The tabs in this box provide links to the key resources available via the Library for History which you will be expected to become familiar with during your studies.
Many of the resources are searched by Library Search but you can also search each site individually if you wish. You can find more information about Library Search from the Finding Articles tab to the left and you can access the individual databases from the databases link on the library homepage
You need to have logged into UDo to use the databases and can access them both in the University and off campus. Where there are special conditions for off-campus use which may require a different log in, information will be provided in the NOTES section of each entry
There are two excellent multi-disciplinary collections which are worth exploring independently as the eBooks are not all available on the catalogue or Library Plus- Ebook Central and Sage Knowledge
As well as multi-disciplinary collections of eBooks, we also purchase subject specific collections. Although many of these are included in Library Plus and the Library catalogue, sometimes, it's good to be able to browse through a smaller, subject specific database
Please note that not all texts are available in eBook format.
The Library cannot digitise or create eBooks in-house; they must be purchased via academic suppliers. E-books can only be purchased for institutional multi-user access if the publishers have made them available. Many publishers (particularly those of texts aimed at practitioners, as opposed to students) have not made their titles available as eBooks.
Some titles will be available for individual eBook purchase (i.e. via Amazon for Kindle) but not for institutional purchase. The availability of an eBook via Amazon or a similar online eBook seller is no guarantee that the title in question will be available for the Library to buy.
For History specific material have a look at the following eBook databases
This link opens in a new windowOnline access to scholarly books from Bloomsbury, mainly from the humanities and social sciences disciplines.
This link opens in a new windowThe complete set of Bloomsbury’s Cultural Histories series, supplemented by an extensive list of eBooks, images from world-renowned institutions including the Wellcome Collection and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and an interactive timeline that covers cultural history from antiquity to the present day.
This link opens in a new windowEarly European Books offers users access to works printed in Europe before 1701. It offers a range of printed sources in a variety of languages.
This link opens in a new windowGale eBooks is a virtual collection of encyclopaedias and reference works from different subject areas.
This link opens in a new windowThe Museums Etc. collection showcases innovation in museum practice worldwide, with access to over 60 titles covering areas such as inclusion, interpretation, learning, management, new media and visitor engagement.
Sometimes searching a database individually, rather than through Library Plus, can give you extra functionality - different ways of accessing the information and sometimes you simply want to restrict your searching to a more specific format/subject field. All these databases can be searched separately through our Indexes and databases link
You will be able to read many of the articles you find from these databases, in full text online, or download a PDF copy to keep. On some sites you may see just the 'Abstract' or description of the article; in these cases, if we do not have a subscription to the relevant journal, you may be able to get the full article through our Inter Library loan service.
This link opens in a new window26,000 digitised pamphlets for the study of socio-political and economic factors impacting 19th century Britain.
This link opens in a new windowA collection of primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history. The collection focuses on six crucial phases of Black Freedom, from Slavery and the Abolitionist Movement (1790-1860) through to the Contemporary Era (1976-2000).
Connected Histories brings together a range of digital resources related to early modern and nineteenth century Britain. Full text access limited to free/subscribed content.
This link opens in a new windowGale Primary Sources allows searching across several digital archives containing primary source documents including monographs, manuscripts, newspapers, photographs, maps, and more.
This link opens in a new windowThis database covers archive collections from a broad range of topics, including the Middle Ages to World War II to twentieth-century political history.
This link opens in a new windowIncludes over 200,000 House of Commons sessional papers from 1715 to the present, with supplementary material back to 1688.
This link opens in a new windowHistorical Texts brings together four historically significant collections : Early English Books Online (EEBO), Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) 65,000 texts from the British Library 19th Century collection and the UK Medical Heritage Library (UKMHL).
This link opens in a new windowA guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of words from across the English-speaking world.
This link opens in a new windowProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global is a collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, offering millions of works from thousands of universities. Full-text coverage spans from 1743 to the present, with citation coverage dating back to 1637.
Contains suffrage newspapers, journals, pamphlets, leaflets & annual reports of different suffrage groups covering the women’s suffrage campaign from the late 19th century to 1928.
When you start looking for information for an assignment you may not know exactly what has already been written about your topic or where it may have been published. You should not just rely on searching Google as you will not find all the academic resources that you need. The most frequent issue that students have in finding journal articles is they try to search by their essay title or use a long sentence, so make sure you have a look at all the hints and tips on creating an effective search strategy in the Finding Articles tab in the side navigation bar. As a quick guide
Step 1 - What's your assignment title/ research topic and what keywords can you immediately identify from that title that you can search for?
e.g.Discuss the peacebuilding process in Europe during the last years of World War One
Step 2- Don't stop there! These are not the only terms you should think to search for. Look at the words. What other keywords could you use that convey the same concepts?
eg Discuss/Compare/Contrast/Explain - these are instructions to you, they are not particularly helpful as search terms
Peacebuilding/peace/"peace process"/negotiations/treaty/treaties
Europe/European/Individual countries
"World War One"/ "World War 1"/WW1/"Post war"/Postwar/"Great War"/"First World war"
1916-1918 - dates can be really difficult to use as search terms. Think carefully before trying to use them and remember to try different versions eg 19th Century/Nineteenth century
Postwar/Post-war is an example of a word that can be written as one word or hyphenated so bear that in mind when you're searching because each spelling will give you different results
If you want to search for a phrase use "..." around the words. eg "Great war" "first world war". This tip will really help you refine your results
This link opens in a new windowFull runs of 48 influential national and regional newspapers from the Nineteenth Century.
This link opens in a new window100 periodicals for the study of British life in the 19th century.
This link opens in a new windowA comprehensive collection of 17th century and 18th century English newspapers. The collection also includes newsbooks, Acts of Parliament, addresses, broadsides, pamphlets and proclamations.
This link opens in a new windowCountry Life Archive presents a comprehensive archive of this popular magazine. It covers all aspects of country living and community, such as fine art, architecture, great country houses, and rural living and outdoor pursuits.
This link opens in a new windowFormerly known as InfoTrac Newspapers. Comprehensive newspaper database covering over 2,000 regional, national and worldwide titles.
This link opens in a new windowArchives over 600 scientific journals from Institute of Civil Engineers, Institute of Physics, Royal Society of Chemistry, Proquest, Oxford University Press, Taylor and Francis, Brill and Cambridge University Press.
This link opens in a new windowFull digitised archive of every edition of the Picture Post from 1938 to 1957. A snapshot of British life.
This link opens in a new windowComplete digital editions of The Times newspaper from 1785 - 1985, searchable by keyword.
For lots of general hints and tips about finding and using images, video or audio clips in your work please have a look at the Finding Images and Video guide in the left hand navigation bar. Image/media collections which are specifically helpful for History include
This link opens in a new windowAn on-demand TV and radio recording service for education covering 65 TV and radio channels.
This link opens in a new windowOne of the most important collections of printed ephemera in the world, offering unique insights into the changing nature of everyday life in Britain in the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
