October

“Be more critical”. Perhaps the most common piece of feedback, but one of the least well explained. It’s the most important skill you can develop, as it's often seen as a marker of intelligence, credibility and trustworthiness, both in academic work and far beyond it.

Have you ever sat in a lecture and tried to write down everything the lecturer says? Took notes from textbook by copying out paragraphs? There are quicker and better ways.

Most of us spend our lives navigating information produced by other people’s decisions. While we rarely see how those decisions were made, they shape what, remains hidden, and what becomes visible and positioned as knowledge.

People don’t change their minds because they are presented with facts alone. The most compelling arguments are those that enable others to see why adopting a particular perspective is in their interest, whether that means gaining benefits, avoiding costs, or solving important problems.

Discover the range of library resources, research tools, and expert guidance available to support you throughout your research journey.

Principles of open research and its role in collaboration and impact.

A beautifully written, well-argued and thoughtful piece of work quickly becomes an average piece if it uses sources that are unreliable, irrelevant, or otherwise inappropriate.

Structure, style, and formatting guidance for theses and research reports.

Find out all about the great reference management tools available for researchers at Keele.

Universities produce knowledge, but they are not the only organisations trying to understand the world. Governments, businesses, charities, and think tanks all produce research that also shapes policy, professional practice, and public debate.

A common problem of academic writing is having too much to say - but adding every idea, every bit of evidence, and too much nuance often weakens an essay, as it threatens the piece’s coherence. And coherence matters more than coverage in academic writing.

Every citation tells a story about who is trusted, whose ideas are valued, and how knowledge develops over time. Join the Library Education Centre team for a seminar on scholarship, authority, and attribution.

“Be more critical”. Perhaps the most common piece of feedback, but one of the least well explained. It’s the most important skill you can develop, as it's often seen as a marker of intelligence, credibility and trustworthiness, both in academic work and far beyond it.

Join our Writing Retreat, designed for postgraduate researchers and staff who want to dedicate focused time to their writing. This two-hour session offers a structured and supportive environment to help you make progress on your thesis, article, or research project—away from everyday distractions.

Have you ever sat in a lecture and tried to write down everything the lecturer says? Took notes from textbook by copying out paragraphs? There are quicker and better ways.