Grisoni, who also wrote the screenplay for the classic film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Jonathan Ellis from City of Sanctuary will look at how Luton and Bedford can be sanctuaries for those seeking asylum. City of Sanctuary is a movement to build a culture of hospitality for people seeking sanctuary in the UK.

Sunday 24th June: 12pm:
Family Football Fun Day Alexander Sports Centre, Sidney Road, Bedford.  5-a-side football tournament (adults only) plus a full programme of activities for children (and mums!) to ensure fun for all the family. Activities will include beat the keeper, hit the cross bar and other challenges. Please contact Bob Bridle on 01234 791145 to register, or email bob.bridle@bpha.org.uk.

'Shocking discrimination' in mental health services

NHS managers in England have been accused of "shocking discrimination" in commissioning mental health services.

The Mental Health Policy Group from the London School of Economics said three-quarters of people with depression or anxiety got no treatment.

The committee of senior academics and medical professionals described this as a "real scandal".
Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said mental health should be treated as seriously as physical health issues.

The committee is headed by economist Professor Lord Richard Layard and includes some of the country's most eminent mental health experts.

You can read more on this story here.

Unpaid carers being 'let down by failing social care'

The UK's "army of unpaid carers" is being "let down" by the failing social care system, campaigners warn.

Eight leading charities, including Age UK and Carers UK, have joined together to highlight the plight they face under the umbrella of Carers Week.

Feedback from 3,400 carers showed those providing the most intensive care often ended up with health problems themselves.

The government said there was now extra funding to allow carers' breaks. It is estimated that one in six carers either give up work or reduce their hours to look after elderly friends and relatives or younger adults with disabilities.

Read more on this story on the BBC News website here.

'Weaknesses' in how children's homes help runaways revealed

"Serious weaknesses" in England's care system have been revealed by a report which found children's homes failed to protect runaways, the children's minister says.

An investigation by MPs found placing youngsters far from home could encourage them to abscond - leaving them then at risk of sexual abuse.

Their report calls for an independent investigation into the homes system. Children's Minister Tim Loughton said "urgent steps" would be taken.Much of the criticism by the all-party parliamentary groups on children in care and on runaways and missing people focuses on homes where about 5,000 of the 65,000 of those in care are looked after.

The report, which was first highlighted by BBC Two's Newsnight programme earlier this month, says the system of residential care is "not fit for purpose" for children who go missing. It says many older children who have complex needs are placed in residential care that is poor quality and unsuitable, often a long way from home, family and friends.

You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here.

Research & Writing Tips : How to Choose a Topic for a Dissertation

Here's a useful video on choosing a suitable topic for your dissertation.

It's from the USA and this lady is talking about a dissertation for a BA in English but the advice she gives about choosing a topic that's neither too broad nor too narrow holds good no matter what subject you're studying.

Elderly Denied NHS Care Can Sue

Age discrimination by NHS hospitals is to be outlawed, ministers have announced.

From October, elderly patients will have the right to sue if they have been denied care based on age alone, says Care Minister Paul Burstow.

This will not mean patients can demand any treatment they want. Care decisions will still be judged according to clinical need by doctors. But NHS staff will have a legal duty to consider wellbeing and dignity.

You can read the full story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18407768

Children Exploit Alcohol Loophole Claims MP

Claims children are exploiting inadequate age-checks to buy alcohol online are to be taken up with the Home Office by a Devon MP.

Dr Sarah Wollaston said research suggests websites are offering alcohol with "no discernible" identity check.
In a report by Serve Legal, there is an indication of a rise in high street retailers asking for ID.

As a result however, teenagers have been switching to the internet to buy alcohol, the report said.
The research, analysed by Plymouth University, showed the number of shops asking for proof of age had gone up from 55% in 2007 to 71% by 2010.

You can read the full story on the BBC News website here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-18420477

Document Supply

Photograph by JLZ

Still on the subject of dissertations: whilst doing your summer research you may well come across useful materials that the library doen't have in stock. Fear not! You may still be able to obtain them by using our document supply service.

You can find out more about the document supply service and how to use it by going to this page: Document Supply.

Visiting Other Libraries

Photograh by Paul Lowry

Over the summer many of you may be doing some reading to prepare for your dissertations.

If you live a long way from the University of Bedfordshire's libraries (or even if you live close by) you may find it useful to visit other university libraries in search of useful material.

The University of Bedfordshire is a member of the SCONUL scheme which allows our students to use other participating libraries for reference purposes or may even allow you to borrow material if you are a distance learner, placement student or postgraduate researcher.

You can find out which libraries you can use by going to the SCONUL website here.

You will need to fill in the SCONUL Access Form and get it authorised by the University of Bedfordshire Library before you can obtain a SCONUL Access Card which must be presented to the other library when you visit along with your student ID card.

Internet Detective

Do you sometimes struggle to evaluate the information that you find on the web?

If so then why not try the Internet Detective? It's a free interactive tutorial which helps you to find good quality information, how to evaluate it - and which websites are best avoided!

Check it out here: Internet Detective

5 tips on how to start a conversation about mental health

New research commissioned by Time To Change, the mental health anti-stigma programme run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness reveals that talking in cliches does nothing to help sufferers to talk openly about their problems.

“Pull Yourself Together” tops the cliche chart but in this new video individuals who've experienced such awkward and demoralising conversations explain that mental health doesn’t have to be a scary or difficult subject.

Number Of People working Past Pension's Age Doubled Over Last 20 Years

The number of people working beyond state pension age has almost doubled to 1.4 million in the past 20 years.

The Office for National Statistics said that numbers were relatively stable until 2000 but then increased to a peak of 1.45 million in 2010.

A third of older workers were self-employed, compared with 13% of those below the state pension age, while older employees were twice as likely to be working part-time than be in full-time posts.

The ONS said those remaining in the labour market over state pension age worked fewer hours, possibly helped by the financial support of their state pension and other pension arrangements, allowing them to fit their work around other engagements.

Of the 1.4 million older workers above state pension age, 39% were men and 61% were women.

Click here to calculate your state pension age.

Child Abuse 'Rife' Across England Says Deputy Children's Comissioner

MPs are to investigate the sexual exploitation of children, after an expert warned abuse was taking place "all over the country".

Deputy Children Comissioner, Sue Berelowitz told the Commons home affairs committee on Tuesday that thousands, not hundreds, of children in England were being abused and that "it was common" for girls lured out by predators on internet chat rooms to be gang raped by groups of boys. 

In her graphic account, which left MPs visibly shocked, she said the sex grooming case in Rochdale, in which Pakistani men were exploiting young white girls, was just part of a much wider picture that involved victims and abusers of all races and cultures.

And she revealed that young people were acting out scenes they saw in online pornography and organising abuse via social networking sites and messaging systems.

"What I am uncovering is that sexual exploitation of children is happening all over the country," she told the cross-party committee.

"As one police officer who was the lead in a very big investigation in a very lovely, leafy, rural part of the country said to me: 'there isn't a town, village or hamlet in which children are not being sexually exploited.

The Commons Home Affairs Committee promised an inquiry into the claims.

You can read more on this story on the BBC News site here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18422204

Child neglect calls to NSPCC double over past two years - 6/11/2012 - Community Care

Reports to the NSPCC's helpline about child neglect have doubled over the past two years to reach record levels, the charity has revealed.

From April 2011 to March 2012, NSPCC counsellors dealt with over 12,000 calls and emails about neglect from the public. In 8,600 of these cases, the involvement of police or social services was required.

The NSPCC has warned that the sharp increase in reported neglect cases is placing additional pressure on already stretched children's services. Dr Ruth Gardner, head of the NSPCC's neglect programme, said more research was needed on why the increase had occurred.She added:

"Eileen Munro highlighted in her review of social work the importance of acting quickly to tackle neglect, before problems spiral out of control. But social workers tell us they need better tools and training to help them identify and tackle neglect earlier."

Child neglect calls to NSPCC double over past two years - 6/11/2012 - Community Care

Sexually Exploited Children Are At Further Risk In Care Says Barnardo's

Children who have been sexually exploited and trafficked are being put in further danger because of a dire lack of trained foster carers, children's charity Barnardo's has warned.

The most vulnerable children are left in residential care or secure units where they are at greater risk from groomers and traffickers, according to the charity.

Taking action after nine men were jailed for grooming young girls for sex in Rochdale, the Department of Education has announced new funding for a specialist foster care scheme in an attempt to tackle the problem, but Barnardo's argues that more must be done.

"Without a doubt the system is completely failing children in residential care. This idea that you can gather large numbers of vulnerable children together in one place acts as a magnet to abusers – you might as well put up a neon sign saying get your most vulnerable children here," said Anne-Marie Carrie, chief executive of Barnardo's.

You can read more on this story on The Guardian's website here.

Social workers 'may need powers of entry to stop abuse' - 6/6/2012 - Community Care

Action on Elder Abuse has launched a consultation on whether professionals need powers to enter homes and intervene where they suspect a vulnerable adult is being abused and access to them is blocked.

Existing powers in England may be inadequate for tackling cases where an adult with mental capacity, who does not have a mental disorder, is suspected of being abused in their own home by a family member who is preventing professionals from talking to the alleged victim, and coercing or unduly influencing the victim into staying quiet.

"Even if such situations are limited, the challenge for safeguarding remians as to how a situation can be assessed or judged if it is not possible to physically gain access to the alleged victim," said the consultation paper.

You can read the full news item on the Community Care website here:

Social workers 'may need powers of entry to stop abuse' - 6/6/2012 - Community Care

Social Mobility & Ethnicity in the UK

Dr Neil Smith, Research Fellow at the Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine has made a special blog post on the Inequalities blog in which he reviews the evidence, including his own on the links between ethnicity and life chances in the UK and why this matters in the drive to improve social mobility.

He has found:

In March 2012, we heard that over a half of the UK’s Black youths aged between 16 and 24 were unemployed – a finding that is indicative of the persistence of ethnic inequalities in the labour market.

The latest figures highlight the failure of recent attempts at sending equally qualified school leavers into the market to compete at the same levels, regardless of social or ethnic background But one criticism of the crude analysis of the ONS data above is the lack of information surrounding the social and economic backgrounds of the unemployed Black youths. Is it ethnicity that determines the labour market successes, or is it instead education and class background?


You can read the full blog post here: http://inequalitiesblog.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/social-mobility-and-ethnicity-in-the-uk/

Concerns Over Children's Advertising Continue

A year after an official review into the way advertisers market 'inappropriate' products to children, parents are still concerned by the issue.

A survey by the Chartered Institute of Marketing found that 90% of parents expressed worries over advertising and most had no idea about the Government's dedicated complaints site, called Parent Port.

A short video about this issue is availabe to view on the BBC News website here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18337194

Experts Warn Health Risks of Cannabis 'Underestimated'

Experts are warning that the public dangerously underestimates the health risks linked to smoking cannabis.

The British Lung Foundation carried out a survey of 1,000 adults and found a third wrongly believed cannabis did not harm health. And 88% incorrectly thought tobacco cigarettes were more harmful than cannabis ones - when the risk of lung cancer is actually 20 times higher.

Latest figures show that 30% of 16-59 year-olds in England and Wales have used cannabis in their lifetimes.

A new report from the BLF says there are established scientific links between smoking cannabis and tuberculosis, acute bronchitis and lung cancer. Part of the reason for this, say the experts, is that people smoking cannabis take deeper puffs and hold them for longer than when smoking tobacco cigarettes.

Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the BLF said: "It is alarming that, while new research continues to reveal the multiple health consequences of smoking cannabis, there is still a dangerous lack of public awareness of quite how harmful this drug can be.

"This is not a niche problem - cannabis is one of the most widely-used recreational drugs in the UK, with almost a third of the population having tried it.

"We therefore need a serious public health campaign - of the kind that has helped raise awareness of the dangers of eating fatty foods or smoking tobacco - to finally dispel the myth that smoking cannabis is somehow a safe pastime."

The BLF's report says there should be a public education programme to raise awareness of the impact of smoking cannabis and increased investment in research into the health consequences of its use.

The full report: The Impact of Cannabis on Your Lungs, which covers both the health risks and includes statistics on its use in the UK is freely available to download here.