When looking for academic journal articles you can use the 'everything' search in Library Search or search directly in the databases below, which we’ve selected as being most relevant to your subject area.
Databases are the best place to find academic journal articles as they offer advanced search tools, metric data, and export options for referencing. These databases also often provide access to information types such as conference papers, book chapters, review articles, trade magazines, and more. BrowZine can also be used to explore e-journal titles in your subject.
While most of our collection is now available digitally, some titles may only be accessible in print. You can find these journal titles using an ‘everything except articles’ search in Library Search.
You’ll also find links to essential reading for your programme in your module reading lists on Canvas.
Key Databases and E-journal Collections
Databases will either provide you with the full text of the journal or they will give you the bibliographic details of an article. Where full text is not available, look for the
link and follow this to see if we have the full text available via Library Search.
Subject databases
Subject databases are tailored to particular subject areas. They tend to use precise terminology relating to the subject area, making searches more accurate, and can include subject specific tools and features.
Core SAPL databases
- Architects' Journal Buildings DatabaseThis searchable archive showcases examples of architectural projects, including drawings and images, offering a comprehensive resource for architects and other related subjects.
- Art and Architecture Archive (parts 1 and 2) This link opens in a new windowA full text, full colour archive of art and architecture magazines from the 19th to 21st centuries. You can search across the whole archive, and the magazines are individually catalogued on Library Search.
- Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals This link opens in a new windowOffers a comprehensive listing of journal articles on architecture and design, including bibliographic descriptions on subjects such as the history and practice of architecture, landscape architecture, city planning, historic preservation, and interior design and decoration. Covers scholarly and popular periodical literature, including publications of professional associations, American state and regional periodicals, and the major serials on architecture and design of Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia.
- Bloomsbury Architecture Library This link opens in a new windowThis resource offers a fully searchable collection of text and images related to the study of architecture, urbanism, and interior design. It consists of two separate collections.
The Core Collection explores global architecture through Sir Banister Fletcher's "Global History of Architecture," 21st edition. Users can browse an interactive visual timeline of architectural history, examine detailed pages about significant buildings, and access Bloomsbury’s library of architecture e-books for research.
The second collection, Practice Online, includes titles that focus on studio design and professional practice.
This comprehensive and searchable resource is designed for both students and professional architects. It offers detailed design guidance and technical information, along with up-to-date, peer-reviewed content. The resource includes a wide array of case studies, technical drawings, and images. - British Standards Online (BSOL) This link opens in a new window
A full-text catalogue of British standards publications.
- Building Types Online This link opens in a new windowThis online platform showcases a variety of architectural resources, including drawings, building plans, and photographs of different building types. It features an extensive international collection of contemporary buildings, such as residential homes, office buildings, museums, schools, libraries, and industrial complexes. Additionally, the platform includes case studies from the past 30 years, thematic articles that focus on specific aspects of building design, photos, and technical plans.
- Construction Information Service (CIS) This link opens in a new windowThis database is particularly useful for architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, building control officers, building services engineers, and other professionals in the construction industry. It offers essential industry information and legislation, along with supplementary material related to various sectors. The extensive collection of full-text documents encompasses all aspects of building, engineering, design, and construction in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
- ENDS Report This link opens in a new window
An online news source covering key environmental topics. It offers commentary and analysis on environmental policy and legislation, exploring the implications for business across the carbon, environmental and sustainability agenda.
- Historic England ArchiveArchive focussing on England's archaeology, historic buildings and social history. It includes photographs, plans, drawings, reports and publications from the 1850s to the present day, covering the whole country.
- Specify IT
Online access to extensive information from building suppliers and manufacturers within the UK construction industry.
Landscape, Planning and Urban Design databases
- ACM Digital Library This link opens in a new windowFull text of every article ever published by ACM: Association for Computing Machinery. Includes resources on urban renewal, urban planning, smart cities.
- CAB Abstracts This link opens in a new windowCAB Abstracts is a comprehensive, international databases covering agriculture, forestry, global health, natural resources management, conservation and land-use, from 1910 to date.
- IEEExplore This link opens in a new windowProvides comprehensive access to high-quality technical literature, journal articles, conference papers, and standards from IEEE and IET, covering subjects such as electrical engineering, computer science, and electronics.
- Planning resourcePlanning resource offers a range of information related to planning matters. Users can register for a free trial which allows access to 3 articles per month.
- Transport Information Database (TRID)TRID is an integrated database that combines the records from the TRB's TRIS and OECD's ITRD databases.
Multidisciplinary databases
Much like Library Search, multidisciplinary databases cover a wide range of topics and are a great place to scope your search, or to use if your topic covers more than one subject area.
- ProQuest Social Science Premium Collection This link opens in a new windowCovers international literature in the social sciences, including architecture, planning, urban design and landscape. Provides abstracts, indexing and full text coverage of journal articles, books, book chapters, dissertations, working papers and more.
- Scopus This link opens in a new windowScopus is a large, multidisciplinary database, which indexes peer reviewed journal articles, books, book chapters, conference proceedings and trade publications.
- Web of Science This link opens in a new window
A multidisciplinary database which indexes scholarly journal articles, books, book chapters and conference proceedings. It provides cited reference searching, so you can navigate through the literature to uncover all the information relevant to your research. Use citation reports to see citation activity and geographical trends and the ‘analyse results’ tool to identify trends and publication patterns.
- ProQuest Agricultural & environmental science databaseThe Agricultural & Environmental Science Database is a cross-disciplinary resource of full-text content along with indexing of global literature across these fields and related disciplines. Peer-reviewed journals, trade publications, magazines, and grey literature as well as working papers, conference papers and proceedings are included. Includes Environment Abstracts, Environmental Engineering Abstracts, Environmental Impact Statements: Digests, Health & Safety Science Abstracts, Industrial and Applied Microbiology Abstracts (Microbiology A), Pollution Abstracts, Risk Abstracts, Sustainability Science Abstracts, TOXLINE, Toxicology Abstracts, Water Resources Abstracts, and Agricola.
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