FSSE-UEW Equips Postgraduate Students with Electronic Research Skills
The Faculty of Social Sciences Education (FSSE) at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) hosted a practical seminar titled "Introducing Postgraduate Students to Electronic Resources."
The seminar, held at the Students Centre Seminar Room III on Monday, 28th July 2025, aimed to demystify the University’s electronic databases and improve students’ ability to conduct rigorous, plagiarism-free academic research.
Ms. Pearl Joan Korkuvi, E-Resources Librarian and Mr. Kobina Mensah, Library Systems Librarian, facilitated the session.
Ms. Pearl Korkuvi, in her presentation, emphasised the growing importance of digital literacy among postgraduate researchers. She highlighted that recent reports have revealed a troubling pattern of students not fully utilising the University’s subscribed academic databases. “It became necessary to hold this session because we noticed students were either unaware or underusing the electronic resources available,” she explained.
She introduced participants to major academic databases such as ACM Digital Library, Cambridge Core, EBSCOhost, Emerald, Taylor & Francis, Sage Research Methods, Sage Journals, JSTOR and Project MUSE. She showed how the platforms could be accessed both on and off campus via the UEW Library Portal’s A-Z Databases section.
The E-Resources Librarian also issued a warning against over-reliance on generative AI tools for academic writing. “While some students admitted to using AI for research tasks, we emphasised that this practice undermines academic integrity and is not recommended,” she stressed.
Prof. David Zuure, Director of the Centre for Conflict, Human Rights and Peace Studies, UEW, urged students to approach their academic journey with diligence and integrity. “It is no joke when your hard work is rejected due to poor referencing or plagiarism. Doing the right thing from the start will ensure your success,” he remarked.
Prof. Zuure acknowledged the supportive presence of Prof. Ishmeal Yaw Dadson, Vice Dean of FSSE, praising his commitment to student development. He also extended his appreciation to the facilitators for their invaluable contribution to postgraduate education.
The seminar concluded with renewed enthusiasm among participants, who expressed readiness to apply the knowledge gained and return for future capacity-building sessions.
