Computer Science, IT and Software Engineering Library Guide

This guide brings together high‑quality open access (OA) and open educational resources (OER) to support Computer Science, Information Technology, and Software Engineering at Vector Technology Institute.

How to Use This Guide

  • For quick research: start with Google Scholar, BASE, and DOAJ for articles; Open Textbook Library and OpenStax for books.
  • For projects and capstones: add IEEE Access, JOSS, thesis portals, and standards like NIST CSF and OWASP.
  • For regional context: include STATIN, Government of Jamaica Open Data, PIOJ, UWI repositories, and dLOC to ground your work in Jamaica and the Caribbean.

1. Start Here: Core Research Tools

Begin with these tools for most assignments, projects, and final papers.

Find scholarly articles (CS/IT focus)

  • Google Scholar – Broad scholarly search across articles, theses, books, and conference papers; use it as your general starting point.
  • BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine) – Academic search engine indexing repositories and publishers worldwide; useful for finding full‑text CS/IT research.
  • CORE – Aggregates open access research papers from repositories and journals; good for full‑text CS and engineering articles.
  • Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) – Curated index of peer‑reviewed open access journals, including computing and engineering titles.
  • IEEE Access – Peer‑reviewed open access journal covering engineering and computer science; excellent for recent applied research.
  • Journal of Open Source Software (JOSS) – Peer‑reviewed journal for research software and tools, highly relevant for software engineering projects.
  • SpringerOpen (journals) – Portfolio of open access journals across STEM, including computing; filter by subject area.

Find books and textbooks

  • OpenStax – Peer‑reviewed open textbooks; includes math and basic science that support CS/IT foundations.
  • Open Textbook Library – Large collection of reviewed open textbooks; search for programming, networking, database, and IT titles.
  • BCcampus Open Textbooks – Open textbooks including business and STEM; some titles suitable for computing and digital skills.
  • LibreTexts – OER platform with interactive STEM and computing content; quality varies, so follow instructor recommendations.
  • Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) – Directory of peer‑reviewed academic books; useful for broader computing, data, and management topics.
  • National Academies Press – Free PDF access to reports on computing, cybersecurity, AI, and emerging technologies.

2. Theses, Dissertations and Technical Reports

Use these for literature reviews, advanced projects, and capstone research.

Tip: Theses are often more technical and detailed than journal articles—use them for methodology ideas and deep dives, but always check recency and relevance.

3. Data, Standards and Security Frameworks

Data and statistics (for projects and assignments)

Cybersecurity and IT standards

Note: These are not “articles” but standards and frameworks – cite them as official guidance in security and systems design work.

4. OER Courses, Labs and Teaching Materials

Use these to reinforce topics, practice skills, or supplement class content.

  • MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) – Open course materials for Computer Science and Electrical Engineering; includes lecture notes, assignments, and some video.
  • SkillsCommons – Workforce and technical OER including IT, networking, cybersecurity, and software development course packages.
  • OER Commons – Platform with full courses, modules, and textbooks; search for computer science, programming, and IT.
  • MERLOT – Peer‑reviewed teaching and learning materials, including programming tutorials, simulations, and CS/IT course modules.
  • Saylor Academy – Self‑paced, free online courses in business, computer science, and career development; some mapped to open textbooks.
  • OpenLearn (The Open University) – Free short courses in computing, cybersecurity, digital skills, and IT leadership.

Suggested use: Instructors can link to specific courses or modules as pre‑class preparation, lab extensions, or independent study.

5. Media, Images and Code‑Related Resources

Use these for presentations, projects, and multimedia assignments.

  • Openverse – Search engine for Creative Commons‑licensed images and audio; check licenses and attribution requirements.
  • Wikimedia Commons – Large repository of free‑use images and media; useful for diagrams, architecture sketches, and conceptual illustrations.
  • Pexels / Pixabay – Free stock photos and videos; helpful for UI/UX, media projects, and presentation visuals.
  • Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC) – Primary sources, images, and documents, including items relevant to technology and society in the Caribbean.

Licensing note: Always check the stated license and follow attribution requirements where applicable.

6. Advanced / Caution‑Flagged Research Tools

These are powerful but require careful evaluation. Use mainly for advanced projects and capstones.

  • arXiv – Preprints in computer science, math, physics, and more. Many papers are later peer‑reviewed, but versions on arXiv are not formally peer‑reviewed. Best used with caution and cross‑checking.
  • SSRN – Working papers in business, economics, information systems, and policy. Many are pre‑publication drafts; verify peer‑review status before citing.
  • OSF Preprints – Network of preprint servers across disciplines; useful for seeing emerging work and methods but not peer‑reviewed.

Guidance: Use these mainly with explicit instructor approval, and try to locate the final peer‑reviewed versions when possible.

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