• 1. Research Proposal and Formulation:
• Generating ideas & forming a question (University of Reading) [PDF]
• 2. Reading Skills:
• Critical Thinking - Critical Reading (RMIT)
• Effective academic reading (University of Reading) [PDF]
• How to Read an Engineering Research Paper [PDF]
  
• Literature Review and Critical Reading [PDF]
• Reading Effectively (UNSW) [PDF]
• 3. Literature Review:
• Getting Started on Your Literature Review (UNSW) [PDF]
• How to undertake a literature search and review: for dissertations and final year projects (DMU) [PDF]
• Literature Review: Academic Tip Sheet (Edith Cowan University) [PDF]
• Literature review (tutorial) [RMIT]
• Writing a Literature Review (UNSW) [PDF]
• Writing the Literature Review / Using the Literature (RMIT) [PDF]
• 4. Referencing:
• Chicago Author-Date Referencing (Curtin University) [PDF]
  
• Havard System (Bournemouth University) [PDF]
• The Harvard system of referencing (DMU) [PDF]
  
• Referencing: Why, when and how (Lincoln University) [PDF]
• 5. Report/Thesis Organisation & Planning:
• A Report Checklist (Lincoln University) [PDF]
• Doing the research (University of Reading) [PDF]
• Features of good reports (University of Reading) [PDF]
• How to Write Your Thesis http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~martins/sen_sem/thesis_org.html
• Minor thesis & research report structure (RMIT) [PDF]
• Reports (RMIT) http://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/content/reports-0
  
• Structuring your report (University of Reading) [PDF]
• Undergraduate research report [PDF]
• 6. Report/Thesis Writing:
• Abstract Preparation Guidance (HKU Graduate School) [website]
• Paraphrasing, Summarising & Quoting (UNSW) [PDF]
• Writing a research report (RMIT) [PDF]
• Writing “critically” (Lincoln University) [PDF]
• 7. Oral presentations:
• Oral presentations (RMIT) [PDF]
• Oral presentations (tutorial) (RMIT)
• Oral Presentations Guidelines (PSU) [PDF]
• Speaking to an Audience (UNSW) [PDF]
• Using PowerPoint in Oral Presentations (UNSW) [PDF]

Library Resources and Literature Search:

• Hong Kong Academic Library Link (HKALL) 香港高校圖書聯網 http://hkall.hku.hk/
  
• VTC Library Services http://library.vtc.edu.hk/
  
• Library Handbook http://library.vtc.edu.hk/english/handbook/
  
• VTC Library Catalogue http://webpac.vtc.edu.hk/
• E-Databases http://library.vtc.edu.hk/web/english/eres/
• ASTM Standards by IHS Standards Expert https://login.ihserc.com/login/erc
• BSI (British Standards Institution) by BSI Group https://bsol.bsigroup.com
  
• Construction Information Service (CIS) by IHS http://eproxy.vtclib9.vtc.edu.hk:2048/login/CIS
• EBSCOHost http://search.ebscohost.com/
• Emerald Management 175 http://www.emeraldinsight.com
  
• IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) by IHS Standards Expert https://login.ihserc.com/login/erc
• ProQuest http://search.proquest.com
  
• ProQuest Research Library http://search.proquest.com/pqrl?accountid=29075
• ProQuest Science Journals http://search.proquest.com/sciencejournals?accountid=29075
  
• RefWorks http://www.refworks.com/refworks
• Science Direct http://www.sciencedirect.com/ (VTC: http://webpac.vtc.edu.hk/record=b11106431)
  
• WiseNews http://vtclib.wisenews.net/?gid=vtclib&user=ipaccess
  
• 中國國 家標準全文數據庫 http://sale.gb168.cn/hk_vtc/
• 中國學 位論文全文數據庫 by 萬方數據 http://c.g.wanfangdata.com.hk/Thesis.aspx
• 中國數 字化期刊數據庫 by 萬方數據 http://c.g.wanfangdata.com.hk/Periodical.aspx
  
• E-Books http://library.vtc.edu.hk/web/english/eres/ebk.php
  
• E-Journals http://library.vtc.edu.hk/web/english/eres/ejou.php
• Recommended search engines/tools:
• Construction Information Service (CIS) by IHS http://eproxy.vtclib9.vtc.edu.hk:2048/login/CIS
• Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com.hk/
  
• Science Direct http://www.sciencedirect.com/ (VTC: http://webpac.vtc.edu.hk/record=b11106431)

Communication Skills:

• Guidelines for Effective Oral and Written Communications [PDF]
• Making a Presentation [PDF]
• Engineering an Effective PowerPoint Presentation [PDF]
• Mastering Technical Writing [PDF]
• Scholarship and Intellectual Property [PDF]

Videos (on Writing Skills):

• APA Referencing: The Basics (14:12) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOEmM5gmTJM
• APA Referencing: Electronic Sources (15:31) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6KZK4-SXfU
• Report Writing (30:23) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFGNKJruxdg
• Report Writing from skills@wlv (8:19) http://youtu.be/A59_arTTq9w
  
• The Literature Review (25:05) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKL2pdRmwc4
• Writing Structured Paragraphs | Massey University (28:38) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V87sexbufyY