• Why Use Academic Sources?

    Academic sources provide credible, evidence-based information that supports informed decision-making. Unlike general web content, academic research is:

    • Peer-reviewed: Ensuring quality and accuracy.
    • Comprehensive: Offering depth and detailed analysis.
    • Reliable: Based on robust data and rigorous methodologies.

    What can you use Academic research tools for? 

    Using academic sources can strengthen reports, projects, risk assessments and policies with trusted evidence. 

    Within the Evidence Pie, Academic Research is a vital slice—delivering research findings from universities and institutes that highlight good practice and help inform the planning, delivery, and evaluation of local services and interventions.


    • Academic Research Tools/Platforms & How to Access Them
      Tool/Platform   Access Type Best For   Link  
      LinkedIn

      Free (account needed- you might need to contact ICT to gain access)

      		 Professional networking, accessing free research and connecting with academics
      		 LinkedIn
      PubMed Mostly Free Health & biomedical research
      		 PubMed
      Google Scholar Free search Broad academic coverage
      		 Google Scholar
      ScienceDirect Paid (some free) Science & technical papers
      		 ScienceDirect
      IEEE Xplore Paid (some free) Engineering & technology
      		 IEEE Xplore
      JSTOR Paid (limited free) Humanities & social sciences
      		 JSTOR
      ResearchGate Free (account needed) Author-shared papers
      		 ResearchGate
      CORE Free Open-access research
      		 CORE
      The Conversation Free
      		 Expert commentary & summaries
      		 The Conversation