Literature Review Research Landscape: Library Resources
Alison Lehner-Quam
No one database or resource provides universal access to published materials, so it is sensible to apply a variety of resources when planning a research strategy. Understanding the current publishing landscape can help researchers determine which database or resource to use to best access scholarly research materials that meet their assignment and research needs.
New publishing methods and increasing numbers of digital resources have changed the range of materials that can be accessed and how they can be discovered. Scholars are now publishing their work through open access methods, as well as providing prepublication versions of their articles in digital repositories. Proprietary databases, to which Lehman has subscriptions, are not the only way to access scholarly articles anymore.
Some journals publish in an exclusively open access format, and all their content can be accessed for free, while other journals publish in a hybrid form, where scholars can access some articles for free, but others require a subscription. Additionally, Lehman scholars researching on journal websites or on Google Scholar may encounter a paywall, where a publisher is demanding a fee for access to a work. Those articles can often be requested through Lehman’s Interlibrary Loan service.
Lehman researchers will encounter a wide range of sources across various research spaces. Here is an introduction to the kinds of resources researchers might encounter during the research process:
Proprietary Subject Databases
How to access: Click on Databases on the Library homepage, https://www.lehman.edu/library/. Researchers can locate a database in their field by searching by name or subject. Log into the database using your CUNYfirst Login Credentials. Some journals embargo (make unavailable) the most current year of a journal. Embargoed material can often be requested via Interlibrary Loan.
| Examples | Focus | Proprietary or Open | CUNY Password Required? | Searchable in Google Scholar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education Source, SocIndex with Fulltext, Public Health Database, Humanities Source | These databases include journals focused on a specific subject | Most databases are proprietary, but some include access to articles published with an open access model | Yes | Likely
Tip: Sign into Google Scholar from the Library website – and proprietary content to which Lehman has a license will have a link to the resource |
Journal and Publisher Websites
How to access: Multiple ways. Publishers are listed in the Library Databases A-Z List. You can also find journals in the eJournal search box on Library homepage. Log in via the Databases page. Journals/volumes to which we don’t subscribe (paywall) can be requested via Interlibrary Loan.
| Examples | Focus | Proprietary or Open | CUNY Password Required? | Searchable in Google Scholar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor and Francis, Wiley, Sage, Springer Link, Cambridge University Press Journals | Journals published by the publisher | Proprietary or Open | Password or paywall for proprietary journals.
Open access journals can be accessed without a password |
Likely
Tip: Sign into Google Scholar from the Library homepage – and proprietary content to which Lehman has a license will have a link to the resource |
Institutional Repositories
How to access: Can search the repository directly; for example, CUNY Academic Works: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/
| Examples | Focus | Proprietary or Open | CUNY Password Required? | Searchable in Google Scholar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY Academic Works | Scholarly output from an institution: dissertations, theses, papers, syllabi, pre-publication versions of affiliated faculty scholarship | Open | No | Likely |
Library Discovery Tools
How to access: Can search directly from Library homepage; for example, OneSearch: https://www.lehman.edu/library/index.php
| Examples | Focus | Proprietary or Open | CUNY Password Required? | Searchable in Google Scholar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OneSearch at Lehman | Bibliographic information for books, eBooks, articles, media available in the Library through proprietary databases, publisher websites, and institutional repositories | Proprietary or Open | Not to search, but passwords are required to access much of the content | Some articles, but not books, eBooks, or media |
Interlibrary Loan can be used to access articles. Click here to sign up for an account: https://www.lehman.edu/library/ill.php
Watch this video to learn how it works:
Library Resources: Interlibrary Loan https://lehmancollege.yuja.com/V/Video?v=11014928&node=48689671&a=212571779&preload=false”
Alison Lehner-Quam