Skills Focus Workshops: Home

• AI tools for university work

• Academic honesty: Avoiding pitfall that lead to misconduct

• Accessing business databases and researching company information

• Citing and referencing (using APA or Harvard style referencing)  

• Correlations with SPSS

• Developing a successful search strategy

• Editing your work

• Exam techniques

• FactCheck: Recognising fake news

• Getting Started with SPSS

• Finding information for your assignments             

• Internet searching for research

• Managing Referencing with Bibliographic Software

• Optimising Google Scholar

• Organising your research and planning for the essay/report 

• Paraphrasing techniques

• Reading effectively

• Researching resources for Law

• Revision Strategies

• Structuring your writing

• Time management 

• Thematic Analysis

• Using feedback to improve academic performance

• Using AI to find academic resources

Click here to register

2025-24 Autum term workshops 

October 2025

• Monday 6th October – Citing and Referencing (Harvard Style) – Laura Barber (12pm–1pm). The evening session  (6pm–7pm) has been posponed until Monday 13 th October

• Tuesday 7th October – Citing and Referencing (APA Style) – Laura Barber (12pm–1pm & 6pm–7pm)

• Wednesday 8th October – Time Management – Siobhan McNiff (3.30pm–4.30pm)

• Tuesday 14th October – Finding Information for Your Assignment – Abigail Cruz (12pm–1pm & 6pm–7pm)

• Wednesday 15th October – Reading Effectively – Siobhan McNiff (3.30pm–4.30pm)

• Tuesday 28th October – Generative AI Tools for University Work – Abigail Cruz (12pm–1pm & 6pm–7pm)

• Wednesday 29th October - Organising your research and planning for the assignment – Siobhan McNiff (3.30pm–4.30pm)

November 2025

• Monday 3rd November  – Using AI to Supercharge Research – Laura Barber (12pm–1pm & 6pm–7pm)

• Wednesday 5th November – Structuring Your Writing – Siobhan McNiff (3.30pm–4.30pm)

• Thursday 6th November – Internet Searching for Research – Abigail Cruz (12pm–1pm & 6pm–7pm)

• Monday 10th November - SPECIAL TRAIN YOUR BRAIN SESSION ADDED! From overwhelmed to organised - Optimising revision and assessments with NotebookLM - Joseph Limeta (12pm-1pm)

• Tuesday 11th November – Accessing Business Databases – Abigail Cruz (12pm–1pm & 6pm–7pm)

• Wednesday 12th November – Paraphrasing Techniques – Zainab Raza (3.30pm–4.30pm)

• Monday 17th November – Building Effective Prompts for AI – Joseph (12pm–1pm & 6pm–7pm)

• Wednesday 19th November – Thematic Analysis – Zainab Raza (3.30pm–4.30pm)

• Tuesday 25th November – Citing and Referencing (Harvard Style) – Laura Barber (12pm–1pm & 6pm–7pm)

• Wednesday 26th November – Getting Started with SPSS – Zainab Raza (3.30pm–4.30pm)

• Thursday 27th November – Researching Resources for Law – Abigail Cruz (12pm–1pm & 6pm–7pm)

December 2025

• Tuesday 2nd December – Managing Referencing with Bibliographic Software – Laura Barber (TIME CHANGE 2pm–3pm & 6pm–7pm)

• Wednesday 3rd December – Editing Your Work – Siobhan McNiff (3.30pm–4.30pm)

• Thursday 4th December – Using Feedback to Improve Academic Performance – Laura Barber (12pm–1pm & 6pm–7pm)

• Monday 8th December  – Correlations with SPSS – Zainab Raza (3.30pm–4.30pm)

If you are unavailable during these times please CLICK HERE to email the Library for individual one-to-one help! 

We want your ideas for future workshops! What would you like the Library Team and CAS to offer? Whether its accessing our databases, spotting fake news, or help with finding academic sources. Our aim is to help you achieve your potential.

Access and complete the form here to provide us with your suggestions.

FREE workshops offered by Middlesex Dubai Library and

Centre for Academic Success

Skills Focus workshops aim to develop your research skills and help get the most out of your Library resources. We are here to deliver research training to build the skills and confidence you need to succeed in your academic career and beyond...

Academic honesty: avoiding pitfall that lead to misconduct          

This session will explore common misconceptions about plagiarism, academic integrity, and the function of Turntin.  It will look at reasons why students make the choice of taking a short cut and highlight the many tools Middlesex provide to assist students.

 

Accessing business databases and researching company information       

This session explores our business databases for both academic and professional journal articles plus sources of company information. We will discuss the best resources to use for accessing articles, before undertaking a practical exercise using three of our academic databases: Business Source Complete, Passport and IBISWorld. 

 

Building Effective Prompts for AI

This session focuses on the art of prompt engineering, teaching you to write clear instructions that produce reliable, relevant results. We will practice crafting prompts for various academic purposes including research assistance, brainstorming, and content analysis while discussing responsible AI use in educational contexts.

 

Citing and referencing (using APA, OSCOLA or Harvard style referencing)               

This session will take you through the basics of APA, OCSOLA or Harvard referencing systems. We will look at how to cite and reference a number of different sources and why referencing is an important academic skill. This workshop will include activities and discussion about citing and referencing. Please note: check dates for appropriate referencing style to your discipline.

MDX School	Referencing style
Accounting and Finance	Harvard
Art and Design	Harvard
Business	Harvard
Education	Harvard
Law	OSCOLA
Media	Harvard
Psychology	APA
Science and Technology	Harvard

 

Correlations with SPSS (delivered by the Centre for Academic Success)         

This workshop focuses on understanding and conducting correlation analyses using SPSS. Learn to explore relationships between variables, interpret correlation coefficients, and visualise data effectively. Ideal for students aiming to apply statistical methods in coursework or research projects.

Developing a successful search strategy 

This workshop provides an introduction to the ‘success’ search strategy. We will provide you with the guidelines to consider your information needs, information sources, and search techniques within specific contexts. By applying the ‘success’ search strategy, you’ll spend less time searching but still find relevant quality materials for your assignment. 

Editing your work (delivered by the Centre for Academic Success)           

Learn about the best strategies and tools for checking your assignments to maximise your grades.  You will learn about which aspects to check and edit and use Grammarly practically to improve the flow of your writing.

Exam techniques (delivered by the Centre for Academic Success)              

Do you go blank in exams?  Learn some strategies for managing exam stress and maximising your grades.

FactCheck: Recognising fake news          

"A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on…". You’ve heard the expression 'fake news', but what does it really mean? For university students it’s especially important to distinguish fact from fiction and recognise purveyors of misinformation. In this workshop we break down the language around this topic and give tips to help you protect yourself from misinformation.

Finding information for your assignments                          

This session will provide an overview of information which you can use in your assignments and how you can get hold of it. We’ll provide tips on how you can find quality information efficiently and with ease. We will consider various information sources and how you should evaluate these in your work. 

 

From overwhelmed to organised - Optimising revision and assessments with NotebookLM

Learn ethical AI strategies to ease revision and assessment pressure. This hands-on workshop teaches you techniques on how to use Google’s AI-powered research tool, NotebookLM, to work smarter, boost digital literacy, and improve academic performance. In this session, you will also learn how to access NotebookLM completely free through the UAE government initiative.

 

Generative AI Tools for University Work

Harness the power of AI tools to use ethically and responsibly within your university work. Join our short workshop and discover a range of AI-driven resources designed to enhance your academic journey and beyond. 

Internet searching for research

We live in a world of infobesity. The internet is bursting with information and it can be difficult to wade through the irrelevant stuff. This workshop will prepare university students to utilise the internet in finding information sources of good academic quality. It will also cover evaluation criteria in identifying reliable websites for specific research needs.

Getting Started with SPSS (delivered by the Centre for Academic Success)          

This workshop introduces the essentials of SPSS for students new to data analysis. We’ll explore data entry, variable setup, simple descriptive, statistical tests and data visualisation—perfect for those looking to use SPSS in their coursework or dissertations, especially for quantitative research.

 

Optimising Google Scholar

Unlock the full potential of Google Scholar for your academic research. This hands-on workshop explores advanced search techniques, citation tracking, and personalization features to help you find relevant scholarly materials efficiently. Learn how to set up alerts, access full-text articles through library connections, and use the citation metrics to evaluate research impact.

Organising your research and planning for the assignment 

Throughout your MDX studies, you will have to conduct extensive research, often working on multiple assignments at once. Learn how to organise your research notes, create templates and complete your assignments more efficiently.

Paraphrasing techniques (delivered by the Centre for Academic Success)             

Hone the important academic skill of paraphrasing, as this will help you to avoid plagiarism.  In this workshop, we will reflect on various paraphrasing techniques and practice making notes by paraphrasing.

Reading effectively (delivered by the Centre for Academic Success)         

At university, you will be navigating reading lists and consulting journals, books and websites; perhaps reading more than you have ever done before!  This session will introduce you to strategies for choosing the best sources to use and getting the most understanding out of each text.  We will look at some texts and practice effective reading techniques. 

Researching resources for Law  

This session explores our Law databases for law reports, legislation, and full text journals. We will discuss the best techniques for accessing resources, before undertaking a practical exercise using three of our databases: Heinonline, Lexis Library, and Westlaw.

Revision strategies (delivered by the Centre for Academic Success)           

If you have timed tests and exams, this workshop will help you to learn some new techniques for remembering facts, data and module information.  Think about how you learn best and harness your strengths to revise effectively.

Structuring your writing (delivered by the Centre for Academic Success)

Structure in academic writing is about the overall argument and how it flows from the introduction to the conclusion. This workshop will unpack the various sections of an essay and report and provide practical guidance on how to achieve cohesion in your writing through effective paragraphing.

Thematic Analysis (delivered by the Centre for Academic Success)         

This workshop provides a step-by-step guide to thematic analysis, a key method for qualitative research. We’ll cover coding data, identifying patterns, and developing themes to generate meaningful insights. Perfect for students conducting interviews, focus groups, or other qualitative studies.

Time management (delivered by the Centre for Academic Success)         

Learn how to cope with all the assignment deadlines on your course so that you can enjoy your studies and know how to prioritise and balance the various aspects of your personal, professional and student life.  In this workshop you will be looking at your module handbooks and drawing up a planner for the year.

Using feedback to improve academic performance          

When you get assignments back from your tutor, what do you look at first?  The grade or the feedback? The function of feedback is to enhance learning and provide ideas for how to improve future assignments. This workshop will explore key things you need to do to maximise the usefulness of your tutor feedback.

Using software to manage citing and referencing

For students confident in citing and referencing. This session will introduce biblographic software to help you manage your references and help you cite and reference within Word documents.

Using AI to find academic resources