What are research databases? Research databases are large collections of journal articles and other academic papers. Some cover lots of subjects (Academic Search Complete and publisher packages such as Wiley or Taylor and Francis), and others are more specialist (for example, PsycInfo for psychology or Emerald for leadership and management). Many are included within Library Search but some are not (British Education Index and ERIC being notable examples).
Do I need to login to access research databases? Yes - you will need your University of Worcester login details, as the University subscribes to these resources at significant cost. As a student and researcher you are expected to engage with library resources and read widely to learn your subject.
What else should I be reading? Open Access (OA) resources are those which are openly accessible without a subscription. Some of the resources available are excellent for accessing for a more diverse range of voices within Education. Some OA resources are shared below, but you will find many more on the Institute of Education resource list.
What should I be using for my Systematic Review methodology or 'systematic literature review'? You will need to use research databases for this methodology. Recommended databases include British Education Index, ERIC, Web of Science, Academic Search Complete and ProQuest. Ask your librarians for guidance.
What else is available from Worcestershire Libraries? You can also access a range of online resources from Worcestershire Libraries, including ebooks via Borrowbox and magazines and newspapers via Press Reader, and online reference services from Oxford, The Times and more. For further information on how to access these resources as a member of staff or a student, please see our FAQs or email askalibrarian@worc.ac.uk - in some cases you may require a WCC digital library membership, which you can set up online.
What are academic journals? Journals are specialist publications targeted at students, academics and researchers. Researchers submit their paper about their case study, research project, literature review or book review to a journal to be published as an article. It may undergo a peer review process before being published, where an editorial panel will assess the submitted paper for quality of the research and the paper. Journals are published as issues several times a yea, and some journals are deemed to have a greater impact than others in their field or discipline. Some journals are Open Access while others require a subscription via your university library.
How can I access journals? Our Browzine collection offers a visual way to browse journals in your area, build your own bookshelves, save links to articles, and explore special issues and articles in press. Journals are organised by category, including Education. Many of our journal subscriptions are found on Browzine, though not all. To search across journals, you are highly recommended to use library tools like Library Search and research databases.
Why can't I just use gen AI or Google? Search engines (like Google) and generative AI tools (like ChatGPT) cannot always provide access to subscription-based journals, and AI tools may not have these in their training database to draw upon. AI tools are also prone to hallucinations, where they provide references which do not exist. AI tools will always give you an answer, and it may not necessarily be correct. As a student it is your responsibility to engage with library resources like journals, and read widely to learn your subject. In turn, this will help you to use Google and AI tools ethically and effectively to support your research.
There are many organisations, journals and publications which might not be available through Library Search or research databases. Below are listed some of the journals that require a UW login and may not be easily accessible through Library Search. The Institute of Education resource list includes a range of freely accessible journals, websites and resources, with many from educational organisations and charities, think tanks and Government.
The Teaching Collection in The Hive is full of resources you can use in the classroom and with your learners. If you can, please visit and explore what we have. Sit down to work with the resources, or wheel over one of our honeycomb picturebook boxes and have a browse.
You can borrow the kits and books - if you have any questions, please just ask the library team. It is situated at one end of our huge children's library, which offers picture books, children's fiction and non-fiction, books for parents and carers, early readers, board books and more. You can borrow from these collections too!
If you can, please join in with the exciting activities, exhibitions and events taking place throughout the year in The Hive.
We also hold a number of special collections available to view by appointment (staffing permitting), including education research and children's literature.
Partnership and Transitions Liaison Librarian
Email Ros
Ask me about how to search effectively, how to evaluate sources for academic study and how to reference your sources. Contact me with any queries about our resources and services for students studying with partner organisations.