Database FAQs

Find below the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions. If the question you have is not answered below, please ask the Library or your Academic Librarian.

You can only request a title if all available copies are on loan. To do so click on “Place a title level request”. You will be asked to log into your account. You will receive an email when the item is available for you to collect. You can check your request by using the My Account option on Library Catalogue Plus and then selecting Holds. Further information can be found on our website.

The resource ‘Cite them right’ will show you how to reference a book in Harvard style, which is the usual style for Business students. You can access this via the Library catalogue and via the Cite them right website.

However it is essential that you always check the correct style for a piece of work with your department or module tutor.

The best place to search is via the databases, these are two recommended sources:

Check out this guide here.

Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy uses the American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style in all student work assessed by the Department.

A basic 7th edition APA referencing guidelines document is available from the Departmental Learn site. For more information, see the APA website 

There is further guidance on this style from Cite them right online as well as a support provided by the Library. London students should check which style they should use with their module leader or supervisor.

Yes, go to the Databases section of this guide (above), click on ‘View more’ then ‘Filter listing’ then select ‘Newspapers’. For current newspaper articles from around the world, please use the Nexis database listed above.

The Library offers a variety of ways to support your studies including specialist help from Academic Librarians and online research skills resources including the Academic Research Kit tutorials (ARK). The Academic Language Support Service (ALSS) and the Library have also created a Learn module that supports Study Skills.

The best place to search is the Library's subject specific databases. The key ones for History to get you started are listed above in the Databases section of this guide. You can find more History databases by clicking on ‘View more’ then ‘Filter listing’ then select ‘History’.

The preferred referencing style for History is Chicago (footnotes style). As well as the guidance provided by POLIS there is further guidance on this style from Cite them right online and the Chicago manual of style online (quick guide) as well as a help provided by the Library. London students should check which style they should use with their module leader or supervisor.

Some databases provide the full-text of the article in the database in either HTML or PDF format. Others just give you the basic details but you have to access the full-text via a link that might say 'SFX' or 'Full-text'.

If you are on-campus or have the VPN activated on your device when you are off-campus, you should click on the link and it will take you to the full-text if the Library subscribes to the journal.

If it doesn't do this, then search Library Catalogue Plus to see if we subscribe to the journal you need (including the correct year).  If you get stuck, contact the Library (library@lboro.ac.uk).

The Library subscribes to British Standards Online.  This is the best place to start your search. Don't forget to use the VPN and Multi-Factor Authentication if you are accessing it from off-campus.  You can also access standards from ASTM and some other specialist resources like IEEE.

Go to the listing of All Databases and search for 'case studies'.  This will list some of the main databases that include information about case studies and will hopefully cover the subject area you are looking in. If not, then go into the databases that are recommended for your subject and do a search, then look for a tick box to limit your results to case studies or include 'case study' or 'case studies' or 'case stud*' in your search to narrow down the results that way.

If you would like help with your writing style, the Academic Language Support Service offer workshops which might take place within your modules or which you can sign up to attend separately.  You can also visit Learn module LUA001: Study Skills for some useful tips and guidance.

From Library Catalogue Plus look at the options at the side of the page and click on ‘eBook’ in the ‘Format’ section to limit the results to eBooks. Click on ‘Get full text’ to open the eBook.

The best place to search for Market research is via the resources Mintel and IBIS World. Mintel offers you market reports on a range of sectors including health & wellbeing, food, travel and leisure industries in the UK. IBIS World covers key statistics and analysis on market characteristics, operating conditions, current and forecast performance, major industry participants and more.

You need to search via the VPN and multi-factor authentication (MFA) when you are off campus, this link will show you how to download this onto your device.

New users will need to complete a registration form whilst on campus. Once registered you will be able to use SciFinder on and off campus, here is a SciFinder Quick Start Guide to get you started.

The best place to search for company information is via the resource FAME. This resource is the definitive source of companies in the UK and Ireland. FAME helps you research individual companies, search for companies with specific profiles and do detailed analysis.

Go to the All Databases listing select 'Filter listing' then 'Newspapers'.  Nexis UK includes the text of the main English language newspapers (regional, national, international), plus non-English language sources too. You can search current news or do more historical searches. Some UK titles date back to 1985; international titles vary. You can also access archives of some historical newspapers

For referencing and bibliographies use Cite Them Right Harvard. You can also contact your Academic Librarian

You need to find out which referencing style your lecturer/supervisor is expecting you to use. In MEME there are two main reference styles used : IEEE and Vancouver. See the quick guides on Learn WSLS01 for more information or ‘Cite them right’ for Harvard referencing.

You can find out if a journal you need is available in print in the Library by searching Library Catalogue Plus. If a print copy is available, it will give you a shelfmark and it will be in the 'Serials' section of the relevant Library level (this is not relevant in London as there are no runs of print journals there). Once you get to the shelf you need to look for the correct year, issue and page. 

Westlaw or Lexis are the best databases for finding a UK case. You can search by case name, subject or citation in both databases, but they cover different law reports, so you might have to search them both.  If it is a very recent UK case, BAILII is also worth searching.

Westlaw is a good place to start your search for current legislation and historic legislation for the UK, EU and some other jurisdictions. You can search by the name of an act or a subject. It will also tell you if it is still in force or repealed.

Westlaw and Lexis both contain full-text journal articles, so start with one of those. They contain different journals, so it is best to search both for better coverage of a subject area. Scopus is also worth searching, as it covers a range of subject areas, including law.

The best place to search is via the Library's subject specific databases.  The key ones for Politics and International Relations to get you started are listed above in the Databases section of this guide. You can find more databases by clicking on 'View more' then 'Filter listing' then select Politics and International Relations.  Please note there is a separate Subject Guide and filter listing for History.

Quality journal articles can be found in PsycArticles and PsycINFO, both covering the full discipline of psychology. Links to both are offered above.

You need to find out which referencing style your lecturer/supervisor is expecting you to use. In MEME there are two main reference styles used : IEEE and Vancouver. See the quick guides on Learn WSLS01 for more information. If you’ve been asked to use Harvard use ‘Cite them right’.

You can only access a journal article if the Library subscribes to it. If we do and you are on-campus, or have the VPN activated on your device if you are off-campus, you should be able to get straight to it.

If you still can't access it, then search Library Catalogue Plus to see if we subscribe to the journal you need (including the correct year) . If we do, but you still can't access it, contact the Library (library@lboro.ac.uk).

You need to find out which referencing style your lecturer/supervisor is expecting you to use. An easy-to-use style is Cite Them Right Harvard. 

The recommended style for students in Architecture and urban planning is usually Cite Them Right Harvard. Please note that it is essential that you always check which referencing style you should use for a piece of work with your department or module tutor. 

The usual recommended style is ISO 690 Numeric (also known as British Standard Numeric).  However it is essential that you always check the correct style for a piece of work with your department or module tutor.

You need to find out which referencing style your lecturer/supervisor is expecting you to use. An easy-to-use style is Cite Them Right Harvard.

You need to find out which referencing style your lecturer/supervisor is expecting you to use. Generally in Chemistry, the Royal Society of Chemistry referencing style is used. The guide is available here.

The recommended style is usually Cite Them Right Harvard. However it is essential that you always check the correct style for a piece of work with your department or module tutor.

The recommended style is usually Cite Them Right Harvard. However it is essential that you always check the correct style for a piece of work with your department or module tutor.

The Nature citation style is recommended.  However it is essential that you always check the correct style for a piece of work with your department or module tutor.

Go to the All Databases listing, select ‘Filter listing’ then ‘Newspapers’. Nexis UK includes the text of the main English language newspapers (regional, national, international), plus non-English language sources too. You can search current news or do more historical searches. Some UK titles date back to 1985; international titles vary. You can also access archives of some historical newspapers.

The recommended style for students in Transport is usually Cite Them Right Harvard. Please note that it is essential that you always check which referencing style you should use for a piece of work with your department or module tutor.