General and subject specific information for online and e-resources

The links to e-resources from this page will open a new window and some of them require your Oxford Single Sign-On (SSO).

General e-resources

  • E-books  Many more books are being added to SOLO in e-book form on a weekly basis (currently 1.49 million) so always check there for books you are looking for.  More information on exactly what is available is in this Bodleian e-books LibGuide.

 

  • Oxford Reading Lists Online (ORLO) from the Bodleian Libraries provides students with 24/7 remote access to reading lists linked to e-books, e-journals, digitised extracts, audio-visual resources, open access resources, the library catalogue and more. Over a thousand reading lists are available in ORLO for the current academic year, embedded within Canvas or accessed through the ORLO interface. 

 

  • Databases A-Z for hundreds of databases, mostly full-text source materials, including early printed e-books. 

 

  • HathiTrust Digital Library  The HathiTrust Digital Library is a digital preservation repository and access platform, hosting digitised content from a variety of sources, including Google, the Internet Archive, Microsoft, and in-house member institution initiatives.

 

  • Internet Archive for digitised largely 19th century publications.  It is also is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more.  Google Books or Gutenberg Project can also help with older books.  

 

  • Cambridge Core:
     

a) Until 30th May 2022, over 21,000 ebooks in Humanities and over 15,000 in Sciences and Social Sciences published by Cambridge University Press are available via their EBA (evidence-based acquisitions) programme.  Browse by subject > log in > click on login via Shibboleth or Athens > from the Institutions list find University of Oxford 

b) Cambridge University Press etextbooks  Over 700 higher education textbooks in HTML format. Subjects covered are: area studies; classical studies; computer science; earth and environmental sciences; economics; education; engineering; history; language and linguistics; law; life sciences; management; mathematics; medicine; philosophy; physics and astronomy; politics and international relations; psychology; religion; sociology; statistics and probability. Titles are available via SOLO or https://ezproxy-prd.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/login?url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/what-we-publish/textbooks.

 

  • Open Book Publishers: books are published in hardback, paperback, pdf and e-book editions, but they also include a free online edition that can be read via their website, downloaded, reused or embedded anywhere.   

 

  • Digital Online Access Books (DOAB) is a series of additional free full-text books made available via JISC ‘Library Hub’ website.  (Scroll down towards the END of the links below the item record, to access the text you need to click on the link with the prefix 'doab') 

 

  • JSTOR  Access to a number of archival and primary source collections until 29th June 2022: Arts and Sciences X-XV, Business IV, Hebrew Journals, Jewish Studies, Lives of Literature, Security Studies and Sustainability.  Also, Open and free content on JSTOR and Artstor: https://about.jstor.org/oa-and-free/

 

Subject-specific e-resources

Here is a round-up of the subject specific guidance available to online and electronic resources from the departmental and faculty libraries.  It is a good idea is to follow them on Twitter as they regularly post updated information there.  Twitter handles and links are given below.  There is also a summary, and links to, the various resources available in Databases A-Z.

 

Engineering                                               Materials Science

English                                                      Mathematics & Statistics

Geography                                                Oriental Studies

History                                                      Physics

Human Sciences                                       PPE

Law                                                          Theology

 

Engineering

The Radcliffe Science Library offers two Libguides for engineering students, a Main Engineering Libguide which gives guidance on key resources including ebooks, journals, databases, standards and technical reports.  @radcliffescilib 

Databases A-Z has recommended databases for Engineering.  These include primary sources like the CERN Document Server and British Standards Online, reference resources like the Oxford Research Encyclopedias and bibliographical databases such as SCOPUS and the Web of Science.

 

English

The English Faculty Library have compiled some key subject-specific tips for English readers and their New Books Display has gone virtual.  Discover new e-book acquisitions on the EFL Oxford LibraryThing page, which will be updated regularly.

EFL staff have also created guides to key online resources for Prelims and FHS papers.  @EFLOxford 

Databases A-Z includes primary sources like the Faber Poetry Archive, reference resources like the Dictionary of Irish Biography and bibliographical databases including the MLA International Bibliography and ABELL.

 

Geography

As part of the Radcliffe Science Library redevelopment project, geography books have moved permanently from the RSL to the Bodleian Social Science Library.   There is a really useful Libguide providing links to the key library resources for Geography and Environmental Science.  @SSLBod 

Databases A-Z includes primary sources like the Digimap for Ordnance Survey maps, reference resources like the Encyclopedia of Biodiversity and bibliographical databases such as SCOPUS and Web of Science.  You might also want to explore databases for other subject areas - from anthropology to zoology as Geography is such a multi-faceted subject.

 

History

The History Faculty Library have a very useful History Libguide, giving useful tips for finding digital resources and ebooks. @HFLOxford 

Vere Harmsworth Library have compiled a useful Libguide for students and researchers studying American history.  They also have a US studies at Oxford Libguide which lists all their online resources for American history and politics.  These resources are also relevant to social scientists, English and Law students.  @vhllib

Databases A-Z include primary sources like the Empire Online, reference resources like the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and bibliographical databases such as the Bibliography of British and Irish History and America: History and Life.

Note: All Institute of Historic Research monographs & edited collections, since 2012, are now available free as Open Access. 

 

Human Sciences

Human Sciences encompasses a wide range of subjects which are supported jointly by several Oxford University libraries.  The Radcliffe Science Library is foremost among these, but there are also the Social Science Library, Tylor Library and the Balfour Library at the Pitt Rivers Museum.  @radcliffescilib 

Databases A-Z  has recommended databases for subjects studied by Human Scientists, including Anthropology databases, Biology databases, Geography databases, Medicine databases and Sociology databases. These include primary sources like the Biodiversity Heritage Library and Mass Observation Online, reference resources like the Oxford Research Encyclopedias and bibliographical databases such as the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences and the Web of Science.

 

Law

The Bodleian Law Library has a Legal Resources Libguide which contains a wealth of legal information, links and resources, as well as a Legal Skills and Research Libguide.  This includes information about legal research skills training.  @thelawbod 

Databases A-Z  has recommended databases for Law, such as LexisLibrary which includes primary and secondary legal materials from the UK, EU, USA and many other jurisdictions and sources for legal history like Making of Modern Law, The: Legal Treatises 1800-1926  and Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History

 

Materials Science

Resources are supported by the Radcliffe Science Library, which has a handy Libguide for Materials Science.  @radcliffescilib 

Databases A-Z include primary sources like the CERN Document Server and ProQuest Dissertations & Thesis global, reference resources like the Knovel Critical Tables and internet gateways such as the Materials Research Society and Physical Reference Data from NIST.

 

Mathematics & Statistics

The Radcliffe Science Library has a Research Guide for Mathematics (or Libguide) and one for Core Resources for Statistics and Probability which is regularly updated with news and information about electronic resources, research data management, journals and more.  @radcliffescilib  

Databases A-Z  has recommended databases for Maths. These include primary sources like the CERN Document Server and Project EUCLID, reference resources like the Oxford Research Encyclopedias and the Encyclopedia of Mathematical Physics, and bibliographical databases such as SCOPUS and the Web of Science.

 

Oriental Studies

The Nizmani Ganjavi Library at the Oriental Institute has a couple of Libguides which contains news and information about electronic resources, research data management, journals and more.  One is the Libguide on the Middle East & Islamic Studies and the other is the Libguide on Special Collections at the Bodleian.  It is also worth looking at the websites for the Leopold Muller Memorial Library and Middle East Centre (MEC) Library to see if they have posted any updates.  @oiloxford

Databases A-Z has resources recommendations of databases for Chinese Studies, databases for Japanese Studies and databases for Korean Studies. These include primary sources like the CHANT Chinese Ancient Texts, reference resources like JapanKnowledge and bibliographical databases such as the Bibliography of Asian Studies.  For information about access to range of newspapers see the East Asian newspaper guide from the Bodleian.

 

Physics

Resources are supported by the Radcliffe Science Library, which has a handy Libguide for Physics.  @radcliffescilib

Databases A-Z has recommended databases for Physics.  These include primary sources like the CERN Document Server and Project EUCLID, reference resources like the Oxford Research Encyclopedias and the Encyclopedia of Mathematical Physics, and bibliographical databases including SCOPUS and the Web of Science.

 

PPE

Politics & Economics

Social Science Library have fantastic Libguides for Politics & International Relations and Economics, giving guidance on how to find online and electronic resources. 

Don’t forget SSL eReadings, which provides scans of selected articles and book chapters on reading lists that are not available in e-books or e-journals.  SSL eReadings is hosted on WebLearn, log in with your Single Sign On (SSO).  Although the Scan & Deliver service is unavailable at present, we will let you know as and when this changes.  @SSLBod 

For Economics you can also find Oxford online database subscriptions on Databases A-Z. These include primary sources like the OECD iLibrary, reference resources like the Palgrave Dictionary of Economics and bibliographical databases such as the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences and EconLit.  For information about online access to news sources see the Bodleian guide to news and analysis for economists.

For Politics, Databases A-Z include primary sources like the British Labour Party Papers or Gallup Analytics data, statistical resources like Parliamentary Data and bibliographical databases including SCOPUS and Oxford Bibliographies.

Philosophy

The Philosophy and Theology Faculties Library has links to e-resources and a section dedicated to Philosophy which gives more specific information.  @PTFLOxford 

Databases A-Z contains primary sources like the Past Masters, reference resources like the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and bibliographical databases such as Philosopher's Index and Oxford Bibliographies.

 

Theology

The Philosophy and Theology Faculties Library has links to e-resources and a section dedicated to Theology which gives more specific information.  @PTFLOxford

Databases A-Z include primary sources like the Twentieth Century Religious Thought Volume I: Christianity or Wesley Center Online, reference resources like the Dictionary of Religion and bibliographical databases including Christian-Muslim Relations, a Bibliographical History Online (600 - 1500) and Old Testament Abstracts (find via SOLO).