Zurich University
of Applied Sciences

Research guide to multidisciplinary information resources

We have selected some resources for you from multidisciplinary sources of information.

Databases

We recommend that you search the databases in order to research and review up-to-date and discipline-specific content on a topic. They mostly contain references to resources as well as full text articles from journals. Depending on the database, additional types of publications such as conference reports, book chapters, pictures, videos and much more are included.

Multidisciplinary databases

Name Content Guide
Scopus
  • Subjects: Multidisciplinary
  • Coverage: International, multilingual
  • Content: Focus on journal articles, some only abstracts
  • Special feature: Enables citation and impact analysis; AI component integrated into search
 Tutorials
Web of Science Core Collection
  • Subjects: Multidisciplinary
  • Coverage: International, English
  • Content: Focus on journal articles, some only abstracts
  • Special feature: Enables citation and impact analysis; AI component integrated into search
 Guides
Google Scholar
  • Subjects: Multidisciplinary
  • Coverage: International, multilingual
  • Content: Journal articles, book chapters, theses, patents, conference papers
  • Special feature: Freely accessible; numerous full texts, no peer-review process, suitable for initial searches
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Policy Commons
  • Subjects: Politics and public administration
  • Coverage: International, mostly English
  • Content: Grey literature; reports, working papers and other documents from over 27,000 organisations
  • Special feature: Preserves rare or hard-to-access documents often no longer available on original websites
 Video tutorial
Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE): Education
  • Subject: Multidisciplinary
  • Coverage: International, English
  • Content: Educational videos
  • Special feature: Teaching basic concepts through animations and experiments
 Guide
Video: How to create a JoVE Account
Video: How to embed JoVE videos in Moodle
Journal Citation Reports
  • Subjects: Analysis and ranking of academic journals
  • Coverage: International, English
  • Content: Analysis of academic journals across all subject areas, journal metrics, especially the Journal Impact Factor (JIF)
 Guides
Ulrichsweb
  • Subjects: Multidisciplinary
  • Coverage: International, multilingual
  • Content: Directory of journals, newspapers and series; links to tables of contents, abstracts and document delivery services
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ESI – Essential Science Indicators
  • Subjects: Bibliometric analysis
  • Coverage: International, English
  • Content: Most-cited publications, researchers and institutions in various disciplines
  • Special feature: Analysis covers the last ten years and the current year, data updated every two months
 Guides
SRMO – SAGE Research Methods Online
  • Subjects: Social science research methods
  • Coverage: English
  • Content: Books, guides, explanations, interviews, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, journal articles, video tutorials, podcasts
  • Special feature: Case studies of real research experiences and examples
 Guide
DBIS Database Information System
  • Subjects: Platform for searching academic databases in various disciplines
  • Coverage: International, German and English
  • Content: Descriptions and access information for 12,000 databases; enables targeted search for databases in specific subject areas
  • Special feature: Freely accessible
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AI tools for literature research

There are specific AI tools for literature research that can assist with your search. You can find a selection here. Depending on the tool, you may only be able to use the free basic version. The self-service portal (with ZHAW login) provides an overview of the AI tools available at ZHAW. Various possible applications are described in the Moodle course on literature research.

Name Content Guide
Consensus
  • Subjects: Multidisciplinary
  • Coverage: International, English
  • Content: Focus on journal articles, some only abstracts
  • Special feature: AI-supported search with summary and analysis function; free access to the premium version with registration via ZHAW email address
 Guides
Scopus
  • Subjects: Multidisciplinary
  • Coverage: International, multilingual
  • Content: Focus on journal articles, some only abstracts
  • Special feature: Enables citation and impact analysis; AI component integrated into search
 Tutorials
Web of Science Core Collection
  • Subjects: Multidisciplinary
  • Coverage: International, English
  • Content: Focus on journal articles, some only abstracts
  • Special feature: AI-supported search possible for literature reviews, research trends or topic explorations. Enables citation and impact analysis.
 Guides
Semantic Scholar
  • Subjects: Multidisciplinary
  • Coverage: International, mostly English
  • Content: Focus on journal articles
  • Special feature: AI-supported search
FAQ
Elicit
  • Subjects: Multidisciplinary
  • Coverage: International, englischsprachig
  • Content: Focus on journal articles, some only abstracts
  • Special feature: AI-supported search with summary and analysis function; only basic functions free of charge with login
 
Research Rabbit
  • Subjects: Multidisciplinary
  • Coverage: International, English
  • Content: Focus on journal articles, some only abstracts
  • Special feature: AI-supported search; creates interactive visualisation based on citation network; only basic functions free of charge with login
 Guides
ConnectedPapers
  • Subjects: Multidisciplinary
  • Coverage: International, English
  • Content: Focus on journal articles, some only abstracts
  • Special feature: AI-supported search; creates interactive visualisation based on citation network; only basic functions free of charge with login
 
Litmaps
  • Subjects: Multidisciplinary
  • Coverage: International, English
  • Content: Focus on journal articles, some only abstracts
  • Special feature: AI-supported search; creates interactive visualisation based on citation network; only basic functions free of charge with login
Guides
Open Knowledge Maps
  • Subjects: Multidisciplinary
  • Coverage: International, German and English
  • Content: Based on publications from PubMed or BASE
  • Special feature: Creates topic overview and visualisation
FAQ

Statistical databases

Name Content Guide
Statista
  • Subjects: Global statistics on economy, consumption, trends
  • Coverage: International, multilingual
  • Content: Charts, reports, market studies, forecasts
  • Special feature: Wide range of industries, commercial use possible, integrated AI tool
 Guide
Video tutorials
Statistics Switzerland
  • Subjects: National tables and reports on the 21 topics of the Federal Statistical Office
  • Coverage: Switzerland, multilingual
  • Content: Tables, reports, analyses
  • Special feature: Freely accessible
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Swiss Stats Explorer
  • Subjects: Swiss statistical data from the Federal Statistical Office
  • Coverage: Switzerland, multilingual
  • Content: Tables, interactive database
  • Special feature: Freely accessible; context-specific metadata; data can be downloaded in standard formats, via API or through sharing
 Guide
Statistics Canton of Zurich
  • Subjects: Local statistics for the Canton of Zurich
  • Coverage: Canton of Zurich, German
  • Content: Reports, graphics, regional data
  • Special feature: Freely accessible; focus on cantonal characteristics
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Eurostat
  • Subjects: European statistics on economy, society, environment
  • Coverage: EU, cooperation with EFTA, OECD, UN, multilingual
  • Content: Reports, data series, interactive tools
  • Special feature: Freely accessible, standardised data for EU country comparison
 Guide
Statistics finder A-Z
OECD
  • Subjects: Economy, politics, social sciences
  • Coverage: OECD countries, multilingual
  • Content: Reports, statistics, studies
  • Special feature: Official data collection of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and other institutions such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
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Standards

Name Content Guide
SNV-Connect
  • Subjects: Access to full texts from IEC, SN (INB, Electrosuisse, SWISSMEM, SIA), ISO, SWKI. In addition, the Standards Extract (NAZ) is available online.
  • Coverage: Switzerland, international, multilingual
  • Content: Standards documents for various industries
  • Special feature: Standards are available in multiple language versions
In contrast to the standards, the Standards Extract (NAZ) can only be read online (no download or printing possible) 		Guide

E-learning: Basics of standardisation
DIN-Haustechnik online
  • Subjects: Standards for building services, building equipment
  • Coverage: German
  • Content: DIN standards, VDI guidelines for technical building services
Accessible to ZHAW members only. Interested users please contact e-medien.hsb@zhaw.ch to obtain personal access. 		Funktionen
Normpositionen Catalogue
  • Subjects: Standards for construction service positions
  • Coverage: Switzerland, multilingual
  • Content: Basis for standardised and legally compliant service descriptions in the tendering phase
  • Special feature: Practical tool for tendering and cost planning in construction
Locally installed in Building MA (Halle 180), Rooms G19/G29 		-
VSS
  • Subjects: Standards (SN, CEN, ISO) and guidelines for road and traffic engineering
  • Coverage: Switzerland, international, multilingual
  • Content: Standards, technical guidelines, specialist publications
  • Special feature: Specialisation in transport infrastructure and road construction
ZHAW students receive, after registration, a free VSS membership including a subscription for access to the digital standards collection 		-

Patents

Name Content Guide
Derwent Innovations Index
  • Subjects: Patents
  • Coverage: International, multilingual
  • Content: Patents from 50 patent offices worldwide
  • Special feature: Enables citation analyses
 Guides
Espacenet
  • Subjects: Patents, intellectual property, inventions
  • Coverage: Over 80 European countries, multilingual
  • Content: Patent documents and technical descriptions
 Guides

Patent search and patent registration

Patent law and patent registrations are demanding, which is why we recommend that you work together with specialists. You are required to undertake a professional patent search for patent registrations outside of Switzerland in order to check the novelty claim of an invention.

Further information and links: Research & Development intranet (in German - ZHAW login required)

Reference works

Not sure where to start yet? Reference works are a good first step: they provide definitions, give an overview of a topic and help you find the right search terms for your research.

You can find all reference works in ZHAW swisscovery. To help you get started quickly, we have put together a selection of interdisciplinary reference works for you.