General and subject specific information for online and e-resources

General and subject specific information for online and e-resources 

General e-resources: 

  • 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. 

 

  • National Emergency Library: based in the US but open to readers worldwide.  It contains 1.5 million digitized books which can be borrowed, with a focus on materials published during the 20th century, the vast majority of which do not have a commercially available e-book. 

 

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

 

 

  • Cambridge Core: browse by subject > log in > click on login via Shibboleth or Athens > from the Institutions list find University of Oxford 

 

  • 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. 

 

  • VitalSource will let you access up to 7 e-books free until 30th June 2020.  You need to set up an account using your ox.ac.uk email to login.

 

  • HathiTrust Digital Library is an international collaboration of research libraries committed to the long-term curation and availability of the scholarly record.  HathiTrust has expanded their service provision via the Emergency Temporary Access scheme. This enables read-only access to 1.5 million copyrighted items verified as held in the Bodleian’s collection as well as full access to 4 million digital titles out of copyright

 

  • 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') 

 

  • BrowZine gives you seamless access to online journals licensed by the Bodleian Libraries directly from SOLO or from the BrowZine website, from 2005.

 

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 one which gives guidance on key resources including ebooks, journals, databases, standards and technical reports and an Engineering Undergraduate final project Libguide which includes information on writing, plagiarism, reference management software and training available.  @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 their LibraryThing page, which will be updated regularly. 

EFL staff are also currently working on creating guides to key online resources to help English Finalists.  @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 which provides 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 added a COVID-19 section to their Libguide, giving useful tips for finding digital resources and ebooks. @HFLOxford 

 

Vere Harmsworth Library have compiled a list of the online primary sources collections relevant to Americanists, which have recently become available.  This will be updated as more are added.  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 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, Biology, Geography, Medicine and Sociology. 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 Libguide which contains a wealth of legal information, links and resources.  This includes information about legal research skills training.  The Bodleian Libraries now have access to Law Trove https://www.oxfordlawtrove.com/   It is limited free access until 31 May and access has been provided for academic purposes only.  Please email the Law Library directly with questions and for more information: law.library@bodleian.ox.ac.uk  @thelawbod 

Resources are supported by the Radcliffe Science Library, which has a handy Libguide for Materials Science.  There is more information about their increased digital services here and the subject librarian Alessandra Vetrugno is still available for 1-1 consultations and small group training remotely @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.

 

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 Bodleian Oriental Institute Library have a couple of Libguides which contains news and information about electronic resources, research data management, journals and more.  One is for Middle East & Islamic Studies and the other is for the Special Collections.  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 recommended for Chinese, Japanese and Korean. 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.  There is more information about their increased digital services here and the subject librarian Alessandra Vetrugno is still available for 1-1 consultations and small group training remotely  @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 - the 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, reference resources like the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and bibliographical databases including SCOPUS and Oxford Bibliographies.

 

Philosophy - the Philosophy and Theology Faculties Library has links to eresources and a section dedicated to Philosophy which gives more specific information.  There is also a useful page here (requires SSO) which contains information about library resources.  @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 eresources and a section dedicated to Theology which gives more specific information.  There is also a useful page here (requires SSO) which contains information about library resources.  @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.