LibGuides: EAS2026 Desire and Power Library Research Guide: Where should I look for the resources I need?

There are two key Library Research tools that will help you find all the primary and secondary materials you have access to.

1. Library Search

2. A-Z Databases

Scroll down for more information on how to use these library search tools.

Where to start your search

Library Search

Library Search will help you discover books, journals, articles, audio visual material and more on your chosen topic. This is a good place to start when you are beginning to research a topic as you can draw on content from a variety of different sources.

For more in depth research in databases and archives, use the A-Z Databases List.

Video to help you use Databases A-Z

Finding Resources via the A-Z Databases

You can browse or search the database list. The description beneath each database title indicates the content and coverage of the database.

Select databases by Subject

You can select your subject from the drop down Subjects menu to see a subset of resources in that category.

Select databases by Type

You can select a database type from the drop down Types menu to see a subset of resources in that category.

Select English from the drop down subject menu.

A few core resources will be highlighted in the yellow box. These are key databases that are likely to be of interest to anyone studying and researching in that area. All other databases relevant to the subject are listed below the core resources.

Your ELE module contains some recommendations for resources that you will want to explore in support of this module.

Some of they key resources that you are likely to find most useful for this module are highlighted in the remainder of the guide.

What is a database?

Research databases enable you to see what has been published in the area you are researching. They contain detailed records of thousands of journal articles, book references and conference proceedings. These records usually include the article title, authors, abstract (a brief summary), keywords (to enable your search to find it) and more.

Why should I use a database?

They are a valuable way of searching for published scholarly research across a wide number of sources
You can build complex searches using sophisticated search interfaces. There will be plenty of options to refine your searches, ensuring that the results are likely to be relevant to your needs
They contain huge numbers of records, and thus provide comprehensive subject coverage
They also provide frequent (often daily) indexing, and so are very up to date

It is important to note:

Some databases provide full text access to the articles themselves.
Some databases are primarily indexes or bibliographic databases, and although they provide information about the content of a journal article, they may not provide full-text access to the actual article itself.
Some databases are a mixture of full-text and indexed/bibliographic access.

So, when searching databases, be prepared for an extra step.

After finding a relevant article or book you need to check whether you have access to that item, either in print or in full-text online. Many of the databases will have a Check for this at Exeter button; clicking on this link will check whether we have access to the item.