LibGuides: Finding information during your year abroad or on placement: Resources

What can I use?

Whilst you are away from Reading you can still access most of the e-resources provided by the Library. Here are some options.

Finding definitions and summaries

Explore our online dictionaries and encyclopedias to find reliable definitions and summaries.

Online dictionaries and encylopedias

Finding e-books and e-journals

Search the Enterprise catalogue using the box below to find e-books and e-journals.

Finding online journal articles & chapters

Search the Summon discovery service using the box below, or explore the other resources listed.

Databases by subject
To find journal articles and other publications in your subject explore the key databases listed in your subject guide. Some databases contain the full-text of the item, while others provide a reference and summary only. Where full-text is not available check for access by clicking on the blue "Search for item at Reading" button or link next to each reference. This will show you if the Library has online access to the item.

Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
Finds scholarly literature in all areas of research. It can be set up so that it links to the University of Reading Library's electronic journal holdings.
It is unclear which publishers are included in Google Scholar, so it shouldn't be used as your only source for a comprehensive literature search. For references to reliable, academic sources search our Summon discovery service or databases covering your subject.

Link to our full-text
You can set your preferences on Google Scholar to show links to full-text articles in all of our e-journals.

1) Click on the three lines on the top left of the home screen.
2) Select 'Settings'.
3) Select 'Library Links' on the left of the screen.
4) In the search box type 'Reading' and select the 'Reading University Library - Full-Text @ Reading' option.
5) Save your settings.

When you do a search, look for a 'Full-Text @ Reading' link to the right of references in your results list. This indicates that we have a subscription which will give you access to the article. Click on this link to access the full-text.

If the 'Full-text @ Reading' link does not appear next to a reference it indicates that it isn't covered by our subscriptions and you probably won't be able to access the article.

If you are off-campus you will need to login to access the articles. You will usually be prompted to login as soon as you click on the link to the article. If this doesn't happen you will need to look for an institutional or Shibboleth login link once you reach the journal's website. For more guidance see Accessing e-journals.

Google Scholar Button
Google have produced a plugin for Chrome, Firefox and Safari which allows you to easily search for and cite articles. Highlight the title of an article in the page you are reading and then click the Scholar button and it will search for the article on Google Scholar in a pop up window. To get a formatted reference for a search result press the quote button next to it and the reference will appear in three different styles.

To make the most of this tool set up the University of Reading as a 'Library Link' using the instructions above.

Guide to finding free resources

We've put together this guide to finding free research resources to help you discover Open Access books and articles:

Guide to free research resources
A guide to free and Open Access resources available to students, alumni and the public.

How do I access resources off-campus?

For easiest access to Library resources follow the links from our website, Enterprise catalogue or Summon discovery service. If you try to access via a search engine such as Google you will need to look for an institutional or shibboleth login to be able to login with your University credentials.

When accessing Library e-resources, especially when you are off-campus, you will need to login to identify yourself as a member of the University of Reading to gain access to our protected databases, e-books and e-journals. You login in the same way as for Blackboard - via Microsoft.

Just enter your University username followed by @student.reading.ac.uk (e.g. ab123456@student.reading.ac.uk) and your password.

If this is the first time you have logged in via this method when off-campus you will be asked to complete a Multi-Factor Authentication. For more information see:

Find out more about multi-factor authentication
Accessing e-resources
Find out more about accessing resources.

Terms of use

Please note: These resources are for your personal use only (you should not use them on behalf of your placement company or your friends). A few databases are only accessible from the UK too.

Terms and conditions of use for Library e-resources
Our terms and conditions outline how you can use our e-resources.