Search and discovery tools

LibrarySearch is Abertay’s main academic search tool. It brings together almost everything the university provides access to — all in one place.

• Searches across books, articles, eBooks, and more

• Shows everything Abertay subscribes to — so you don’t waste time on sources you can't access or hit unexpected paywalls

• Includes Open Access content, giving you a wider view of academic research

• Supports good academic habits, helping you find citable, credible sources quickly

• Gives you full-text access where available, whether you're on or off campus

• Offers extra features when you sign in — like saving results, setting alerts, and exporting to RefWorks (a tool to manage and cite your references)

Tip: Use LibrarySearch first for academic sources across all subjects — then extend your search using the other tools below if needed.

Most required readings should be accessible through your module’s reading list (Leganto). But LibrarySearch is still essential when:

• You’re following up a source mentioned in class or feedback

• You’re working on a dissertation or independent research

• You want to explore a topic beyond the essentials

Want to make the most of Abertay’s main academic search tool? See our full guide to using LibrarySearch.

Start with LibrarySearch — but depending on your topic or level of study, it can be helpful to try additional tools alongside it.

Each tool has a different strength — and knowing when and how to combine them can save you time and improve your results.

You might want to:

• You want to check Open Access content not indexed in LibrarySearch

• You need specialist features like citation tracking

• You’re looking for preprints or grey literature

• You’re in a field where specialist databases are important (law, health, business)

• You want to compare coverage across platforms

Books play a different role in research than journal articles. They provide depth, synthesis, and theory building. Common types include:

• Research monographs – single-author works presenting original research in depth

• Edited collections – multiple chapters offering diverse perspectives on one topic

• Handbooks and companions – comprehensive overviews of entire fields

• Textbooks and course books – structured introductions to theory or methods

• Reference works – encyclopedias, dictionaries, systematic reviews

• Conference proceedings – compiled papers from symposia or workshops

• Professional/practitioner books – linking academic theory to practice

• Series volumes – ongoing collections in specialised areas

You’ll find these in LibrarySearch, but rarely in supplementary tools such as Semantic Scholar or Research Assistants 

Here’s how the tools differ across key features:

Tip: On mobile devices, swipe sideways to see all columns.

Tip: You don’t need to use every tool — just choose the right one for your task. Start with LibrarySearch — then add others to extend your search if needed.

Books matter. Only LibrarySearch reliably includes academic books and chapters — including research monographs, edited volumes, handbooks, and textbooks. Tools like Google Scholar include some book content, but AI-powered tools such as Semantic Scholar or Elicit mostly ignore books.

Note: We’ve introduced Scopus and Web of Science separately below, as their feature set is quite different from the other tools shown in the table. They also focus on citation data and abstracts, rather than direct full-text access.

LibrarySearch already connects you to Abertay's subscriptions automatically — no extra tools needed.

But if you're using Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, or other external tools, you may hit paywalls. Here's how to get around them:

• Try LibKey Nomad first — this browser extension automatically checks Abertay subscriptions and open access versions as you browse external sites
• Search LibrarySearch — paste the article title to check if we have access through another platform  

Still stuck?— see our complete guide to Accessing full-text journal articles: a guide for more options including interlibrary loans

Google Scholar is an academic search engine from Google. Use it to: 

• Search more broadly for literature reviews

• Look up citations and author publication histories

• Find Open Access versions of paywalled journal articles

It doesn’t always link to Abertay subscriptions — but it can complement LibrarySearch.

Tip: You can configure Google Scholar to show “View It @ Abertay” links for easier access to full text — even off campus.
See Configure Google Scholar for Abertay Access

Important: Just because something appears in Google Scholar doesn’t mean it’s suitable for academic work — always evaluate your sources critically. See How to Evaluate Information Effectively

Semantic Scholar is a free academic search engine focused on science, technology, medicine, and psychology. Use it to: 

• Find recent research or preprints not yet indexed in LibrarySearch
• Explore citation links, related papers, or an author’s influence
• Use AI-powered features like one-sentence summaries or paper comparison tools

Note: Semantic Scholar doesn’t include books or reflect Abertay’s subscriptions — and its coverage is strongest in science, medicine, and psychology.

It complements LibrarySearch when you want to explore research more broadly or semantically — especially in STEM fields.

Want to explore its features? Read our full guide to Semantic Scholar

Scopus and Web of Science are advanced academic databases that focus on peer-reviewed research and citation analysis. They are particularly useful for:

• Final-year undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations
• Independent research or literature reviews
• Tracking who has cited a specific paper
• Exploring influential authors, journals, or research trends

Why are these tools not in the comparison table?
These platforms work differently from LibrarySearch and Google Scholar — they don’t provide full-text access and are designed for citation tracking and high-level research analysis.

Scopus covers science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and more — with tools for citation analysis and visual trend mapping.

Web of Science offers similar features, with particularly strong coverage in the natural sciences and historical citation data going back further than most tools.

Tip: You can use LibrarySearch or the Abertay Links button to check whether Abertay provides full-text access to articles you find in these databases.

Want to learn more?

• Scopus: Official user guide and tutorials (Elsevier)
• Web of Science: Official user guide and help (Clarivate)

These are not search engines in the traditional sense — but they can help you explore research topics, map the literature, summarise papers, and answer research questions.

Use them to support discovery, scoping, and understanding — but remember, they don’t replace formal academic search tools like LibrarySearch, Scopus, or subject databases.

• AI-Powered Literature Mapping Tools – Find research papers visually using maps of citations, topics, or authors.
• GenAI Research Assistants – Use AI to summarise papers, extract key information, and answer research questions.

Important: These tools are helpful for exploration but do not replace systematic searches, critical reading, or academic judgement.

See also: Search Engines vs AI Assistants: What’s the Difference?

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot can help you

• Brainstorm ideas 
• Summarise information
• Explore a topic 

But they:

• Don’t search academic databases
• Don’t show what Abertay provides access to
• May generate inaccurate or made-up sources

If you're using GenAI tools for study or research:

• Use them critically and ethically

• Always check any sources using LibrarySearch or another academic tool

• Don’t rely on GenAI tools for final outputs, citations, or referencing — they may fabricate sources or give outdated or biased answers.

For more advice, see our guide to Critically evaluating GenAI outputs. 

Tip: Want to better understand how search engines and Generative AI tools differ? See our explainer on Search Engines vs AI Tools — it matters for your research approach.