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Reading Lists Online: A Student Guide

There are different styles of reading lists

Your reading lists will be structured in different ways depending on the module.  They may be organised by:

  • Weekly readings explaining which materials you need to read, watch or listen to for each lecture and seminar
  • Topic or theme
  • Key resources that you are expected to use throughout the module

The amount of resources on a list can vary between different modules, subject areas and levels of study.  Please speak to your module leader if you need help with planning and prioritising your reading. 

How to access resources

To access a resource on a list, click on the item title. 

Here you are able to see information on where to locate the item e.g. the library record for book or a link to the eBook. You can also check if the library has other formats and editions of the title by selecting the 'View other formats/ editions' link. 

Click on the View Online button to go to the full text of electronic resources.

Please see the below example image, here you can see the details of a book listed on a reading list:

Example image, showing the details of a book listed on a reading list.

A reading list can have different types of resources

Reading lists aren't just for books!  They may contain a variety of different resources including:

  • eBooks and print books
  • Digitised reading (scanned extracts of key reading)
  • Journal articles
  • Web pages
  • Podcasts
  • Documentaries
  • Films

Item importance

Items on your reading lists may have an ‘importance’ rating. This is decided by your module lecturer and demonstrates how important it is for you to engage with this item throughout your module.  

It can be really useful to refer to the importance of items on a list, when planning and prioritising your reading. 

  • Essential – you must read items marked as ‘essential reading’. These items are considered key to aiding understanding module content.  
  • Background – you are strongly encouraged to read items which are marked as a ‘background reading’. Engaging with these items will help students develop greater knowledge and understanding of the module.  
  • Optional – these titles have been added to the list to help you with further reader around the subject area.  
  • Suggestion for purchase - your tutor has identified these items as being useful for you to purchase individually and have their own copies of. These are usually key texts that are heavily used and referred to throughout the module. 

The image below shows an example 'Essential' item on a reading list:

Example image showing an 'essential' item on a reading list.

How to navigate your reading list

You can use the navigation bar at the top of your list to help find specific items.

Please see the below example image of a navigation bar:

Table of contents You can use the table of contents menu to quickly select and go to the list section you need.  This is especially useful for long lists!  
Type The type of resource menu will help you filter your list by certain types of resources.  For example, if you knew your lecturer recommended a video but you can't remember the title, then you can select “type: video” to find it.  
Filter

The filter function on your reading list can help you find exactly what you need.  You can filter by:

  • Online resources or physical resources depending on how you want to access the information. 
  • Reading intention or status. This way you can filter out the resources you have read or don’t intend to read. This can help if you are finding your list too long or overwhelming and want to focus on what’s relevant to your reading. 
  • Importance. Your module leader will often mark things to indicate their importance to your learning. Some things may be essential to read, background or optional. There may be a few items that have been suggested for your own purchase. 
Search You can find a search box in the top right corner of your reading list.  You can use the search box to search for author, title, keyword to quickly find what you are looking for in the list. You can clear a search by clicking ‘ clear search’ on the right side of the yellow box.