Library

Getting started with searching

Why use the Library?

Search engines and AI tools can be useful starting points, but they can return a huge amount of information — and it isn’t always easy to tell what is accurate, reliable or appropriate for academic work.

The Library gives you access to trusted academic resources, including books, journal articles and databases that the University pays for and which may not be freely available through Google.

Using Library resources can help you:

  • find reliable information for your studies
  • access academic sources not freely available online
  • focus your search on material suitable for university work
  • evaluate information with greater confidence

Library resources

Use Library Search to find books, eBooks, articles and more. You can also browse by category or search databases by subject.

Sign in with your university details for full access to Library resources.

Library Search Category Search Databases

Books & eBooks

Books are a useful starting point for research, providing background information and established facts.

Many are selected by subject specialists or academics and are available as eBooks or in print.

Remember that books may reflect an author's viewpoint and some information may be out of date.

Find books

Journal articles

Journal articles are an important source for academic assignments and a key way researchers communicate their findings.

Articles are published regularly in journals and undergo peer review, helping you find authoritative academic information.

Find journal articles

Newspapers

Newspapers are useful for finding current reporting, opinion and different perspectives on events.

The Library provides access to current and historical newspapers, including UK and international titles.

Explore newspapers

Databases

Databases help you search more widely for academic information relevant to your subject.

They can include journal articles, book chapters and conference papers. Start with the Key Databases recommended for your subject.

Browse databases

Accessing full text

Found an article or resource you want to read? Full text may be available directly from the database or through Library Search.

Search for full text

If you still cannot access it, you can request the item through your Library account. This service is free.

Get full text help

Request an item

Can't find the book or article you need in our collections? You can request material that the Library doesn't hold.

Requests are made through your Library account and the service is free for staff and students.

Request an item

Simple search techniques

A few simple techniques can make your searches more focused and help you find more relevant results.

Choose your keywords

Keywords are the main words and ideas that describe your topic. Think about alternative words that could also be used.

For example, a search about cancer might also include tumour, tumor or neoplasm.

Use truncation to find word variations

Truncation can help you search for different endings of a word at the same time. An asterisk (*) is commonly used.

teen*

This could find teen, teens, teenage, teenager and teenagers.

Search for an exact phrase

Use quotation marks when you want words to be searched together as an exact phrase.

"public policy"

This is more focused than searching for small animal without quotation marks.

Combine keywords using AND and OR

Boolean operators help you control how different keywords are combined in your search.

OR – broaden your search

Use OR to connect alternative words, synonyms, abbreviations or different spellings. Your results can contain any of the terms.

teen* OR adolescen* OR "young adult*" OR "young people"

AND – combine different concepts

Use AND when you want your results to include each of your main concepts.

"salmon farm*" AND breed* AND (Scotland* OR Scottish)
Keep related words close together

Proximity searching finds words that appear within a certain number of words of each other. This can help make sure the terms are actually related within the result.

The format varies between databases. For example for Web of Science and ProQuest:

antibiotic* NEAR/2 resist*

For EBSCOHost:

antibiotic* N2 resist*

For Scopus:

antibiotic* W/2 resist*

Check the Help section of the database you are using for its proximity-searching format.

Build more complex searches with nesting

Nesting uses brackets to group keywords together when your search contains more than one Boolean operator.

("intensive care" OR ICU OR "critical care") AND (Scotland OR Scottish)

Grouping related terms helps the database understand how you want your search to be structured.

Need more help with searching?

Get help finding resources, choosing databases or developing your search strategy.