Oxford users have trial access to BBC Monitoring: Summary of World Broadcasts: Essential Global Media, 1939-2001 from Readex, until 13 June 2025.

This is a primary source collection featuring nearly 70,000 multi-page reports. BBC Monitoring was founded in 1939 at the start of WWII. Its purpose was to listen to radio broadcasts and gather open-source intelligence to help Britain and its allies understand global dynamics and assess emerging global threats. Over the next 60 years, the scope of its monitoring grew quickly. Trained specialists transcribed broadcasts of speeches, current affairs, political discussions, and social and cultural events worldwide. Transcripts, in turn, were translated into English, then read by experts who carefully selected critical content for publication. Finally, selections were summarized and curated into daily reports that comprise the Summary of World Broadcasts. These original daily reports often included commentary and evaluation by subject matter experts, as well as synopses and specialist briefings.

Oxford users have trial access to Policy Commons until 30 March 2025.

Policy Commons, provided by Coherent Digital, offers access in one uniform site to millions of reports and grey literature from NGOs, research centres, think tanks, and government agencies. Content is both multi-disciplinary and international in scope with coverage spanning 160 countries. Grey literature is often more current than traditional publications and Policy Commons adds thousands of new documents weekly to its platform. It also works to offset vulnerabilities grey literature faces by preserving it with permanent identifiers when it is harvested.

Please send any feedback on the trial to Sarah Rhodes and Andy Kernot.

Oxford users have trial access to Al-Monitor until 16 February 2025.

Al-Monitor is an award-winning American media service founded in 2012 providing comprehensive coverage of the Middle East, including field reporting and high-profile interviews from Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, the West Bank, Gaza, Egypt, the Gulf and North Africa.

Al-Monitor is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers, as well as by media, thought leaders, experts, and students focused on the region. It is highly regarded for its independence, diversity, and thorough reporting and analysis.

Al-Monitor is frequently cited in Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, BBC, The New York Times, The Times of Israel, as well as The Washington Post, and its journalists are often guests on CNN, C-SPAN, France24, MSNBC and NPR.

Please send any feedback on this trial to Lydia Wright and Zahra Javidi (Middle East Centre Library).

Oxford users have trial access to the Znamia Digital Archive from East View until 12 November 2024.

The Znamia Digital Archive gives us full access to all issues of Znamia from 1931 up until the end of 2023 and therefore includes issues not previously available to us, as our printed issues only go back to 1944. Znamia is an important literary journal featuring the work of many preeminent authors. The journal came to prominence during perestroika, for which it became a standard-bearer.

Oxford users have trial access to Pandemics, Society, and Public Health, 1517-1925 from Microform Academic Publishers, until 22 June 2024.

This resource documents the history and impact of pandemics from the 16th century to the early 20th century with a particular focus on the plague, cholera, smallpox and influenza. Over 79,000 images from The National Archives, British Library, University College London and London Metropolitan Archives provide access to a rich and diverse source collection (documents, prayers, records, registers, sheet music, and more).