Throughout Trinity term, the Bodleian Library is offering a range of classes, events and workshops designed to support Oxford second-year UG historians who are working towards their thesis.
It’s a very exciting time for all budding historians, as it offers you the opportunity to engage in primary research on a subject of your own devising, and to work out arguments which are entirely your own (not a synthesis of the conclusions of others). You will work as a historical scholar in your own right and will taste the kind of academic work undertaken professionally by your tutors.
To understand more about the requirements and support for your thesis, check out the History Faculty guidance on the compulsory thesis.
Doing research on your thesis also means that you will need to learn new skills, deepening your knowledge of resources and sources and how to go about locating and using them. This includes:
- Information searching and research skills;
- Awareness of the rich sources available to you in Oxford (and beyond) and knowing how to access them;
- The right way to handle material, including archives, correct citation practices, ethical research practice, etc.;
- Knowing the relevant experts in Oxford libraries and archives.
THE TRAINING SCHEDULE
Most sessions require SSO for bookings. You can find the training programme below – subdivided into research skills and referencing training.
Some sessions are open to other members of the University. Others are exclusively aimed at undergraduates of the History Faculty, University of Oxford.
If you have any queries regarding these or have problems with registration, please email library.history@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.
A. RESEARCH SKILLS TRAINING
[Hist Fac UGs] History Thesis Fair – Wed 30 April 2025 (week 1) @ 3-5pm – In person, North Writing School, Exam Schools
This highly popular Fair has Librarians, Academics, Information Skills advisors, Subject Specialists and many more covering many different subjects and aspects of your Thesis prep. Come and talk to dedicated specialists and find out what there is on offer in Oxford and further afield! If you are in a college beginning letters B-N, please come at 3pm; all other colleges should try to come at 4pm – but if you can’t make it during your time slot, just come when you can.
Webinar: ‘Getting started with the new interface of Bibliography of British and Irish History‘ – Mon 28 April 2025 (week 1) @ 4pm-4.15pm – Free online training provided by Brepols
This short and practical webinar will introduce the new interface of the Bibliography of British and Irish History (BBIH). Advance registration required.
Discovering Archives and Modern Manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries (Bodleian iSkills) – Thurs 1 May 2025 (week 1) @ 10-11.30 am – In person, Weston Library Lecture Theatre
This workshop will introduce participants to the key catalogues and finding aids for post-1800 archives and manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries. In particular the session will focus on Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts, the online catalogue for post-1800 archives and manuscripts. The session will also briefly introduce some of the major UK online gateways for discovering archives.
[Hist Fac UGs] Researching Bibliography – Wed 7 May 2025 (week 2) @ 12noon-1pm – On Teams
This online session aims to give you a head start on the skills you will need to track down secondary literature and primary source material for your thesis. A range of library catalogues, databases, web portals and more will be explored to help you make the best use of your time.
Introduction to Online Resources for Historians: Show and Tell (Bodleian iSkills) – Thurs 8 May 2025 (week 2) @ 2-4pm – On Teams
A general online introduction to the vast range of electronic resources which are available for all historical periods of British and Western European history. Learning outcomes are to: Gain an overview of some of the key online resources for Medieval, Early Modern and Modern British and Western European History. Know how to access subscription resources. Gain awareness of key examples of useful resources: bibliographic databases; reference sources; primary sources; maps; audio-visual resources, and data sources.
Using AI to Find, Analyse, and Share Information Sources (Bodleian iSkills) – Mon 12 May 2025 (week 3) and Mon 2 June 2025 (week 6) @ 9.30am-12pm – In person, IT Services, 7-19 Banbury Road
This beginner-friendly workshop introduces three GenAI tools (ChatGPT, Elicit, and Perplexity), showing how they can support information discovery and analysis. Designed for those new to AI, it will allow you to independently experiment with these tools and will explore their strengths, limitations, and suitability for different tasks.
Sources for Modern Global History (Bodleian iSkills) – Wed 14 May 2025 (Week 3) @ 2-3.45pm – In person, Weston Library Lecture Theatre
This in-person session introduces key archival, printed and electronic resources, such as finding aids, bibliographic resources and primary sources for post-1800 global history. The focus will be on non-European history but will draw predominantly on English and European language resources.
Newspapers and Other Online News Sources from the 17th-21st Centuries (Bodleian iSkills) – Wed 21 May 2025 (week 4) @ 11.30am-1pm – On Teams
Newspapers are a valuable resource for researching not only news but also many other aspects of political, economic, social and cultural life. In this online session we will introduce key online sources of news and how to make best use of them. The focus will be on historical and contemporary newspapers from the 17th century across most countries of the world.
[Hist Fac UGs] Research Skills for your Thesis: a Workshop – Tues 27 May 2025 (week 5) @ 2-4pm – In person – Sign up required
This session is designed to equip you with key information skills in order to make best use of electronic information and discovery resources. A range of finding aids and databases will be explored, as well as advanced search techniques which can be used in SOLO and other online search tools.
Sources for US History (Bodleian iSkills) – Thurs 29 May 2025 (week 5) @ 2-3.30pm – On Teams
An online introduction to primary sources for the study of American history, from the colonial period to the 20th Century. The session will provide an overview of the different kinds of information sources (early printed books, newspapers, databases and official records), and guidance on locating material for research. Collections highlighted include physical materials available in Oxford, Bodleian databases and other online resources.
[Hist Fac UGs] Sources for Medieval History – Thurs 5 June 2025 (week 6) @ 11.30am-1pm – On Teams
This online session provides a general overview of a wide range of e-resources relevant for British and Western European medieval history: bibliographical databases, biographical/reference tools, web portals and collections of online primary source materials of Anglo-Saxon sources, chronicles, charters and more.
[Hist Fac UGs] Sources for Early Modern History – Mon 9 June 2025 (week 7) @ 2-3.30pm – On Teams
This online session provides a general overview of a wide range of e-resources relevant for British and Western European early modern history: bibliographical databases, biographical/reference tools, online collections of early printed books, newspapers, state papers touching on the political, social and religious upheavals during this period.
Working with Sensitive Research Data (Bodleian iSkills) – Tues 10 June 2025 (week 7) @ 2-4pm – In person, Information Skills Training Room, Social Science Library
A workshop outlining some of the key principles to bear in mind when working with sensitive or restricted research. Issues of confidentiality, informed consent, cybersecurity and data management will be covered. The role of support services at Oxford will also be outlined and in particular the role of the Bodleian Data Librarian.
[Hist Fac UGs] REPEAT: Research Skills for your Thesis: a Workshop – Tues 10 June 2025 (week 7) @ 2-4pm – In person – Sign up required
This session is designed to equip you with key information skills in order to make best use of electronic information and discovery resources. A range of finding aids and databases will be explored, as well as advanced search techniques which can be used in SOLO and other online search tools.
B. REFERENCING TRAINING: USING SOFTWARE TO CITE SOURCES
Referencing: Choosing and Using Software for Referencing (Bodleian iSkills) – Tues 29 April 2025 (week 1) @ 1.30-4.30pm – In person, IT Services, 7-19 Banbury Road
Formatting your in-text citations, footnotes and bibliography correctly for your thesis or publication is crucial. Reference management tools make this easier and save you time. This classroom-based session gives an overview of how reference management works, explores the advantages and disadvantages of a range of software packages and gives you the opportunity to try out four different packages (RefWorks, EndNote, Mendeley and Zotero) so that you can work out which one is best for you.
Referencing: Zotero (Bodleian iSkills) – In person: Fri 09 May 2025 (week 2) @ 1.30-4.30pm – IT Services, 7-19 Banbury Road | On Teams: Wed 28 May 2025 (week 5) @ 9.30-11.00am
Zotero is a reference management tool that helps you build libraries of references and add citations and bibliographies to word processed documents using your chosen citation style. This introduction is available in both online and face-to-face formats.
Referencing: EndNote (Bodleian iSkills) – In Person: Mon 12 May 2025 (week 3) @ 1.30-4.30pm – IT Services, 7-19 Banbury Road | On Teams: Wed 21 May 2025 (week 4) @ 9.30am-11.30am
EndNote is a desktop-based reference management tool for Windows and Mac users. It helps you to build libraries of references and insert them into Word documents as in-text citations or footnotes, and to automatically generate bibliographies. This introduction is available in both online and face-to-face formats.
Referencing: RefWorks (Bodleian iSkills) – Wed 21 May 2025 (week 4) @ 2-4pm – On Teams
RefWorks is web-based and helps you to collect and manage references and insert them into your word processed document as in-text citations or footnotes, and you can generate bibliographies. Being web-based, RefWorks can be used with any operating system and, to cite your references in a document, provides a plugin for Microsoft Word on Windows or Mac computers.
Best of luck training and preparing for your thesis research!
