Use this guide to help you make the most of the library and information resources and services.
Search for print books, ebooks, journals, articles + more.
The Library Search LibGuide is available for guidance.
For a full selection of databases and archives, use the A-Z Databases List.
Explore research materials available elsewhere
Library Hub Discover - Search the catalogues of over 100 major UK and Irish national, academic and specialist libraries to find books, journals and other materials
WorldCAT - Search the collections of over 10,000 worldwide libraries
The European Library - Access to the collections of the 48 National Libraries of Europe and leading European Research Libraries.
The Library of Congress - Catalogue records of the print and digital resources held in the Library of Congress collections (USA)
LibWeb - Find online library catalogues worldwide
CORE - Search the world's largest collection of open access research papers
The University has access to an extensive range of online primary source materials. These contain digitised copies of documents, letters, books, photographs and other primary sources.
The Primary Sources Libguide will help you identify the best databases for your research. The collections have been categorised by Country, Time Period and Theme so that you can quickly find the most relevant collections for your research.
Our comprehensive online news collections range from local news to news publications from around the world and span a wide range of dates.
Find out more on the Archival News LibGuide
The Library's Special Collections department houses primary sources in many formats including letters, diaries, manuscripts and photos, which can be accessed via their dedicated reading room in the Research Commons, Old Library.
Visit the Archives and Special Collections LibGuide for more information.
Find out how to search the archives for rare books and materials here.
Use the Archive Catalogue Search to find out what is available.
Devon & Cornwall have a number of local archives that you can use when searching for primary sources. Find out more here.
These databases are nationally significant archives of the UK, covering many different themes, subjects and sources.
Print and E-books
Books are made available in e-book format wherever possible as this gives the best access to materials, allowing 24/7 access to books from any location.
You will be directed to key titles via your module reading lists, but you should also use Library Search and the Databases to go beyond your reading lists and discover a wide range of books to support your studies.
Watch the video below to find out how to search Library Search by topic to find print and e-books, journals and more.
T
he vast majority of our journal articles are available in digital format, although we do keep older print journals in the Forum Library.
Our journal databases may offer full text access or abstracts only, or sometimes a mixture of both.
- Full text access allows you to view or download the entire journal article from that database.
- Abstract only access provides a summary of the content of a journal article and in many cases, links out to full-text sources held digitally in our collections.
Many of our databases fully index their content, by organising them under various subjects. This helps ensure that all potentially relevant articles are captured when searches are carried out.
Use Library Search to find Journal Titles and articles that relate to your research/study area.
For targeted searching, select a research database and explore the published literature in your field. Key databases are flagged in the section above this.
Most of our collections are available in full text online. Current, recent and historical news collections are all available.
See the News Libguide for more details.
The University has access to an extensive range of online primary source materials. These contain digitised copies of documents, letters, books, photographs and other primary sources.
The Primary Sources Libguide will help you identify the best databases for your research.
It is important to plan your search strategy, and manage your search results so that you get the most from your online searching.
Keep a record of all the material you need to cite in your assignments, papers, projects etc.
Use the Search Techniques and Referencing guidance to assist you.
As you search you need to keep track of all the material you will be using in your academic work so that you can cite and reference it appropriately.
Always check your module handbook for specific departmental guidance on the style required for your assessed works and dissertations. Check with your personal tutor or dissertation supervisor if you need clarification.
For more guidance take a look at:
Find out more about the skills support available to help you develop a range of study skills including essay writing, referencing, critical reading and getting the most out of lectures.
Sage Research Methods Online (SRMO) is a great resource to use when you are planning and conducting your research.
It is targeted at social science researchers but is useful across all subject areas as it covers key research methodology topics that are applicable across the research spectrum.
Sage have produced a comprehensive LibGuide to help you get the best from the resource.
As a postgraduate student, at some point in your research, you may need to access resources held outside of the university library collections.
The library offers a number of services to help you access these materials. Find out more by exploring the guides below.
