Finding academic information
Students and staff have access to a wide range of resources including books, eBooks, eJournals, databases and subject specific resources. You can access high quality academic materials by searching Discover More or visiting your subject resources. Access to online resources is provided using your University log-in credentials.
Discover More
Discover More allows you to search thousands of print and electronic resources in one handy location. We have recently upgraded Discover More, so it may look a little different – watch our video for guidance on getting the most out of your search results.
Finding a book or eBook
As a student you are automatically a member of the University library and can borrow up to 25 items with your UniCard as soon as you have enrolled.
Use Discover More to search for books and eBooks. If you have chosen an eBook all you need to do is click on the link and you can read it on your screen immediately or download it.
If you have chosen a physical book, you will see the Library location followed by the call number. Make a note of the call number, including any letters (such as 808.042/GIL), and head to the library shelves.
Subject resources
Your subject resources are dedicated to your subject and are the key resources you will need for researching. Simply click on your chosen subject area and you will find instant access to scholarly (peer reviewed) research, journal articles, book reviews, newspapers and useful websites.
Reading lists
Your reading list contains books, journals and digital resources that your tutors have highlighted as essential and/or recommended reading. You may find a copy of your reading list within your module handbook but you can also access your online reading list.
Do not feel overwhelmed by your reading lists, you can be selective. It is unlikely that you will be asked to read everything on your list so take the time to find out which material is useful for your area of research. If you are unsure where to start you can always speak to your tutor for more guidance.
Watch our video guide to find out more about getting the most out of your online reading lists:
Getting the most out of your academic reading
Textbooks / eBooks
- You do not need to read the entire book cover to cover.
- Check the date / edition – is the information up to date / relevant?
- Use the contents page / index / chapter headings to locate your topics of interest.
- Search for key words using the eBook search function.
Journal articles
- Read the abstract – all the key information from the full article will be in here.
- Read the introduction to understand the background / context of the research.
- Read the conclusion / summary for a better understanding of the key research findings.
- Once you’ve got an overview of the article you will know if it can be added to your ‘intensive reading’ pile or disregarded.
General reading tips
- Be selective – you do not need to read everything ever written in your area of research.
- Read with a purpose – what do you want to know / find out?
- Identify your key words / terms – use your assignment brief.
- Think about what you already know about your topic…but also what you do not know and will need to read to fill in those gaps.
- Use your reading list – your tutors have highlighted essential and recommended reading to get you started.
- Make notes as you read – jot down any important / useful information such as ideas, concepts, arguments, key author/researcher names you might want to follow up further.
- Read aloud – this can improve reading comprehension and information retention.
- Manage the ‘overwhelm’ by planning your research and reading time into your study schedule.
- Keep a record of what you are reading – you will need this information to complete your reference list / bibliography.
Take a look at our academic reading and writing pages for more tips and guidance around reading academically.
Useful guides and toolkits
- Video tutorials for finding books, eBooks and journal articles in Discover More are included in the Discover More section above.
- A video tutorial for getting the most out of your online reading list is included in the Reading Lists section above.
- You can also find these videos, along with a video tutorial for ‘how to log in’ on our Library and Learning Services Induction: Digital Library webpage.
Online courses:
- Access full, free, unlimited access to thousands of high quality online courses and video tutorials written by industry experts at LinkedIn Learning