Category Archives: e-Resources

New eResource Trial: Subculture Archives

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Hands typing on a laptop keyboard.

The Bodleian Libraries are currently trialling Subculture Archives and welcome feedback from students and researchers.

This resource is useful for the study of social and cultural history, visual culture, and more generally, the lived experience of the British youth as they grew up in the 20th century. For more information see the HFL Blog post.

Important: Click on ‘Log in via your University or Institution’. Select ‘University of Oxford’ and enter your SSO.

The trial ends 17 May. Please send feedback to isabel.holowaty@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Our Resource of the Month choice for November: East African Newspapers

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Each month, one of our Subject Librarians chooses an electronic resource which they feel will be of interest to you.

Sarah Rhodes (Subject Consultant for African Studies) sat at a computer in the SSL.

November’s Resource of the Month has been selected by Sarah Rhodes, Subject Consultant for African Studies.

An open laptop on a desk. On the screen are the words 'East African Newspapers' to the right is a cup of coffee and to the left is a notebook and pen.

Sarah’s choice is East African Newspapers. It was chosen as it features key newspapers from East Africa from the 1940s to the mid-2010s, covering the growth of decolonization movements to Independence. This period was also punctuated by famine, drought, political uprisings, border disputes, and war as countries worked to navigate the post-colonial landscape. This collection includes the Daily Nation (Kenya), The Ethiopian Herald, and The Monitor (Uganda), accounting for over 34,000 issues and over 800,000 pages.

Where can you access the resource

East African Newspapers is available to access via SOLO. A Single-Sign-On (SSO) is required to access this database, so is restricted to Oxford University students and staff members.

Changes to Refinitiv Eikon access

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A close up of a hand on a keyboard typing.

The Refinitiv Eikon terminal in the Social Science Library gives access to global company, industry and economic data with deep historical time series available. In an effort to provide more flexible access to this resource, the fixed point terminal will be replaced by a remote ID system from Monday 13th November 2023.

Readers will no longer need to visit the SSL in person and will be able to access  Refinitiv Eikon from their own device, by obtaining a time limited ID (email library@sbs.ox.ac.uk to obtain an ID).

Further information can be found on the Eikon subject guide, Business & Management: Databases subject guide or by emailing library@sbs.ox.ac.uk or by enquiring at our issue desk.

 

New eResources: US Department of State documents relating to Middle and Near Eastern affairs

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Hands on a open laptop keyboard. A plant sits to the right of the keyboard.

Oxford researchers now have access to 5 new databases providing access to source materials for Middle and Near Eastern history in the 19th and 20th centuries. The sources are all drawn from the US Department of State records:

  1. Aden: Records of the U.S. Department of State, 1880-1906 (Archives Unbound)
  2. Egypt: Records of the U.S. Department of State, 1853-1962 (Archives Unbound)
  3. Iraq: Records of the U.S. Department of State, 1888-1944 (Archives Unbound)
  4. Libya: Records of the U.S. Department of State, 1796-1885 (Archives Unbound)
  5. Persian Gulf States and Yemen, The, 1950-1959 (Archives Unbound)

These resources are useful to those researching:

  • the history of many Middle and Near Eastern countries, incl. internal and foreign affairs, economic and social history with US commentary.
  • Arab foreign policy and diplomatic relations
  • Arab-Israeli relations, Palestine conflict
  • the history of US diplomatic and foreign policy, foreign relations and the organisation and management of the diplomatic service.
  • the support by the Department of State given to US citizens living or travelling in the Middle and Near East.
  • the foreign policy of other Western powers
  • Western colonisation and de-colonisation of the Middle and Near East
  • Military history, Suez Canal Crisis 1956, etc.
  • Christian-Muslim relations and conflict
  • Biographical details of Middle and Near Eastern politicians, officials, political or religious activities.

See the History Faculty Library blog post for more details and other related resources.

 

Trial access to database Race Relations in America until 1st March 2023

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The Vere Harmsworth Library have organised trial access to the Adam Matthew database – Race Relations in America. The trial will end on the 1st March 2023.

A photo from the website home page of the database Race Relations in America, which shows a group of children.

Race Relations in America

Based at Fisk University from 1943-1970, the Race Relations Department and its annual Institute were set up by the American Missionary Association to investigate problem areas in race relations and develop methods for educating communities and preventing conflict. Documenting three pivotal decades in the fight for civil rights, this resource showcases the speeches, reports, surveys and analyses produced by the Department’s staff and Institute participants.

Key themes covered include:

  • Desegregation of schools, industries and public transport – survey material documents the attitudes of the community towards prospective desegregation, as well as analysing the results. The progress of legislation and legal cases can also be explored within the collection, alongside statistical data used in key Supreme Court Cases.
  • Migration of African Americans from the rural South to urban centers, which had a significant impact on American industry and the labour movement, as well as domestic issues such as housing, overcrowding and poverty.
  • The role of the Church in the Civil Rights Movement and in African American communities, from helping to fund organizations like the Race Relations Institute, to the part played in encouraging integration or segregation among their congregations. Other religious and spiritual groups are also covered.
  • Race riots and other racial tensions, which the Race Relations Department worked to diffuse or prevent by aiding communities to identify and address their problems. Alongside surveys created by field workers are reports on specific events, with testimonies from individuals involved in events such as police brutality.
  • Activities of the Civil Rights Movement, including protest marches, sit-in demonstrations, student movements, and legal cases. Reports and correspondence are kept on key organisations, as well as the activities of specific hate groups.
  • Speeches and reports by key figures of the time, including Thurgood Marshall and Rosa Parks, alongside sociologists, activists, psychologists, teachers, ministers, students and housewives.

Alongside this are contextual essays, thematic guides, audio recordings and video interviews, alongside interactive maps of survey locations and data on attendees of Race Relations Institute.

Any feedback or thoughts on the database, please email the Vere Harmsworth Librarian bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Box Of Broadcasts

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Box of Broadcasts is an on-demand TV and radio service for education

It allows you to watch and record material broadcast on the TV going back to the 1990s: it covers over 2 million broadcasts, across 65 free-to-air channels, including BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, Channel 4, Film 4, and more.

A photo of a broken, dusty TV from the 90s

What secrets does this relic from a bygone age conceal?

Struggling to find a film amongst library collections, or looking to analyse a particular era of party political broadcasts? Box of Broadcasts might be the answer!

With it you can also:

  • Create playlists, clips & clip compilations
  • Search programme transcripts & subtitles
  • Cite with one click, for easy academic referencing
  • Experience the horror and joy of vintage TV commercials

It’s available to all current members of the University with your SSO, and can be found on SOLO here

New Primary Source Digital Archives

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The Bodleian last year substantially expanded its collections of e-resources with the purchase of several new archives. At the SSL, we wanted to particularly highlight the purchase of several that are relevant to students and researchers in our subjects. Each resource below has a link through to the relevant Gale archive, with institutional access provided by your Oxford single sign on.

Archives of Sexuality and GenderA collage of 20th century newspaper cuttings related to members of the LGBTQ+ community.

We now have access to Archives of Sexuality and Gender, part I: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940.

This resource spans the sixteenth to twentieth centuries and is the largest digital collection of historical primary source publications relating to the history and study of sex, sexuality, and gender research and gender studies research.

 

Chatham House Online ArchiveA photograph of the lintel of Chatham House; the building's name is inlaid in black on the white facade.

We now have access to the Chatham House Online Archive: Module 1: Publications and Archives of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, 1920-1979. Chatham House Online Archive contains the publications and archives of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), the world-leading independent international affairs policy institute founded in 1920 following the Paris Peace Conference.

 

New Newspaper Archives

The following historical newspaper archivesA collage of covers from Punch magazine, featuing the character Punch drawn in a cartoon style. have been purchased:

The Independent Historical Archive 1986-2016

International Herald Tribune Historical Archive, 1888-2013

The Listener Historical Archive, 1929-1991

Picture Post Historical Archive, 1938-1957

Punch Historical Archive, 1841-1992

 

Updates to Existing Newspaper Archives:

A collage of covers from the Times Literary Supplement, with bylines for several famous literary critics and writers.We’ve also ‘topped up’ our collections of digital archives with these additions:

Daily Mail Historical Archive, 2005-2016

Economist Historical Archive, 2016-2020

Telegraph Historical Archive, 2001-2016

TLS Historical Archive, 2015-2019

Changes to Bloomberg Access

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Bloomerg terminal in the SSL Data AreaThe SSL currently provides a fixed point terminal for Bloomberg Professional – the financial services database. From Monday 16 May, this access point will be relocated to the Sainsbury Library at the Said Business School. Similar databases such as Refinitiv Eikon and S&P Capital IQ will continue to be accessible from the Social Science Library.

Any reader who wishes to use Bloomberg from 16 May will need to email library@sbs.ox.ac.uk  Details on visiting the Sainsbury Library are provided here.

If you have any questions/feedback, please contact us at ssl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Our Resource of the Month choice for February

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Each month, one of our Subject Librarians will choose an electronic resource which they feel will be of interest to you.

Head shot of Andy Kernot

 

 

February’s Resource of the Month has been selected by Andy Kernot, Subject Consultant for Geography, Social Policy & Intervention, Public Policy, and Internet Studies.

 

 

 

Infographic of a laptop with the words 'February Resource of the Month' on a banner in front of the screen.Open laptop on the a table with the word 'Digimap' on the screen. A notepad, pen and a cup of coffee are next to it.

Andy’s choice is Digimap. It was chosen because of its potential to be used across a wide range of subject areas.

Resource Overview

Digimap is a set of online services that provide maps and mapping data. Digimap provides a range of different types of online map. It includes current Ordnance Survey maps of different scales, historic Ordnance Survey maps dating back to the late 1800s, geological maps, maps with demographic data and aerial imagery. Maps can be customised and data can be downloaded for use in GIS systems such as ArcGIS.

Where can you access the resource

Digimap is available to access via SOLO. A Single-Sign-On (SSO) is required to access this database, so access is restricted to Oxford University students and staff members.This resource also requires you to register before use.

 

Find out more about the Data Services we offer at the SSL

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To support social scientists and others who need to gather and handle data, the SSL offers a Data Area. This provides access to PCs with specialized and restricted-licence data software. Any reader may use these PCs (except the Bloomberg PC).

Bloomberg Professional

Bloomberg Professional is a leading source of detailed market data, news and analytics that is used in trading markets and financial institutions globally. Content includes current and historical financial data on currencies and commodities, individual equities, stock market indices, fixed-income securities, and futures for both international and domestic markets. The service also provides access to company profiles and financial statements, forecasts, news on financial markets, and audio and video interviews on business and finance.

Bloomberg Professional can only be used by current University members and for academic non-commercial research.

You must apply for access and book your first use by emailing the Data Librarian, John Southall. To apply for access, download the Bloomberg application form (PDF, 162kb).

Exceptionally, clearance can be given by the Reader Services Librarian or the Digital Services Librarian. You can book subsequent sessions at the issue desk or by emailing ssl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk, subject to the availability of the Bloomberg PC (see calendar of existing bookings).

Readers can use the Bloomberg PC with the specialist Bloomberg keyboard or borrow a standard keyboard from the issue desk. Once logged in, you can receive help with using the system from Bloomberg via instant messaging. Guides are available in the SSL Data Area or use the following:

Refinitiv Eikon

Refinitiv Eikon allows for economic research and strategy development with macroeconomic analysis through access to the accounts data and equity data for global companies and stock indices. The content spans over 40 years and contains worldwide economic data and futures, bonds and commodities figures. More information is available on SOLO and directly from Refinitiv along with their training materials. Guides are available in the SSL Data Area or consult:

The software is installed on one of the SSL Data Area PCs (see our PDF map). Access is password protected and restricted to current University members. Please ask at the issue desk to be logged in by a member of library staff.

NVivo

The NVivo software is designed to organize, analyze and find insights in qualitative data. We currently have NVivo 12 on our reader PCs. The software is installed on 5 SSL PCs (see our map). Access is available to all library readers with a Bodleian Libraries login.

More information about NVivo is available on SOLO.

Guidance is available on the getting started section of the NVivo website. The IT Learning Centre offer a range of resources for NVivo and NVivo can be purchased for personal use through IT Services.

SPSS

This data analysis software allows for the editing and analysis of all types of quantitative data, whether structured data or relational databases. It works with all common file formats and can be used for formulaic analysis or graphing data. More information is available on SOLO and on the SPSS website. Guides are available in the SSL Data Area or you can consult the SPSS Introductory Guide (PDF, 519 KB). IT services offer SPSS training as part of their course catalog and SPSS can be purchased for personal use through the University store.

The software is installed on 5 PCs (see our PDF map). Access is restricted to current University members. A password is required, so ask SSL issue desk staff to log you in.

SafePod

The SafePod in the SSL. A freestanding enclosed room entered via a door.

The SafePod Network (SPN) is a major new research innovation to provide and manage a network of standardised safe settings (SafePods) across the UK for data that requires secure access for research purposes. A SafePod provides the physical security and controls for a researcher to access such data and includes a door control access system, CCTV, wheelchair accessibility and a height adjustable desk with monitor.

All SafePods operate under the same policies and procedures and provide researchers, once accredited, with access to datasets from participating data centres and archives. This includes:

Booking the University of Oxford SafePod

The University of Oxford SafePod is in the Social Science Library and can be booked and used by researchers internal and external to the University. SafePod bookings must be made from the SPN website. Bookings cannot be made at the Social Science Library.

The University of Oxford SafePod is available 10am–4pm on weekdays, excluding periods when the Social Science Library is closed.

More information

For general enquiries about the SafePod Network, contact 01334 463901 or email safepodnetwork@st-andrews.ac.uk.