1.6 Locating digital resources

Looking for digital resources is one thing and knowing where to find them is another thing.  Searching for resource which is within a device such a computer is a bit simpler than searching from the Internet.

   

1.6.1 Finding and accessing digital resources over the Internet.

Individuals have been facing challenges when seeking digital resources from the Internet that they can’t find adequate and relevant resources simply because they lack a proper knowledge of where and how they can find the digital resources.

Locating digital resources can be a simple task if you know where and how to find them. You need to know that there are some digital resources that are free but they are governed by different licence agreement; one typical example could be free to access and redistribute, provided that you acknowledge the source and that you comply with the original source’s requirement. Other resources will require you to subscribe and pay some amount of money whose price depends on the types of digital resources.

Several approaches can be applied to finding digital resources via the Internet. The following are typical examples you can use to find and access digital resources

  1. Search engines. Described in detail in Module 1 topic 1
  2. Open Educational Resources-You can find the detailed information in Module 2 topic 1
  3. Academic databases
  4. E-library. (This will be explained in detail in topic 4, Content Management System)

                                                                                                                       

1.6.2   Locating and accessing digital resources in Academic databases

An academic database is a collection of scholarly works or academic articles written by experts in a particular field of study commonly compiled for research and writing purposes. They are very useful for academicians, researchers and policymakers.

Again, searching for relevant articles can be easier if you use keywords rather than a sentence. As stipulated earlier in this topic some of the information can be downloaded for free, some will databases will only display abstract and you will need to pay some amount of money for full access.

The following is a collection to links to some of academic databases where you can find journals.

Academic Journals

Science and Medical Journals:

Theses & Dissertations: