Sage Research Methods...

...is another new addition to the library's expanding range of databases. However, this one is a little different. Rather than specialising in a particular subject area - such as how PsycINFO focuses on psychological literature - Sage Research Methods is, as the name suggests, dedicated to literature on research methodologies across the disciplines. The range of literature it contains includes a significant number of complete books (in full-text).

There are two main ways of using Sage Research Methods. If you know the methodology you are using - let's say Q Methodology - simply type that into the search box and, in this example, it returns 676 results. The results include complete books on the topic, book chapters, encyclopedia and dictionary entries, journal articles and even the occasional video. Select a result from the list and it immediately loads the full-text.

The other main way of using Sage Research Methods is for identifying appropriate methodologies for your research. To do this, choose the 'Methods Map' and it guides you through the various options.

With over 100,000 pages of content, including the text of 640 specialist books, this database provides a significant boost for researchers across UEL. Why not take a look, and let us know what you think?

A huge new citation database...

...called Scopus, has been added to the A-Z of databases subscribed to by UEL library. Scopus replaces our previous subscription to Web of Knowledge, and includes the vast majority of content held within Web of Knowledge plus considerably more. In fact, according to the marketing blurb, it is ‘the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature’ and ‘delivers the most comprehensive overview of the world's research output in the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences and arts & humanities’.

As far as the raw facts are concerned, it currently holds citations for over 50 million peer-reviewed articles from over 21,000 different journals. They have also just embarked on a major project to include book citations down to chapter level. As well as being a great way to find research, another key feature is its ability to analyse results e.g. showing you the main journals for that topic, or the publication history of authors. It is very simple to use, so why not take a look and see what you think.

Searching for books beyond UEL's own collections...

...has been made much easier since the launch of the excellent Search25, but if you want to really research widely then the best way to do this is using COPAC. COPAC searches across 70 of the top research libraries in the UK, covering not only the top universities but also some of the country's best specialist libraries such as the London-based Wellcome Library, which is a potentially valuable collection for clinical psychology research. Why not run a few searches and see what you find? You can visit most academic libraries using a SCONUL Access card.

Did you know...

...that some Research Councils maintain catalogues of research they have funded, which are fully searchable online? These catalogues can be a great way of tracking down otherwise hard-to-find citations - not to mention the links to material which are normally provided. For example, go to the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) Research Catalogue and choose 'Psychology' from the drop-down list of disciplines. Happy searching!

The British Library is now to store web pages...

...in an expansion of its collections. Up until now, the British Library (along with the other UK 'national libraries') has had the right to store all print material published in the UK, but a new agreement means that they will now have the right to store all online material published in the UK. Most webpages are short-lived, be it through minor updates, radical alterations or even complete deletion, so this project to archive online content is a major development for researchers. More information can be found on the British Library website: 'Capturing the digital universe'. A story was also featured on the BBC News website: 'Libraries to store all UK web content'.

In reality, the British Library has already been storing websites for many years, and these can be searched or browsed at the UK Web Archive. It's a resource which you may find yourself wondering how you'd never heard of it before!

SCONUL Access is changing...

...the registration procedure for new SCONUL Access users. Previously you had to fill out a form at your own university, who then issue you with a 'SCONUL Access card' and you then took this card to the university library you wanted to visit. The new system cuts out the need for a 'SCONUL Access card'. Instead, you now fill out an online form on the SCONUL Access website (http://www.sconul.ac.uk/sconul-access) and then, when you receive your confirmation e-mail, you take a printout of the e-mail (along with your UEL ID card) to the university library you wish to visit. Please note that existing SCONUL Access cardholders are unaffected - their cards remain valid until the expiry date written on them. More information can be found here: http://www.uel.ac.uk/lls/services/sconulfaq/.

ROAR has a new look...

…and is now easier to use. ROAR (Research Open Access Repository) – if you weren’t already aware – is the University of East London’s institutional repository of open access publications, and is maintained by the library. The new interface now makes it much easier to browse – simply choose ‘Browse by Year’, ‘Browse by School’ or ‘Browse by Author’ from the top of the screen – and also has a permanent search box in the top right.
As well as being home to the research output of academic staff, ROAR also plays host to a growing collection of doctoral-level theses. To view this collection, choose to 'Browse by School', then click on 'Electronic Theses and Dissertations', which appears above the list of Schools.
For more information about ROAR, contact the repository manager, whose details appear in the ‘About’ section.

Searching other libraries...

...in London and the South East has just got a lot easier with the launch of Search25. It lets you search across nearly 60 different university and research libraries in the region to quickly see who holds the book you are looking for. To then visit the library, you will need a SCONUL Access card from us before you visit: http://www.uel.ac.uk/lls/services/sconulfaq/.

Free British Library workshops...

...run regularly at the British Library in St Pancras. They are normally free and cover a wide range of topics related to using the BL and more general research and information skills. Information on up-coming workshops can be found here: http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/inrrooms/stp/workshop/workshops.html.

Institutional research repositories...

...are where universities make publicly available their research output. This can include pre-print journal articles, conference papers and other research outputs, as well as sometimes including dissertations and theses. At UEL we have roar@UEL, but for a list of repositories from other universities, as well as facilities to search across their content, have a look at the following webpage: http://www.arl.org/sparc/repositories/collectedrep.shtml. Alternatively, if you just want a list of all repositories (by continent, then country) from around the world, check out this rather impressive collection of links: http://www.opendoar.org/countrylist.php.

Endnote X5...

...is now available from on-campus PCs. It is the latest version of this popular bibliographic research tool. To access it from any university computer, click on the Start button in Windows, go to the 'University Menu' and select the 'Application Jukebox'.

Free-to-view European theses...

...are available from the DART-Europe E-theses Portal. To restrict by language, go to Advanced Search and choose a language (e.g. English). A general search for 'psychology' in English finds 494 e-theses.

A new psychoanalysis collection...

...called PEP-WEB (PEP Archive 1 Version 10 (1871-2007) release) is now available from the library's 'Databases & e-journals' webpage. It contains the complete text and illustrations of 42 premier journals in psychoanalysis, 58 classic psychoanalytic books, and the full text and editorial notes of the 24 volumes of the Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud.

Dissertation Abstracts International...

…is a publication you may come across through certain databases (e.g. EBSCO PsycINFO) or search engines like Google. It is an index of dissertations and theses published in North America (i.e. the USA and Canada). We do not have access to DAI at UEL, as it is extremely difficult to obtain the full-text of the theses found on it. If you do wish to get hold of something you find on DAI, then our main suggestion is to track down the author and / or their university department to see if they are able to provide you with a copy. British dissertations and theses are much easier to obtain – simply access the free-to-use EThOS website.

Psychological image collection...

…is a free set of images made available by University of Stirling for use in psychology research projects. It is available at the following web address: http://pics.stir.ac.uk/.

Psychology in the news: The internet is affecting our memories...

...as people increasingly rely upon web-based information rather than retaining it in their own memories. This is according to some insightful new research, recently published in 'Science' journal. The full news story can be found on the following page on the BBC News website: Internet's memory effects quantified in computer study.

Quick, plain English help on using library materials for assignments…

…is now available through UEL Library’s brand new Info Skills tool. The culmination of several months work in collaboration with UELConnect, Info Skills has been designed as a quick access guide to the basics of finding and using information sources for university assignments. Broken down into the four key information skills (identifying, finding, evaluating and referencing information) guidance is provided in bite-size chunks through a variety of means, from bullet-pointed notes to downloadable PDF guides, visual demonstrations, video testimonials and interactive quizzes. Add to this a set of FAQs (e.g. ‘What is an Athens account?’), a glossary of ‘library’ terms and a link through to our Ask-a-Librarian chat service, and we hope to have provided new and current students with an invaluable online tool to dip into as and when needed.

Why not check it now at: http://www.uel.ac.uk/infoskills. If you are a student then please tell your friends about it. If you are an academic then please promote it to your students. And if you are unaffiliated with UEL, then don’t be afraid to try it out. It has been made available as a free tool for use by anyone no matter where they may live, work or study!

Free online research collections...

…are now available through JISC Content.JISC are an official UK universities organisation and they have sourced content from a large number of highly reputable bodies, including the British Library and The National Archives. It is well worth exploring the site.

On the topic of free content, many top American universities are now offering free online courses. These include a growing number of free psychology lectures. Yale University, for example, offer an entire series of 18 hour-long lectures on ‘An Introduction to Psychology’ free of charge on YouTube.

roar@UEL – the University’s institutional repository...

…is where you can find full-text copies of UEL’s own research output. As the blurb says, “It has been established to facilitate both dissemination and preservation of scholarly work created by members of the University of East London”.

The School of Psychology is well represented with over 100 items currently deposited. Everything in roar@UEL is available to read in full text, completely free of charge, all of which is aimed at achieving wider readership and increased citations for UEL research. For further information, check the repository support pages or contact Rachel Graham, the University’s Research Services Librarian.

The Library's Research Support Portal...

…has just been launched on our website. Set up by our specialist Research Services Librarian, it gives quick access to all the key information about library services for researchers. Areas featured include: placing interlibrary loans, referencing help (including Endnote), accessing other libraries and how to find further support. It is accessible from here: Research Support Portal.