Referencing with RefWorks

Now I'm a member of staff here at NTU but I'm also a student doing post-graduate work.

I'd been meaning to try and get to grips with RefWorks for some time and a few days ago I finally did. I had to adapt my way of working but once I did it proved to be very effective. There's a really useful add-on too which allows you to import book from Amazon into your RefWorks database, which did't quite work as I think it should be was nonetheless pretty useful. The real benefit came when I finally wanted to create my set of References and it simply churned them out in a style and file type of my choosing.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Don't need to say any more really but if you ever get the chance to visit the Imperial War Museum there is a special gallery dedicated to the holocaust. Grim but worthy.

Just the kind of thing...

4.8 Public Comment on University Policy and Administration
4.8.1 'Public comment' in this context includes public speaking engagements, comments on radio and television, letters to newspapers, and expressing views in books, journals or notices. All media requests for information and enquiries that relate to the University must be referred to the University's Press Office.

This section doesn't mention what might be called Web 2.0 channels (which surprises me) but what does the last sentence mean? If The Guardian (or whoever ) seeks my opinion on working at NTU or a policy of NTU do I have to check with the Press Office? Surely not but it is not clear and HR are suggesting this is all part of our legal contract of employment.

NTU Policy Updates

Just seen an email sent earlier today from HR about updated staff policies. Amongst the other stuff I found this statement:

Staff should avoid activity that might adversely affect the reputation of the University or bring the University into disrepute.

Would this include Blogger and Twitter postings? YouTube videos? What I might say down the pub? Comments on the websites of the BBC, Guardian, Times Higher or whoever? Given there is an approaching general election would this include staff who legitimately stood for election but who put forward controversial issues - whatever they might be and however democratic?

I know this is a constant theme of mine but I think employers interfering in employees private lives (with the possible exception of where they break the law) is all rather feudal. What you can say... What work you can do outside of your "main" work... Surprised too that the European Union does not have a view on this - Human rights anyone?

Still alive...

I haven't updated this blog for some time as I tend to concentrate on the blog for my third year module; The Internet, Computers & Society. Furthermore I'm currently firing off the odd work related posting on Twitter is even quicker and easier than logging into here, especially from my phone.

And of course everything tech or work related took second place to my parents in 2009...