- Brookes Harvard referencing style is the standard system of referencing used in the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics. However you should always ask your module leader or supervisor which referencing style they want you to use.
- Brookes Harvard is based on the online service Cite Them Right. Cite Them Right contains examples of a wide range of sources, along with broader advice on how and why we reference (for example, how to reference a research report or technical paper). More about this subject can also be found on our how to reference and avoid plagiarism webpage.
- EndNote is a tool for storing and organising your references. It can save you a lot of time and effort with referencing. Follow the instructions on our EndNote page or book onto one of the training sessions (dates at the top of the page). EndNote is currently compatible with Microsoft Word and Pages.
- If you are using LaTeX instead, please use BibTeX to format your references and bibliography. Ask your module leader or dissertation supervisor for assistance in formatting your project in the correct referencing style.
Course resource help for Computing
Quick Access
Resources
Databases
You can find journal articles and other material using databases. Journals are academic magazines that are published regularly. Some journals are focused on news and trade e.g. ITNow
Other journals publish original research. The most well regarded journals use a quality control procedure called peer-review. These are considered to contain material of the highest academic quality. An example of a peer-reviewed journal is: Journal of the ACM
Below is a list databases that are particularly relevant and useful for Computing. More databases covering other subject areas can be found on this a-z list.
SpringerLink
Full text access to over 2200 journals covering engineering, computing and mathematics as well as medical, health and life sciences. Includes 'Annals of Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence' and 'International Journal of Automotive Technology'.
IEEE Xplore Digital Library
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) publish many of the top journals in the areas of computer science, electronic engineering and telecommunications. You can access fulltext of IEEE and Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) conference papers, journal articles, and IEEE standards back to 1988.
O'Reilly
A large collection of electronic books, videos and tutorials (Learning Paths) covering many aspects of computing, programming and information technology. Includes material on programming, data analytics, artificial intelligence and cyber security. Also accessible via iOS and Android apps. There is a Library guide on how to access this database.
ACM Digital Library
A key resource. The Association for Computing Machinery Digital Library (ACM DL) gives access to the fulltext of their 50+ peer-reviewed journals along with magazines, conference proceedings and videos.
arXiv.org
Hosted by Cornell University Library you can use this website to access e-prints in Mathematics, statistics, physics, computer science and related subjects.
ScienceDirect
ScienceDirect is a full text database from publisher Elsevier covering a range of subjects including Computing. Journals include Neural Networks and Information Fusion.
Academic Search Complete
Academic Search Complete is a large interdisciplinary database which includes some computing titles such as the International Journal of Computer Vision. Some articles are fulltext, others just abstracts (summaries) of the fulltext.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar contains bibliographic records for a huge range of information sources across the full spectrum of subjects, including those for engineering, computing and mathematical subjects. There is no full text in this database, only bibliographic information and sometimes links to an external website where you may, or may not, be able to get the full text of the information source through Oxford Brookes University subscriptions.
Web of Science
Web of Science is a bibliographic database on a wide variety of interdisciplinary subjects including engineering, computing and mathematical subjects. There are some links to the full text via Oxford Brookes University subscriptions.
British standards online (BSOL)
Complete set of over 38,500 current, draft and historic British Standards, more than 16,000 of which are British Standards Institution (BSI) adopted European and International standards. There is a Library guide on how to access and search this database.
Business Source Complete
Business Source Complete is a large database that specialises in management, business and economics, though there is also some coverage of engineering, computing and mathematics. Some articles are fulltext, others are abstract (summary) only.
PsycInfo
PsycINFO is a database for psychology and psychiatry. Covers Artificial Intelligence. Has some fulltext articles and some abstracts (summaries) only.
Books and ebooks
Print books for Computing can be found at Headington Library on Levels 2 and 3 (see floor plan). Both print and e-books can be found using LibrarySearch. You can filter for either print or e-book using the 'Format' option on the left-hand side of the results screen.
The biggest collection of e-books for ECM is O'Reilly. Accessing O'Reilly involves a few extra steps so we have created some instructions for accessing O'Reilly ebooks and searching the platform.
Our Ebooks page covers finding, using and downloading e-books. Information about borrowing and returning print books can be found on the how to borrow and return items page.
Patents, registered designs, standards
How to find patents and registered designs. Look for standards in British Standards Online - a complete set of over 38,500 current, draft and historic British Standards, more than 16,000 of which are British Standards Institution (BSI) adopted European and International standards.
NB: due to licensing restrictions, you cannot search for standards using LibrarySearch. You will need to go to British Standards Online directly and search from there instead. We have created some instructions on how to find standards using BSOL.
Final year projects, dissertations, theses and exam papers
Some final year projects, dissertations and theses for Engineering, Computing and Mathematics can be found online through RADAR. Some print PhD theses are also kept at Headington Library - you can find these using LibrarySearch.
Not all projects completed at Brookes are deposited in the Library, some may be subject to commercial confidentiality and some may not not have been awarded a high enough mark.
NB: a selection of Computing projects is temporarily available on Google Drive (you will need request access to this folder).
Our Dissertations and theses page contains more information about finding and using projects, dissertations and theses at Brookes and beyond.
Our Exam papers page covers how to find online exam papers.
Reading lists
- Module reading lists are a useful way to find the readings for your module. You can find your reading list on the Reading Lists home page by searching your module code, module name, or module leader's name.
- You can also find your reading list on your module page on Moodle.
- Be sure to check whether an item on your reading list is 'Essential', 'Recommended', or 'Optional' - that will help you prioritise your reading.
- Don't forget - reading lists can also be a good starting point for finding resources for your assignments.
Need help? Contact your librarian
Please get in touch if you have any queries about:
- finding information and resources for assignments
- finding online resources
- referencing your sources
If you can’t find what you need on this page, or if you have any questions, just get in touch.