Many are subject-based, and some will give you a summary, or abstract, of the contents of the items being referred to. There are also full-text databases. Where possible links are provided to the databases themselves. Details of the comparative usefulness of databases for particular subjects , and details of subject-specific printed abstracts and indexes, may be available in the 'Subject resources' option of these Information Services Web pages.
Advice is available comparing databases and the library catalogue and on how to use databases .
There is also help in understanding references and in using the catalogue to find out if the library system here has particular items, and where they are kept. If items are not held you may need to consider using the Inter-Library Loan service.