Monday 17 November 2014

Emerald: an Introduction to the Academic Database of e-Journals

ABE is working with a company called Emerald Group Publishing to provide you with access to Emerald’s online database of over 140 academic journals in areas relevant to ABE members. All journals are peer-reviewed and of high quality, with many being ranked by ISI Thomson Reuters and Scopus, demonstrating real journal quality. ABE members are provided with a free subscription to the Emerald eJournals database through this partnership.


The benefits:
  • You have access to the latest academic thinking and research. 
  • You can inform your essays and assignments with evidence, theory and research material to back up your arguments. 
  • You will get to see how leading academics, in fields directly relevant to your studies, present, research and argue academic theory.
  • If you plan to go to university it will help you immensely as you are likely to use the same database or one very similar.
In short, using this database can widen your understanding of a subject, increase your confidence in using academic argument and thereby improve your chances of achieving a good grade in your exams and any future higher level studies.


Who can access the database?
It is available to all ABE members studying at every level.


How do I access it?
You can link directly to the database from the Members Area – click on Academic Journals in the left-hand Benefits menu.  Then click on the link which says: ‘To access the database please click here.’

If a session logs out and you cannot access the database, please repeat the process and click on the link again.


What does the ABE subscription cover?
ABE’s subscription will provide you with free access to some of the world’s most reputed academic publications in the following areas:
  • Accounting and Finance
  • Economics
  • Business Ethics and Law
  • Enterprise and Innovation
  • Human Resource Management
  • International Business
  • Management Science/Management Studies
  • Marketing
  • Organization Studies
  • Performance Management and Measurement
  • Strategy
  • Tourism and Hospitality
Please note, there are other less ABE-relevant subject areas on the site which are not covered by the subscription which you will not be able to access


Using the database
A good way to start is by going to the subject area most relevant to you and looking through the journals relating to this subject. On the right hand of the screen, Emerald lists the most popular articles from the journal you are looking at. This gives a good insight into what other people are reading which can be a useful starting point if you are a new user. Alternatively, you can use the advanced search options to find the most relevant content. Try cross referencing terms with those in the syllabus that you are studying!


Useful features
The following useful features are available for free:
  • Advanced search options
  • Saving searches
  • Creating favourite journal lists
  • Sharing on email
  • Sharing on social networks
  • Setting up alerts for publications
In order for you to use these services you will need to register with Emerald.  You can do this by:
  1. Accessing the database from the Members Area as described above
  2. Clicking on the button that says: “Register” at the very top right side on the screen, as shown in the screenshot below
  3. Completing the online form


Online tutorials and guides
To ensure you make the most of the database, we recommend spending a bit of time looking at Emerald’s online tutorials and guides.  You can access these by clicking the link in the Members Area which says:
‘For user guides please click here.’
We hope you find this a great benefit that enhances your ABE studies. 
If you find an article that you think might help your fellow students please share your tip below.


This story was published in Student Focus the free magazine available to all ABE members.  Find out more at:  http://abeuk.com/publications.php