The Library holds a small selection of digitised dissertations which are available to view online (you may need to log in to GCULearn). Previous examples may also be available by contacting your department directly.
For help around format, structure and layout we recommend contacting the Learning Development Centre (LDC) within your School. They can also help with skills related to academic writing and critical analysis/thinking.
Not all databases will host the full text of the article you need. Here are some tips to help you locate the the fulltext article
Watch our short video for more help.
This video demonstrates how to find and access the full text of journal articles.
You can request a journal article or a book not available in our Library stock via our Inter-library loan (ILL) service. View our Inter-library loan webpages using the link below for more details on how to submit a request and contact details for ILL team.
Journal articles, conference papers and book chapters are supplied electronically where possible but some processing time is required for ILL requests so we recommend factoring this in to your time management for your assignment/dissertation or honours project.
Help and support on the ILL process including frequently asked questions are also available on our ILL webpages.
Statistics, data and figures are useful to back up ideas, opinions and provide evidence.
Statistics are a type of information generally presented in numbers.
Statistics can be presented in the body of your text:
74% of the world's population has access to clean drinking water (World Health Organization, 2022).
Statistics can also be represented graphically, such as in a table or chart:
(Scottish Government, 2022, p.41)
You must cite and reference any statistics the same as with any other information source.
Scottish Government (2022) The Scottish Health Survey: 2021 edition. Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-health-survey-2021-volume-1-main-report/ (Accessed: 11 November 2022).
World Health Organization (2022) World Health Statistics 2022. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240051157 (Accessed: 11 November 2022).
You can use statistics to:
Statistics are published in a wide variety of places. Some organisations, such as the Office for National Statistics, collate statistics and publish them in reports. Other statistics are available in organisational reports and publications.
Statistics can often be misrepresented or used without context in the media. If you are using a source that has quoted a statistic from somewhere else, you should always find the original source of the statistic.
If you are unsure who is publishing statistics on your topic, you can do a Google search to see what is out there. For example, if you Google 'climate change statistics Scotland', you will find a report from the Scottish Government about greenhouse gas emissions.
It is very important to evaluate the source of any statistics you find to judge whether they are credible and suitable for your academic assignments.
International bodies like the United Nations and the World Bank are a good source of generic statistics like demographic information.
You might also consider professional bodies like BCS or ACM for subject specific statistics.
Look at the Scottish Government or Local Authority websites for location specific information.
Charities and non-governmental organisations can also be a good source of research and statistics.
For industry and company specific information check out IBISWorld - a great source of industry overviews and market sector information.
