LibAnswers

King’s subscribes to a broad range of electronic databases which can help you to find articles and information for your research, all of which can be found on the A-Z Databases list.

What is a database?

The term database is used to describe a searchable eresource. Databases may be multi-disciplinary or cover a single subject area; they typically provide access to the following types of information:

• full-text ejournal articles
• magazine and newspaper articles
• abstracts
• reports
• conferences and proceedings
• images and other multimedia sources

Which database should I use?

The databases you use will depend upon your subject area. Guidance on appropriate databases to use for each subject can be found in the LibGuides. 

Where do I search for databases?

You can find databases that King's subscribes to using the A-Z Databases list. Search for a database using the name, subject or type of database. Once you have located a database, hover over the black ‘i’ icon for further information. This will provide information on subject coverage, access restrictions and any other important information you might need to know.

How do I access databases?

Once you have found the database you wish to use, click the title to go to the database. Most databases can be accessed on campus without requiring you to log in. If you are off-campus, you will need to log in using your King’s username and password. There are exceptions so you should always check the black 'i' icon. Exceptions may include logging in via Senate House (which requires you to pre-register) or logging in with a specific username and password. Further guidance on logging-in is available on the accessing eresources page.

Can I search databases for articles?

Many bibliographic databases allow you to search for articles from ejournals. Access to the full-text of an ejournal article will depend on whether or not the library has a subscription. When you find an article abstract in a database, you should look out for a link to the full-text to take you to the whole article. 

You can also search for journal articles using Library Search

If the full text of an article is not available, it may be because King's does not have a subscription to the ejournal. You can check whether King's subscribes to the ejournal for the year that you require by searching for the title in Journal Search. If the journal is not held by the library in electronic or print formats, the Interlending & Document Delivery service can attempt to source the material from an external institution.