Coordinator of Library Instruction
Scout
Scout is UA Libraries' main search tool. You can imagine it sitting on top of all the libraries resources, and reaching into them to pull out search results. Scout is a great starting point for your research, but don't stop there--subject databases will help you find different, and often more specialized, sources.
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Scout This link opens in a new window
The University of Alabama's discovery service, searching content from hundreds of electronic databases, print resources from our library catalog, ebooks, videos, news and more.
Library Databases
Wait, what's a "database," anyway?
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A specialized collection of information;
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Organized by topic, subject, or discipline,
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and/or item type.
UA Libraries subscribes to hundreds of databases, which provide access to a wealth of resources not available on the open web. Use the recommendations below to find scientific literature on your topic.
Scientific Literature
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Web of Science with AI Research Assistant This link opens in a new window
Web of Science (formerly Web of Knowledge) offers a wide range of interdisciplinary content. Also included: prominent journals and conference proceedings, Arts & Humanities Citation Index (1985-present); Science Citation Index (1955-present); and Social Sciences Citation Index (1900-present).
University Libraries is conducting a 1-year pilot subscription to Web of Science AI Research Assistant to assess the benefits and features of the product. Pilot access to the Web of Science AI Research Assistant product is available through September 2026.
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ScienceDirect This link opens in a new window
ScienceDirect offers access to peer-reviewed full-text journals, books, reference works, handbooks and book series covering topics such as chemistry, mathematics, computer, materials science, medicine and social sciences and humanities.
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PubMed This link opens in a new window
PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine, provides access to MEDLINE citations back to the mid-1960's and additional life science journals. It also includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources. This is a freely accessible site. Contents may change without warning.
Social Sciences & Interdisciplinary Literature
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JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Images of the full text of many scholarly titles in a range of subject areas, including literature, biological sciences, economics, finance, and statistics. Search the archive or pull up a specific article. Artstor is now available on the JSTOR platform.
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GreenFILE This link opens in a new window
GreenFILE is a research database that explores the connections between humans and the environment, covering topics like global warming, recycling, and alternative fuel sources. It includes scholarly articles, government documents, and reports.
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APA PsycINFO This link opens in a new window
Contains citations and summaries of journal articles, book chapters, books, and technical reports in the field of psychology and psychological aspects of related disciplines including medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, pharmacology, physiology, linguistics, anthropology, business, and law.
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