• 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.

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      Before You Search: Have you checked the Data Catalogue?

      Before searching external academic databases, we encourage you to explore the Data Catalogue if you haven’t already. This resource brings together a wide range of datasets, reports, and dashboards to support evidence-informed decision making. If the information you need isn’t available there, the academic research tools below can help you find additional evidence from trusted external sources.


      • 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