Electronic Resources

Google Scholar is a search engine which can be used to look up references from scientific literature of multiple disciplines.
Its advantages are its large database and an algorithm leading to a useful hit list.

The disadvantages are a poor filtering functionality and a lack of quality assessment regarding the listed items. It is difficult to narrow down search results to a specific academic discipline.

The hit list is generated automatically, using formal criteria only.

The academic search engine Google Scholar presents you articles from e-journals and printed media, both with and without a need to pay for access.
Through the linking service SFX, search results from Google Scholar are linked with licensed electronically available media from the University Library Erlangen-Nürnberg (UB), as well as printed media.

Google Scholar has to be set up and personalized for your use:
Access the subpoint „Settings“ via the menu symbol.
There, click on „Library links“.
Enter „Erlangen“ into the textbox.
Select „Universitätsbibliothek Erlangen-Nürnberg SFX@UB_FAU“, then „save“ the selection.

• With articles from journals that the library has a license for, clicking the SFX button leads directly to the full text. This also works from home if you’ve identified yourself as a member of FAU via VPN.
• With books, clicking the SFX button (which can be hard to find at first) will lead directly to the catalogue of the UB.

The catalog usually provides links that lead directly to the publishers’ webpages. Whether or not you are allowed to view the text is determined by your IP address. This means that you must be on the university network to access e-books.
As a member of Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), you can access the network using a VPN client. After logging in to the VPN, you can access the full text by clicking the link from the catalog.

As an alternative, you can use the Database Information System (DBIS) to search for e-books. With DBIS, you can access e-books from outside the university network by clicking the link next to “Remote access for all library users “. Log in using your UB-ID or library card number and password.

Databases offer the possibility to look for information independently of the stack available at the University Library of Erlangen-Nürnberg (UB).
Depending on the database, you will find books, articles, and essays on different fields of study, when indicated also with access to the electronic full text.
If you look for books or journals available at the UB, it is best to use the catalog.
If you look for literature concerning a certain topic independently of its availablity at a library, use a database.

• In the catalog, you will find articles from many electronic resources licensed by the library, as well as others. After entering search terms into the catalog, access the Primo Discovery tab.
• If you are looking for articles on a specific topic, we recommend to first start looking in databases and bibliographies.
  If you have not searched a database that provides full texts, you can then check if an article from a specific journal is available in the catalog, or in the Electronic Journals Library (EZB). If the University Library (UB) owns a license to the respective journal, you should be able to access it from there.
• Are you looking for a specific article from a particular journal and want to know if it is available at the UB?
  Start by searching the catalog or the Electronic Journals Library (EZB) using the journal’s title to see if the UB owns or has licensed the volume in question.

Use the following link: Database Information System (DBIS)
There, you can find descriptions and annotations for using and accessing all the databases.

Often, databases do not provide full texts. Therefore, look for the respective medium in our catalog afterwards or in the Electronic Journal Library (EZB).
Many databases are directly connected to the catalogue through the SFX button.

SFX is a linking service that connects literature research databases to those offering full texts, tables of contents, bibliographic data, and more.

SFX provides additional literature research possibilities, such as links to other search engines, research services from other catalogs, and links to fee-based document delivery services like Subito.
For more information, please visit the SFX page. If you have any questions, please contact the SFX-team.

E-journals are listed in the University Library (UB) catalog and the Electronic Journals Library (EZB).

Searching the catalog has the added benefit of finding printed editions available at the UB. The UB catalog only lists e-journals that are fully available, while the EZB also lists journals that are only partially or not accessible. Often, you can find a table of contents or an abstract.
Please note that more than one URL may be listed in the catalog. For ease of use, simply click the Full Text button to access a journal.

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The Electronic Journals Library (EZB) provides quick, structured, and uniform access to full-text scientific journals. The degree to which you have access to the journals is indicated by a system of traffic light symbols.
Titles that the UB has licensed are marked yellow. In such a case, please also consult the respective readme. It will inform you how to access the electronic full texts.
Most licensed journals are only available within the network of the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg.

If you have questions or are having trouble accessing a specific journal, please ask a librarian.

While conducting literature research in the catalog, you will find e-books in the same way that you find printed editions. You can identify e-books by this symbol .
To search for e-books specifically, select “Electronic Resource” as the publication type from the “Additional Search Options” menu in the search bar.
If you are using a computer within the university network, you will find a link to the full text on the book’s detailed page. You can also access the e-book by clicking the “Full Text” button on the catalog’s results page or on the medium’s details page.

More information about e-books can be found at: https://ub.fau.de/en/searching/e-books/

If you downloaded a PDF document that did not open, the problem may be with your browser’s PDF reader (assuming it’s Firefox).
Check the Applications setting to see how Firefox usually handles PDF files. Set it to “Use Adobe Reader.”

• Have you entered everything correctly? Please check to see if you accidentally pressed Caps Lock.
• Have you recently requested a new password for the catalog?
  If so, you must first log into the catalog with your new password before using it for external database access.
• Is your FAUcard, or library card, still valid?
  Please mind the FAQ regarding the validity.
• Have you set a password with more than 12 digits by chance?
  The catalog password must consist of at least 8 and no more than 12 characters.
  When logging into the catalog, you cannot enter a password with more than 12 characters. Any extra characters will not be recognized. However, the external login screen allows for more than 12 characters.
  If your password for logging onto the server consists of 14 characters, it conflicts with the catalog’s requirement of a maximum of 12 characters, and will thus be declined.

The availability of each database is regulated by its access type. The assigned symbol explains the type of access possible depending on the respective license agreement. Further information can be found under “Usage” in the detailed display for a database.

E-books can usually be saved and printed for personal use, teaching purposes, or research. However, not all publishers allow this. Some publishers allow you to download individual pages, a chapter, or the entire document.
Please observe the terms of use, license conditions, and copyright conditions of the respective provider.

E-books may not be shared with third parties, either electronically or in printed form. Systematic downloading of complete e-books or large portions of them, especially by robots, is prohibited.

Using the library catalog

You can save any item from the list by clicking “Save to list.” You can view the list by accessing the detail view page of a medium. You can print this list, send it via email, or save it as an Interest List with a custom title to your account after logging in.
Items from Primo Discovery can only be saved to a temporary list.

Using a database

Many databases offer the option to save research results and send them via email or save them to an account. Please follow the specific database’s guidelines for more information.

Using CD-ROM databases

You can save the results of your research, print them, or have them sent to you via email. A manual on how to export data from the CD-ROM server is available in German here: https://ub.fau.de/wp-content/uploads/anleitungen/prometheus.pdf

Note that printing the results of your research may not be possible at every location in the library.

see What is my library card number and password

If you find such a medium, please write an inquiry via “Ask a librarian“.