Introduction
The internet is a great and terrible resource. There’s so much shit and content out there that fights for our attention - how do we know which ones are good and which ones are bad? This blog post answers the first part of that question. Below is a list of some of the best knowledge databases and resources that you can access for free.
This blog post provides a list of the best free knowledge databases and resources for researchers, including RefSeek, WorldCat, SpringerLink, Bioline International, RePEc, and Science.gov. It also includes lists of free online courses and shout-outs to specific courses and resources.
Table of Contents
Introduction Knowledge DatabasesRefSeek • Academic Journals WorldCat • Library Materials SpringerLink • Scientific Journals & Books Bioline International • Health/MedicineRePEC • EconomicsScience.gov • Science databases & websitesLists of Free ClassesShout-outsOther
Knowledge Databases
RefSeek • Academic Journals
RefSeek is a web search engine for students and researchers that aims to make academic information easily accessible to everyone. RefSeek searches more than five billion documents, including web pages, books, encyclopedias, journals, and newspapers.
WorldCat • Library Materials
(Books, music, articles, etc.)
WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions, in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc.
SpringerLink • Scientific Journals & Books
SpringerLink is an integrated full-text database for journals, books, protocols, eReferences, and book series published by Springer.
Bioline International • Health/Medicine
Bioline International is a not-for-profit scholarly publishing cooperative committed to providing open access to quality research journals published in developing countries. BI's goal of reducing the South to North knowledge gap is crucial to a global understanding of health (tropical medicine, infectious diseases, epidemiology, emerging new diseases), biodiversity, the environment, conservation and international developmen
RePEC • Economics
RePEc (Research Papers in Economics) is an initiative that seeks to enhance the dissemination of research in Economics and related areas. We want to make research more accessible both for the authors and the readers.
Science.gov • Science databases & websites
Science.gov searches over 60 databases and over 2,200 scientific websites to provide users with access to more than 200 million pages of authoritative federal science information including research and development results.
Lists of Free Classes
I couldn’t narrow this list down to a few, just because of how many topics are out there. These website compile lists of other websites, videos, and university courses that you can access online. Just ctrl + F or scroll through the pages to find topics you’re interested in learning more about.
Shout-outs
These are courses on specific topics that I’ve either 1) heard many good things about or 2) that I’ve taken myself.
The CIA World Factbook, is a reference resource produced by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official print version is available from the Government Publishing Office.
The Odin Project is a free, open-source community for full-stack web development training. The bootcamp prepares individuals with no technical experience to become web developers while collaborating with other learners. The program offers courses covering web development basics, JavaScript, and Ruby on Rails.