Summon

What is Summon?

Summon is a powerful search engine that provides fast, simple access to scholarly material at the University of Bradford. It provides an integrated single search box for our

• Library Catalogue;
• journals and journal articles in print and online;
• both print and eBooks;
• Masters Dissertations and research in Bradford Scholars;
• Multimedia content;
• Newspaper articles; and
• citations in our abstracting and indexing databases.

How do I use Summon?

The Summon search box can be found on the Library homepage or visiting the Summon search page directly. The Summon search box replaces the old catalogue search box. Summon is quick and easy to use, a bit like Google Scholar but with access to University of Bradford subscribed resources. You only need to take three steps:

• Enter search terms into a single search box.
• Refine results by date, subject, academic journals etc.
• View results, and link directly to full text or more information.

Although Summon is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, please feel free to get in touch with your Subject Librarian for further information and assistance. 

An accessibility statement for our Summon service is available to view online.

What if I still want to use an individual database?

You can still type in the name of the database into the Summon search box. This will bring up the link for the database at the top of the results page. In addition, while searching Summon, the built-in recommender service will direct you to selected additional resources related to your search.

Can I still use the library catalogue without Summon?

The Library still offers a catalogue alongside Summon. The traditional catalogue will be available for

• accessing your library record;
• renewals;
• reservations;
• inter-library loans; and
• group study table bookings.

Comparing the functionalities of the two library search services: