Ocean and Earth Science: Home

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National Oceanographic Library

Key Subject Resources

These are the key databases we recommend that you use, a more complete list is available from our Ocean and Earth Science Database page.  All electronic resources can be accessed off-campus see our guide on accessing library resources while off-campus for the options available to you.

Why use the databases?

• They save your time finding literature and information relevant to the literature review section of your project, dissertation or thesis or to help you solve a problem in you research
• They have searching features and filtering options that Google cannot compete with
• They are focused on subject areas
• They have content which is not openly available on the internet and you can click through to access articles from our subscription journals

Not sure where to start?

• For help with planning your literature database search see our Search Strategies training
• For more in-depth training on using literature databases see our online Database Orientation Programme
• For tutorials on using individual databases see our Database Tutorials guide
• For individual guidance with using a specific literature database book an Academic Skills appointment

Using Google and Google Scholar to find literature for your research

These can be useful tools for your research, but remember:

• Don't only use Google/ or Google Scholar, they can be useful but they are just one of your search tools. 
• The databases on this homepage and on the  literature databases section of this subject guide will get you to good quality, peer reviewed information and you can filter the results to focus on what you need much quicker that working through all the pages from your Google search.
• Prepare your search - have a search strategy ready.
• Not all information is publicly available on the internet or freely available, much of the content of journals or ebooks will only be available to subscribers. If you find something that looks useful for your assignment, project, dissertation, thesis or research but you are being asked to pay for it check if we have access though the library. If we don't have it in our collections consider using our Inter-Library Loan service to source it for you.
• Critically evaluate the information that you find on the internet, is it from a trustworthy source?
• Google search tips
  • Getting the best from Google [University of Bedfordshire]
  • Searching for information: Google Search [University of York]
• Google Scholar search tips
  • Google Scholar including the "My Library" feature [University of Pittsburgh]
  • Searching for information: Google Scholar  [University of York]

Your Engagement Librarian

  Names: Karen Rolfe

​  Email:  libenqs@soton.ac.uk

All staff and students at the University have free access to LinkedIn Learning which is an on-line library of business, software skills, technology and creative courses. It includes courses on:

• R - statistical processing language
• SPSS - statistics and data analysis programme
• ArcGIS - create and manage maps, data and analytical models
• Linux Command Line
• MATLAB - create programs to model data and hypotheses
• Excel
• Over 16,000 courses!

Log on and start learning here: LinkedIn Learning

Courses recommended for Ocean and Earth Sciences