A WEALTH OF INFORMATION

BUILT FOR KNOWLEDGE

UCEM’s e-Library (accessed through the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is a comprehensive and valuable online resource, enabling students to access a wealth of subject-specific and credible information to support them throughout their studies.

e-library infographic

E-LIBRARY RESOURCES

UCEM STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO:

  • Over 5,000 full-text journal titles
  • Over 2,500 useful web links to e-resources
  • Online searchable databases from 25 key industry-specific and educational sources
  • A discovery service to allow students and staff to search for all the UCEM library services and e-resources in one place
  • OpenAthens gateway – access authentication and identity management system
  • A direct link to UCEM’s entire library of study material
  • UCEM published material
  • Research and access to Knowledge Foundations, – a compendium of news, research and resources relating to the educational sector and the built environment
  • Industry renowned books such as Parry’s Valuation and Investment Tables
  • Dissertation and work-based project library and archive
  • Abstracts and indexes of external databases
  • Reading lists, bibliographies and literature reviews

USEFUL SOURCES

Top educational and industry knowledge sources

These valuable subscription services* include those that sit behind OpenAthens authentication (OpenAthens Library login):

Specialist resources for the built environment
  • IHS Information Services (containing the Construction Information Service (CIS) including technical guidance, standards legislation, research reports and e-books)
  • ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers) Virtual Library is a comprehensive online civil engineering resource. UCEM subscribes to the entire eBook collection of over 1,500 titles.

Specialist resources for the built environment (that include professional bodies):

  • Chartered Institute of Building catalogue, and the following subscription services:
  • ISURV – the online information service and containing published material from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
  • RICS’ Building Cost Information Service – an online database containing elemental cost analyses for over 20,000 projects across the UK
  • Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA) – a test, instrumentation, research and consultancy organisation, providing specialist services in construction and building services
  • NEC Academia – a series of tools and support covering the new engineering contract
  • Property Week – the leading news magazine in the commercial property market
  • EGi (Estates Gazette Interactive) – providing access to comprehensive, independently research property data, coverage and interpretation on recent changes in property law, and breaking property news
  • Estates Gazette digital journal
e-Journals
  • EBSCO Business Source Ultimate database (containing academic journals, newspapers, magazines, trade publications and product reviews)
  • Emerald Insight database (containing academic journals. Note: UCEM students have access to around 150 e-journals and the entire ‘property management and built environment’ specialist collection (current and archived backfiles). In addition to this, staff and students also have access to the latest ‘emerging markets case study’ collection and around 2,600 e-book titles.
  • Taylor & Francis Online (containing high quality, rigorously peer-reviewed academic journals and Open Access (OA) research across all disciplines). UCEM subscribes to the entire ‘Geography, Planning, Urban and Environment’ collection and three key individual scholarly titles that include ‘Construction Management and Economics’, ‘Building Research and Information’, and ‘Journal of Property Research’.
  • Ingenta Connect (containing scholarly publications). Note: UCEM subscribes to the full ‘business and management’ collection of Henry Stewart Publications (HSP) via this platform, including ‘Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal and Valuation’, ‘Corporate Real Estate’, ‘Urban Regeneration and Renewal’ and more. (6) HSP also has a companion website, HSTalks, accessed through OpenAthens and containing multimedia resources surrounding business and management and supporting the e-journal collection.
e-Books

In addition to the Construction Information Service and Emerald Insight 

  • VLeBooks contains reference e-books,
  • ICE Virtual Library contains specialist civil engineering e-books; and within our:

Specialist legal resources:

  • Westlaw EDGE UK contains a library of legal information that include case law, journal articles, current awareness and e-books.
  • vLex Justis (containing an online legal research platform that helps you find leading authorities and establish the current status of the law)
Other sources

In addition to these valuable library subscription services, please note that there are further databases within the e-Library to help you find information easily. Further guidance is provided within each section. These databases/directories include:

  • (a) e-journal (section 3)
  • (b) e-book directories (section 4)
  • (c) UCEM study papers (section 7)
  • (d) UCEM dissertation library (section 8), where there is also access to the:
  • British Library: EThOS – e-thesis online service. Gain free access to the full text of over 500,000 theses online for use by all researchers to further their own research
  • Section 9 contains a database of useful weblinks to e-resources and is used to help collate the articles and shape the production of the e-Library monthly current awareness service, Knowledge Foundations (accessed through section 6 of the VLE e-Library). This service also contains an A-Z guide (circa 15-pages) to useful references and web-links.

Industry information sources:

There are further information and industry sources (via section 5) of the VLE e-Library, including:

  • Open educational resources and openly licensed material containing access to 21 useful databases of further resources (including access to books, journals and research)
  • Open University (UK) catalogues
  • JSTOR open access content – a digital library for scholars, researchers and students
  • International Monetary Fund (IMF) e-Library – simplifies analysis and research with direct access to the IMF’s periodicals, books, working papers and studies, and data and statistical tools.
  • LinkedIn Learning – using LinkedIn skills and jobs data to identify emerging trends, high-quality courses are created covering the following areas: business, analysis and strategy, business software and tools, career and professional development, finance and accounting, human resources, leadership and management, marketing, project management, sales, small business and entrepreneurship, and education and training.

*available as of 2023-24

Quick Look-up – Why not take a quick look (i.e., DOI) to view the vast array of credible and accessible journals available via the comprehensive UCEM e-Library?

Lookup a journal article by DOI or PMID

Further information is available via our e-Library interactive brochure

“Demonstrating to UCEM students what their e-Library can do for them remains a key priority of mine.”

Lucy Roper
Information Governance Manager, UCEM