Databases on Trial

Databases on Trial offers temporary access to selected electronic resources for evaluation. Explore these databases during the trial period and help the Library assess their value for teaching, learning, and research.

Databases on Trial

Trial Databases and Research Resources

Explore these databases and research platforms available to the VUT community on a trial basis. Use them to support your research, assignments, projects, teaching and learning.


Faculti Academic Research Media Platform

Faculti is a research discovery platform that helps scholars, students, policymakers and professionals explore research and policy through expert insights, structured contributions and tools for navigating the scholarly literature.

Trial Period: 30 July 2026 – 28 August 2026

Website: Visit Faculti


ProQuest Arts & Humanities and Visual Arts Resources

ProQuest provides comprehensive research resources covering the arts, humanities, design, architecture, fashion and visual arts. The trial provides access to journals, archives, videos and specialist research indexes.

Arts & Humanities Database

The Arts & Humanities Database, together with three specialist indexes, provides comprehensive resources for research in the arts and humanities.

Included Resources

  • Arts & Humanities Database
  • ARTbibliographies Modern (ABM)
  • Design & Applied Arts Index (DAAI)
  • International Bibliography of Art (IBA)

Available Collections

ProQuest One Visual Arts & Design (PQ1VISUAL)

Art, Design and Architecture Collection (ARTARCPKG)

  • ARTbibliographies Modern
  • Arts & Humanities Database
  • Design and Applied Arts Index (DAAI)
  • International Bibliography of Art (IBA)

Art, Design & Architecture Archive Collection (ARTDESACOLL)

  • AAA: Architecture & Design
  • AAA: Art & Photography
  • Art & Architecture Archive Collection 1
  • Art & Architecture Archive Collection 2
  • Art and Architecture in Video
  • Country Life Archive
  • The Artforum Archive
  • The House Beautiful Archive

Fashion Studies Collection (FASHCOLL)

  • Fashion Studies Online: The Videofashion Library
  • The Daily News Record Archive
  • The Footwear News Archive
  • The GQ Archive
  • The Harper’s Bazaar Archive
  • The Harper’s Bazaar UK Archive
  • The Vogue Archive
  • The Vogue Italia Archive
  • The Women’s Wear Daily Archive

Trial Access

Trial Period: 22 July 2026 – 21 August 2026

Access: Access ProQuest Trial


Engineering & Technology Trials

The Library is pleased to announce trial access to two major STEM research platforms for the whole VUT community: Knovel and Engineering Village.

Trial access is available until 20 September 2026.

Whether you are taking part in the engineering competition or not, these resources can support your research, assignments, final-year projects and engineering studies.

Knovel

Knovel provides validated engineering reference content, data modules, material property tables and interactive tools. It also includes AI-powered search and a summary generator to help users quickly identify and understand relevant technical information.

What you can find on Knovel

  • Validated engineering reference content
  • Engineering data and data modules
  • Material property tables
  • Interactive engineering tools
  • AI-powered search
  • AI-generated summaries of technical content

Access: Access Knovel

Engineering Village

Engineering Village brings together multiple engineering and scientific databases on one platform, providing access to literature, patents and research across a wide range of disciplines.

Databases and Resources Available

  • Compendex – A leading engineering literature index covering major engineering disciplines.
  • Inspec – Research covering physics, electrical and electronic engineering, computing and control.
  • Patents Plus – Patent literature showing how research and ideas move from development into application.
  • GeoRef – Literature covering geoscience and related disciplines.
  • GeoBase – Research covering earth sciences, geography and ecology.
  • Engineering Village AI – AI-assisted searching and synthesis across the available resources.

Access: Access Engineering Village

How to Access

From Campus

Access Knovel and Engineering Village directly while connected to the VUT network.

Off Campus

You can register for access yourself or use your existing Scopus or ScienceDirect credentials to log in.


Quick Guide to the Trial Resources

Resource Best For Trial Ends Access
Faculti Research discovery, expert insights and scholarly content 28 August 2026 Visit Faculti
ProQuest Arts & Humanities Arts, humanities, design, architecture, fashion and visual arts 21 August 2026 Access ProQuest
Knovel Engineering reference content, data and technical information 20 September 2026 Visit Knovel
Engineering Village Engineering literature, patents, computing, physics and related fields 20 September 2026 Visit Engineering Village
SciFinder Discovery Platform Pilot Acces

CAS SciFinder Discovery Platform (Trial Access)

Trial Period: 3 August 2026 – 2 October 2026

The CAS SciFinder Discovery Platform is a comprehensive scientific research platform developed by CAS. It provides researchers, academics, librarians, and students with powerful tools to discover, analyze, and manage scientific information across chemistry and related disciplines.

What you can do with SciFinder

The platform enables users to:

  • Search scientific literature from journals, patents, conference proceedings, and dissertations.
  • Find detailed information on chemical substances, reactions, formulations, and materials.
  • Search using chemical structures, molecular formulas, reaction schemes, keywords, authors, or patent numbers.
  • Explore bioactivity, pharmacology, toxicity, and regulatory information.
  • Track research trends and identify emerging technologies.
  • Discover commercially available chemicals and suppliers.
  • Export references and save searches for future use.

Boingwadišo

All users must create a CAS SciFinder account before accessing the platform.

Register here:
https://scifinder.cas.org/registration/index.html?corpKey=57DBCDB9X86F3503FX1690EE913976641A6F


Access During the Trial

Available: 3 August 2026 – 2 October 2026

The trial provides access to the following CAS resources:

CAS SciFinder and ChemZent

A next-generation scientific research solution providing access to:

  • Chemical reactions
  • Chemical substances
  • Scientific literature curated by expert scientists

Log in: https://scifinder.cas.org


CAS Formulus

A comprehensive formulations database that helps researchers develop products more efficiently and cost-effectively.

Log in: https://formulus.cas.org


CAS Analytical Methods

Provides quick access to analytical methods from leading journals and patents, making it easier to locate, compare, and understand laboratory methods.

Log in: https://methods.cas.org


Training and Support

To help you get started with the platform, please make use of the following resources:

  • CAS SciFinder Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  • CAS SciFinder Quick Start Guide
  • CAS SciFinder Video Tutorials
  • CAS Formulus User Guide
  • Additional information about CAS SciFinder and ChemZent
  • Additional information about CAS Analytical Methods