Learning Centre
Guide 8
Website: http://intolearningcentre.co.uk
E-mail: manchester.lrc@into.uk.com
Telephone: 0161 631 12 22
Using the Philip
Allen Databases
August 2014
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What Is the Philip Allan Database?
The Philip Allan Database gives you online access to copies of
Biological Sciences Review, Business Review, Chemistry Review,
Economic Review, Physics Review and Politics Review. Older
editions of A Level Law Review are available too.
Great way of keeping up-to-date with issues in these areas!
How Do I Access the Philip Allan Database?
To log in to these databases, you need your OPEN ATHENS
password. You need to COME INTO THE LEARNING CENTRE to
fill in a form for this password. It is important that you do this as
soon as possible.
Once you have your OpenAthens password, go to
http://intolearningcentre.co.uk/online-resources/
and click on the OpenAthens logo
This will open the following screen:
Use your
OpenAthens
Username and
Password to log
in. If you do not
have a password,
come into the
Learning Centre
and talk to the
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You will see a list of INTO Manchester databases.
Simply click on the one you want to use.
Once you open the Philip Allan database, you will then see
the magazines that INTO Manchester currently has available to
search: this includes Biological Sciences Review, Business
Review, Chemistry
Review, Economic
Review, Physics
Review and Politics
Review.
The most effective way
to search is to select
Search magazine
content
Always ask
if you get
stuck!
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This opens the following screen; however, it is recommended
that you change the options that appear using the arrow in
the boxes.
This is important! If you do not change the settings,
you will severely limit your results.
Change

Search in article tiles to Search in both.
If you do not change this, you will only get results if
your search topic is featured in the main title of the
item. This means that you may miss out.
Search all magazines should already appear. Many
topics will “cut across” titles (for example,
“unemployment”, is both a political and economic
term, so articles will feature in both the Business
Review and Economic Review); to get the best spread
of results, it is recommended that you keep Search all
magazines rather than search individual ones.
 Keep Select volume. You only change this if you are
searching one particular magazine title.

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Having changed the settings, your screen will look like below,
with, Search in both and Search all magazines selected
Now, add your Search term in the bottom box here.
You can search by a simple keyword: for example
unemployment or a phrase,
for example “labour market”
Click on the
to start your Search.
You need your OPEN
ATHENS password to use
the INTO Manchester
databases. If you do not
have one, ask the
Learning Centre staff
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Your results will appear in a list:
You can Sort results by order of Relevance or Most recent; use
the down arrow to change.
Click on
to read the full text of the item.
Select Full Screen to read clearly on the screen or you can Zoom in to
change the
size of the
section being
viewed on
screen, using
the magnifying
- glass
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Moving through the Magazine
Use the arrows at the left - and right-hand page edges to
move through your magazine.
Clicking on the print button will print your article.
When you are reading an article, some more recent items
have extra resources, such as videos and notes for you to
download. Click on Resources to see if any are available.
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This will then list the extra material available for you. Once you
have finished reading, select Close
Extra notes
and
presentations
to read or to
download
Then Back to search to return to your list of results.
Extra resources are also
available at
http://
www.hoddereducation
.co.uk/magazineextras
Worth a look!