Resources and training

Every discipline at Edge Hill has a subject resources page designed to provide quick access to relevant databases and journal collections. Please note, depending on your field of research, you may find it useful to look at several subject resources pages.

We have produced a guide to the research databases available to you at Edge Hill. It includes tips for getting started with some of the key resources you might use, including Google Scholar.

Scopus indexes science, health, social science, arts, and humanities, spanning articles, books, conferences and more. The database aims to cover all quality academic literature so it is a great way to find published material that goes beyond the University’s library holdings. Where available, full text links to our subscribed content and freely available open access material are provided. You can use Scopus for citation searching and cited reference searching which can help you extend your search strategy.

Citation searching allows you to locate more recent articles which have subsequently cited the original ones. When you have located relevant articles in Scopus, select the View Citation overview tab on the toolbar and then click the title of each individual article.

The cited reference search is another useful tool. This enables you to find newer references based on an older already known reference. If you search for a specific article, it will locate subsequent citations, even if it has been incorrectly cited by other authors. If you select View References, you can follow the trail of referenced documents.

What is an open access browser extension?

A browser extension is a small piece of software that adds features to your web browser or to programmes you use in your browser. You can download them from the Chrome Web Store, Microsoft Store and many extensions are also available for Firefox.

What are the advantages of using a browser extension?

Some browser extensions focus on open access links to journal articles and some can be linked to Edge Hill’s subscriptions. Either way, using a browser extension can make it easier to find academic journal articles for your research.

Browser extensions:

You can also search the app store of the browser that you are using to download these and other extensions. If you need any further help or support contact the Academic Engagement team to book an individual appointment to discuss. UniSkills have lots of information and video tutorials on their webpages.

You can request publications that are not held in the Edge Hill library collections by using the You Want It, We Get It service. Search for your item in Discover More. Then expand your search to items not held in the Edge Hill library using the Libraries Worldwide option, select the item you need and click on the You Want It, We Get It button within the item.

Overton is the world’s largest collection of policy documents, parliamentary transcripts, government guidance and think tank research. Data is collected globally from 188+ countries and territories and in many different languages. In addition, Overton can show you where your research has been cited in policy worldwide.

RefWorks is a web-based bibliographic management tool that allows you to create and share a database of references and link them to articles. References can then be added manually or imported from electronic journal collections and Google Scholar. You can easily produce formatted bibliographies in the referencing style of your choice, including Harvard, APA and MHRA.

For help with setting up your account, importing references and full text, please see the general guidance below.

When you log in to RefWorks for the first time, you need to create an account. Make sure you use your Edge Hill University email address to get access to the institutional version. If you have references in a previous RefWorks account, then you can copy them across as part of the account creation process.

EndNote 21 is a sophisticated reference management tool designed to be used for research projects.

• To download EndNote 21 on campus, search for EndNote in the Software Center.
• EndNote 21 is also available on all PCs in the Catalyst building, including The Loft.
• For personal machines, staff and students can obtain a licence key from eShare.

It is important to make sure you read and understand the licence and acceptable use policy before downloading and using EndNote.