Resources for Optometry Postgraduates
Getting Started 
- Borrowing & Renewals: postgraduate entitlements
- Exam papers: access point for online papers.
- Program Documents: access point (Library PIN required).
- Research theses are viewable via DIT's Institutional Repository ARROW. PhDs and MPhils are also available in hardcopy for viewing at the library desk.
- How to use the Library: full help guides listing
Literature Reviews
A literature review is part of the introduction to an essay, research report, or thesis. It provides an overview and critical analysis of relevant published scholarly articles, research reports, books, theses etc on the topic or issue to be investigated.
See the Kevin St Library guide Getting started with literature reviews, the textbooks in Bookstack 10 (808.042 shelf number) or some of the following links:
Databases
Databases for Postgraduates & Researchers
| Journal Citation Reports | Proquest Dissertations and Theses: Worldwide |
| Incites Research Analytics | SCOPUS (impact factors and metrics) |
Subject Databases for Optometry
| Academic Search Complete | IEEE Xplore Digital Library | PubMed Central Europe |
| ACM Digital Library* | MathSci Net | Science Direct |
| Standards:IS, ISO, EN | IOP Science | Web of Knowledge |
- To access the Databases remotely you need a current student number and a Library PIN. See Off Campus Access for more information.
- *NB Please note the ACM Digital Library core subscription includes full-text access to ACM journals and transactions, but not ACM conference proceedings, letters etc. See the Fulltext Options section below for more inforrmation.
- See also the full DIT Library database subscription listing
Search Engines
SearchAll/ Summon@DIT
What does SearchAll/ Summon@DIT search? It is a search engine that provides relevance ranked results from DIT Library's online collections in a one single search. It includes records and citations from the DIT Library catalogue,databases, eJournals, eBooks and theses collections.
SearchAll/ Summon@DIT and Google Scholar search different bodies of scholarly content. There is overlap, but there is content in Summon not in Google Scholar, and vice-versa. Results in Summon are reflective of DIT Library's collections. As a registered DIT Library patron, you have access to most full-text you can find in SearchAll/ Summon.
Google Scholar
Some features unique to Google Scholar:
- Cited by information e.g. “Cited by 43 publications"
- Issues accessing full-text not subscribed to by DIT Library. See Inter Library Loans for more information.
- Set your Google Scholar Preferences to Dublin Institute of Technology Find @DIT to link to DIT subscribed full-text.
- For more information see the Kevin St Library Guide How to use Google Scholar
Science Search Engines
- ScienceResearch
- WorldWideScience
- Zanran (stats & numerical data)
eJournals
- The DIT Library eJournals can be searched by journal title or subject. Search the entire journal collection including hardcopy titles on the Library Catalogue using Journal Title Search. Or use the Kevin St Library guide Finding fulltext journal articles
- To access the eJournals remotely you need a current DIT student number and a Library PIN. See the Off Campus Access link.
eBooks 
- Browse via the eBook link - most of the physics and biomedical ebooks are in the NCBI or MyiLibrary sections. Or carry out a specific title search on the Library Catalogue and click on the ebook content links.
Open Access Resources
What is Open Access? 
- Open Access is unrestricted access to online scholarly information via digital and institutional repositories.
Advantages of Open Access:
- Greater visibility and impact of research
- Increased opportunity for collaboration and innovation via the digital environment
- Easier and faster access to research information than traditional publishing
Information about Open Access:
- Open Access Scholarly informaton Sourcebook (OASIS)
- SPARC Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition
- Open Access Overview
- Types of Open Access
Open Access Science Resources
- BioMed Central
- ArXiv eprints
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- ePrints
- Lenus (HSE Research Repository)
- PLoS
- Pubmed Central
- Europe PubMed Central
Institutional Repositories
| Arrow : DIT's theses & publications | RIAN Irish Research Portal |
| DART-Europe E-Thesis Portal : full text research theses from 276 unis | OpenAire : Research in Europe |
| ROAR : Registry of Open Access Repositories | Sherpa & OpenDoar IR directories |
Current Awareness & Professional Networking
Journal article/ author aggregator tools help you keep up with research trends and new publications in your subject area. Use one or more to get automated and personalised updates on your topic or key authors:
- Microsoft Academic
- PubChase (biomedical and life sciences)
- ScienceOpen
- Sparrho (science)
- JournalTOCs
- CiteUlike
- Use Feedly (website or app) to save, download or bookmark favourite urls and pdfs)
- ORCID
- Researcher ID (Access via Web of Science, DIT Library Databases)
- ResearchGate
- Figshare
Research Metrics & Impact Factors
Amongst the most commonly used bibiometric measures used to assess the impact of a particular journal publication are Impact factor, Eigenfactor and SCImago The impact of a specific reseacher can be measured by h-index, e-index and Times Cited (amongst others). Some tools to assist with this are:
- Altmetrics
- Cited Reference Search (access via Web of Science, DIT Library Databases)
- Incites Research Analytics (access via DIT Library Databases)
- Journal Citation Reports (access via DIT Library Databases)
- SCOPUS (access via DIT Library Databases)
- Publish or Perish (downloadable software)
Digital Skills and Research Hub
For guidance and information on research communication, publishing and impact see the new DSRH resource.
Referencing, Citing & Endnote
Citing and referencing the information sources used in research is essential to avoid plagiarism. Each subject has its own citation style and the School of Physics often uses the Harvard Referencing Guide (DIT Library Kevin St))
Journal Abbreviations
Abbreviated journal titles may be required depending on the citation style used. Some useful tools which 'translate' the full journal title into the abbreviated version are:
Bibliographic citation software
Various freeware options enable you to store, manage and share your references using a choice of citation styles:
Information Skills Help
- Kevin St Library Information Skills How to use the Library: Guides
Summer Services
Kevin St Library offers the following services to postgraduates during the months of July & August.
- Postal Loans Postgrad Postal Service Application Form
- Photocopying Service
- Inter Library Loans
- Family borrowing with a letter of consent
