Subject Guide

The Library
www.library.salford.ac.uk

Housing & Regeneration information sources

As a member of The University of Salford you have access to a wide range of resources including
books, journals, electronic journals and websites. This guide outlines some ways in which
information relating to your subject area can be found using Library resources. Those studying
Community Governance should also use this guide.

Books
To find books on your chosen subject you will need to search the University of
Salford’s online Library Catalogue.
You can access this by clicking on the Catalogue and e-Library icon from any
networked computer or via the Student Channel at http://students.salford.ac.uk
Each site has dedicated Library Catalogue terminals located on each floor. You can perform
various kinds of searches to find the items you need.
For further information consult the following guides:
Library Catalogue – www.library.salford.ac.uk/help/userguides/general/tprism.pdf
Class numbers - how to decipher them - www.library.salford.ac.uk/help/userguides/general/class.pdf
Reading lists – LaSU – www.library.salford.ac.uk/help/userguides/; for Students, and Staff

Other library catalogues

You may want to search other library catalogues in addition to Salford. The University of
Manchester catalogue and COPAC can both be selected from Salford’s online Library Catalogue.
More catalogues can be found on e-Library using the type Library Catalogue. (See the
Other information sources section for searching by type of resource).

Dictionaries, handbooks and encyclopaedias

These can help you to understand your subject, and define your search terms. Examples are:
 Encyclopedia of Housing Law and Practice
 Housing and Planning Yearbook
In addition, Housing Association Finance (formerly called Housing Finance Manual) and the
Chartered Institute of Housing’s Housing Manual (also called Practice Online) are both available
online and can be found in our electronic resources collection on e-Library.
See the section below: Database Searching and Journal Articles to find out more about
accessing Library.

Finding information for projects and research

It is very important that you extend your search beyond just looking for books on a subject. The
most current information on any topic is usually outlined in journal articles and conference papers.
The Library provides a variety of resources in both paper and electronic format to help you to
locate the information you need.

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Database searching and journal articles
Access to all of the electronic resources available to you is via e-Library. You can
access this by clicking on the Catalogue and e-Library icon from any networked
computer, or via the Student Channel at http://students.salford.ac.uk
A full A - Z list can be viewed using the Find Database tab and selecting Title.

Finding resources
 To find resources for your area of interest, select Subject tab and then choose your subject
from the left hand menu. You can either narrow the resources using a sub heading or
select ALL. Clicking on GO will take you to the list of resources for your chosen subject.
 To access a resource, click on the heading; and for details about it, select the information
symbol .
 If you are unsure of which database to use, a collection of the primary resources has been
set up for you under Quick Search. Select Environment by using the radio button , type
your search terms in the box provided, and then click GO.
A list of results will appear for the following databases:
 Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts
Covers over 500 journals published in 16 different countries, including the UK and US.
 Compendex
This is an online version of the Engineering Index, covering engineering and applied science.
 Scopus
Scopus is a scientific, medical, technical and social science database covering over 15,000
peer reviewed titles.
 Web of Science with Conference Proceedings (ISI)
Databases include Science Citation Index Expanded, 1900 to present and Conference
Proceedings Citation Index - Science, 1990 to present. Social Sciences and Humanities
citation indexes and conference proceedings are also available.

e-Library is far more than just a gateway to all our resources. To get the most out of e-Library, read
the e-Library User Guides - www.library.salford.ac.uk/help/userguides/.

Paper abstracts and indexes

For older references you will need to use the paper abstracts and indexes. They are shelved in the
Abstracts and Indexes section on the second floor of the Clifford Whitworth Building.
Engineering Index – Printed copies from 1896 to 1996. See also Compendex.

Geographical Abstracts – Human Geography

Covers research in economic and social geography plus planning studies from 1989 to 2008.
Other Geographical Abstracts disciplines are available, including Regional and Community
Planning from 1972 – 1988.

Electronic journals
 Find an e-Journal
The Library provides access to thousands of electronic journals. To search for an electronic
version of a journal, go to e-Library and click on the Find e-Journal tab. Similar in layout and
function to Find Database, this screen will allow you to search by journal title or to browse the
electronic journals in a particular subject area.

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 Find articles on a topic
To save time browsing through the journal titles, use the databases via Quick Search or Find
Database to locate articles and then use the FIND IT button to locate the full text for
the relevant journal. If the item is only available as a print copy, a link to the Library Catalogue
record will be displayed

Paper journals
A title search on the Library Catalogue will tell you whether or not we keep a journal, the dates of
our holdings and the site where it is held.
The latest issues and back runs of journals are shelved on the second floor of the Clifford
Whitworth building. Pre 1960 journals are kept in storage. Please ask at an Enquiry Desk if you
need to consult any of these.

Other information sources

The Library also offers access to other information sources,

some of which are full text.

To locate the different types of resources within e-Library:

 Click on the Find Database tab
 Select the Keyword tab
 Click on the Type: option to select the type of resource you
want.

Census
The UK Census, undertaken every ten years, collects population and other statistics essential to
those who have to plan and allocate resources. The most recent Census took place on 29 April
2001. Resources for generating Census statistics can be found under the type Census Information.

Conference proceedings
Results of new research and original thinking are often put forward for discussion at meetings and
conferences. Specialist abstracts and indexes for tracing this information include:
 Conference Proceedings Citation Indexes (Access via Web of Science)
 ZETOC

E-prints
Open access electronic documents made freely available to encourage peer exchange and
scientific advancement. Under the type E-prints you will find E-print sites that may include pre-
publication drafts of journal articles (preprints), scholarly papers, technical communications,
conference papers or similar documents relaying research results among peer groups.

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Electronic books
The Library has a growing collection of electronic books (digital versions of print books). The
collections can be found on e-Library by selecting the type E-Books. Individual books are also on
our Library Catalogue – search the Catalogue in the usual way, and click on the OPEN link to go to
the e-book.

Government publications
The Library’s government publications collection is located on the second floor of the Law Library
building. For electronic resources use the type Government Publication.

Reports
Reports published by institutions, industrial, commercial or government bodies can usually be
traced, although some are restricted or may only be issued on a confidential basis. They are
identified by number and any numbers appearing with a reference to a report should be noted.
Specialist report indexes and websites can be found under the type Reports.

Standards
Standards lay down specifications and criteria to be applied consistently in the classification of
materials, in the manufacture and supply of products, in testing and analysis, in terminology and in
the provision of services. Several standards websites can be found under Standards and
Regulations on e-Library.
British Standards Online
Contains full text coverage of all British Standards and corresponding European (EN) and
International (ISO) standards. Please note that this is found under the type Database on e-Library.
An Athens username and password are required.

Theses
The University of Salford’s postgraduate theses are all listed in the Library Catalogue; when
searching, select the Theses Catalogue in the Collection field. Select a title and click on Title
Details to see whether it is a PhD or MSc. Specialised indexes for tracing non Salford theses and
dissertations can be found on e-Library under the type Dissertation + Theses.

Internet sources
A selection of free internet resources has been added to e-Library under two type headings:

Subject Gateways are collections of websites evaluated by subject specialists and can provide a
useful means of tracing information that you have been unable to find in our subscribed databases.
Most subjects have a dedicated Subject Gateway.

Websites that are included on e-Library have been evaluated by our own subject specialists and
are mainly those of professional bodies; most will contain some full text access to documents.

Please note – information found on the internet is not necessarily subject to the
validation checks that our subscribed sources are.

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Document Delivery
The Library may not hold all the material you require for a specific subject, but we can often obtain
items for you from another library through Document Delivery. Request forms are available in PDF
format at www.library.salford.ac.uk/using/docdelform.pdf. Forms should be completed, signed and
returned to any Library Enquiry Desk with the appropriate fee.
Please remember to allow enough time for The Library to fulfil your request. This takes an average
of two weeks, but can take much longer if the material you require is not available in this country.
Further information about the Document Delivery service can be accessed at:
www.library.salford.ac.uk/using/document/.

Getting help
Documentation on individual services provided through The Library is available at our Enquiry
Desks and via our web pages. If you are having problems tracing information, please ask for help!

Maggie Smart
Information Specialist
[email protected]
0161 295 6626

Please note: The information contained in this guide was correct at the time of publication. A more recent version
may be available on The Library’s website at www.library.salford.ac.uk/help/userguides/

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