IntroductionDatabases index the literature of a subject area and some will also contain either full-text or links to full-text content. No single database will index everything in a topic, so it will often be necessary to search across two or more to find all the information you need.
The tabs above provide links to the key databases and some useful websites for the different areas of Defence Healthcare; databases which can be useful to extend a search; and finally those useful for extended research. Please note: CINAHL and Medline are best viewed using Chrome, Safari or Firefox.
The Library has a full A-Z listing of all of our databases; the Library website also has a page dedicated to helping you search for information. Library and Learning Resources have developed the Informed Learning Site, a series of Moodle pages to help you gain a better understanding of information and searching.
Print or e-books?The Library has a huge range of print and e-Book titles to meet your needs.
Print books can be a great place to start your research, but remember that demand can be high, so you'll need to plan in advance.
e-Books are a quick and easy way to access material. They are available on or off-campus and can be used 24 hours a day. If you own a tablet device, these books can be viewed easily wherever you have a connection to the internet. These titles also allow limited printing.
You can access our print and e-Book collections through the Library Website search box.
Using e-bookse-books are accessible on or off campus and are easy to use. Here's a video guide for Ebook Central
Here's an Accessibility Guide to Ebook Central e-books
Here's a Quick Start guide for Ebsco ebooks
Reading Lists Online provides access to the reading lists for your modules, as provided by your lecturers. Find your lists by searching for module names, module codes or by your lecturer's name. You can also follow the Reading Lists Online link from your module's Moodle page. See this how-to video.
Individual items on the lists will take you directly to the Library Catalogue to check availability (or place a reservation) or where possible link through to the full text for many e-books and e-journals.
If you can't find your reading list have a word with your Tutor(s) or if you have problems with the site contact us at libanswers.bcu.ac.uk
Evaluating resources for quality can be difficult. One way of doing this is by using the CRAAP test. This is a simple checklist used to get a feel for whether a piece of work is good enough for your purposes.
Currency: Is the information up to date, or is there more recent information you should be using?
Relevance: Is the information relevant? Is it on topic?
Authority: Who has written it? Are they qualified to write on the subject? Who is the publisher?
Accuracy: Is the information correct?
Purpose: Why was it written? Was it written for academic purposes? Who were the intended audience? Is there bias?
You'll know that there is a lot of good stuff out there on the internet, provided you make sure the information comes from a reputable source! You'll have your own favourites, and your tutor and friends will recommend others. Here are sites we think you might find useful.
Journals cover a range of sources, including newspapers; magazines and scholarly journals. News and research around your subject area are usually published first in journals. A journal can be useful:
You can search for journals using Library Search. Most of our journals are available online. Print-only journals are available in your campus library. If the article you need is not accessible directly from this university, you can request it via Inter-Library Loan.
It is impossible for one library to hold all the information you need, but there are a number of ways that you can access other resources:
