This guide identifies the most useful resources for Computing and keeps you up to date with library skills and news for your subject area.
Getting Started using the Library
The best place to start searching for resources for your course is your online reading list and LibrarySearch.
You’ll be able to discover key books and journal articles from both of these. Digital items will be linked from here and may require your Kent Login to access, whilst physical items will generally be found on Floor 1 Block B.
Books and Ebooks
We have a large collection of books in the library for computing as well as related topics in mathematics and digital media.
As well as using LibrarySearch. You might also want to browse the following ebook collections for a specific topic:
- SpringerLink – good range of research and reference books in computer science. Filter by discipline.
- Science Direct – covering a range of computer science topics. Filter by domain.
- Cambridge Core -browse by ‘computer science’
- IEEE Xplore – browse books by subject fro a wide range of computing topics
The easiest way to find journal articles is to type a few keywords for your topic in LibrarySearch. If we subscribe to it in print or digital a link will be provided to help you find it.
If you have a specific journal article you are looking for you can use Google Scholar. This will show you if it is freely available elsewhere and you can also set your browser to link to any content we subscribe to.
To check if the Library has access to a particular e-journal title, or to browse journals, use the journal title search.
Researching for Assignments
For some assignments you will need to go beyond your reading list and do your own independent research. The Library subscribes to a number of subject databases helping you to find academic books and journal articles on your chosen topic.
Subject Specific databases:
- IEEE Xplore– gives you access to more than three-million full-text documents from very high quality publications in computer science, electrical engineering and electronics. This video tutorial will help you get started on using this database to find journal articles, reports, conference proceedings and more.
- ACM Digital Library – access the full text of all ACM journals, magazines, and conference proceedings and e-books.
- IET Digital Library – access IET’s 29 current journal titles, including IET Information Security, IET Software and IET Computers & Digital Techniques
- Web of Science – large database providing full text and abstracts (article summaries) for peer-reviewed literature.
- Scopus – multi-disciplinary database providing full text and abstracts (article summaries) for peer-reviewed literature.
Check out our digital resources directory to find others that might be useful to your studies.
These resources are freely available on the web:
- Cogprints – an electronic online repository where authors can self-archive papers; covers many areas of computer science. These papers have not been peer-reviewed.
- Computing Research Repository (CoRR) – an electronic online repository where authors can self-archive papers; covers many areas of computer science. These papers have not been peer-reviewed.
- dplb: computer science bibliography – bibliographic information on major computer science publications
Professional organisations and societies