Xwi7xwa - Distance Research

UBC Library purchases or subscribes online resources, just like purchasing hard copies for our branches like books, journals, etc. for the UBC community. In order to gain access to online resources the systems need to know you're affiliated with UBC, it does this by using OpenAthens (web proxy server which acts as an authentication system, verify that users are current UBC authorized users).

Use these resources to help get connected to the knowledge you need!

On campus

Current UBC students, faculty, staff and Alumni can access licensed electronic resources - including ebooks, ejournals, streaming videos, Indexes & Databases and other online resources - using a valid Campus-Wide Login (CWL).

Off campus

Current students, faculty and staff can get authenticated access to licensed electronic resources, anywhere in the world via a valid Campus-Wide Login (CWL). All off-campus Users will be authenticated via OpenAthens. Do not use myVPN.

Starting from the UBC Library homepage, there are two ways to get started with OpenAthens:

1) On the Library Homepage, use the "LOGIN" drop-down menu on the right-hand side of the grey bar

2) From the Library Homepage, start searching. The first link-out to a licensed resource will automatically pause to request authentication via OpenAthens.

For more information on using OpenAthens, please see:

• OpenAthens Overview

Note: Alumni with an Alumni Card (A-Card) can get remote access via an authorized CWL to select resources licensed for Alumni. 

If you are having issues with accessing online resources through the UBC library, please fill out this form to receive help gaining access!

If an article or book is available to read online or download, clicking the ‘Full Text Online’ link below the item information will take you directly to it if you are logged in with OpenAthens. Otherwise it will prompt you to login (CWL) if you haven’t already done so, before taking you to the item. 

Searching within databases can be more time consuming than using Summon, but there are advantages to this research strategy: 

• Databases are usually limited by academic discipline, which means you'll retrieve fewer results but they may be more relevant.
• Databases are highly structured, which means you can perform complex searches using controlled vocabulary.

For a more comprehensive list, see the Articles & Databases page of our First Nations and Indigenous Studies research guide.

Each database may have their own way and limitations of searching within the database. Some may use "And," "Or," quotation marks and other search strategies listed on the books & media tab, but some may not. If you are not getting the results you're expecting within a database, make sure the search is worded the way the database works. 

TIP: Searching databases with the keywords recommended in this research guide is a good starting strategy. However, be aware that some databases may use different terminology. When you find a relevant article, check the subject headings and article description for terminology that could be useful in a new keyword search.