Category Archives: Databases

Holidays are coming, holidays are coming….

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Before you go

As we move past the end of the teaching term, thoughts start to turn to the holidays or, as we know many of you like to call it, working from home!

The RSL is now open in line with the vacation timetable until Sunday 18th January, this includes a Christmas break between the 24th December & 1st January (inclusive) where the library will be closed.

Books borrowed during this period are taken on extended terms and will be due for return or renewal the first week of Hilary Term (exclusions may apply).

Help & assistance

Reader Services remain available to support you either in person or virtually throughout the holiday season when the library is open. The desks will be staffed as usual and, whether you are physically in the library or now working remotely, you can address any queries via e-mail enquiries.rsl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk or use the Live Chat function between 9am – 5pm on weekdays.

Accessing library services from home

Gone are the days when being unable to visit the library meant that you could not access the library….. Using your Oxford University Single Sign On (SSO) you are able to access a huge variety of resources from the RSL at home (or indeed wherever you may find yourself this holiday season).

Solo

Logo for the SOLO website that allows users to search Oxford libraries online

Search for the books that you need and apply filters to access those titles that are available online, wherever you are.

Screenshot of a search in the SOLO system. It features a festive Santa Claus query in the search bar and three listings for books. Each has a flag highlighting that they are available online

ORLO

Logo for the Oxford Reading Lists Online (ORLO) programme

Oxford Reading Lists Online (ORLO) brings together almost 200 reading lists and can be accessed and searched at anytime using your SSO.

E-Journals

You can access E-Journals through SOLO and Browzine. Browzine provides access to all journals licenced by Oxford University from 2005 onwards

Screenshot of the Browzine search facility. On the left of the screen is an alphabetical list of subjects starting with Arts and humanities. The Central image is a collage of magazine covers illustrating the large collection of journals all stored in one place.

Databases

Databases are also accessible through SOLO. You can filter your resources to Databases in your search or use the Database A-Z function on the home page. Overall there are almost 2000 Databases available including our recently publicised new resources – the Global Health Archive and the Science of Synthesis.

Subject & Research guides

Like a dog, Subject & Research guides are not just for Christmas (!) but this a handy time to remind people of these resources at your disposal. The A-Z Subject guides provide a summary of the tools to support your work in each area including details of key journals and Databases.

Guidance for researchers provides insights on services, materials and tools for researchers in all disciplines.

We hope that you all have a fantastic holiday and wish you and all of your families the very best for a happy and prosperous 2026.

A cat and two dogs sat in front of a Christmas tree wearing festive headgear

Check out our Resource of the Month – SPIE Digital Library

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The RSL has a huge collection of physical and electronic materials. We have so much that we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of our items, whether recently added or an existing collection item. The resources are recommended by our knowledgeable subject librarians, who are excited to show off parts of the collection for their subject.

This month’s selector is:

Alessandra Vetrugno

Lead Librarian – Physical and Applied Sciences
Subject Librarian for Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Materials Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics.

Photograph of Subject Librarian Alessandra VetrugnoAlessandra has selected SPIE Digital Library, available on SOLO.

Brief description 

SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, supporting the advancement of light-based research and technologies. The SPIE Digital Library provides access to the extensive collection of SPIE technical publications. It includes:

  • SPIE journals
  • SPIE conference proceedings and presentations recordings, covering photonics-driven advancements in a broad range of areas from biomedicine to defence and security
  • ebooks from SPIE Press from 1962 to the present

New content is regularly added, with more than 18,000 new technical papers and 25 ebooks added annually.

SPIE logo

Who is this useful for? 

This resource is particularly useful for students and researchers in Physics, Engineering Science, Computer Science, and Materials Science, and for those with an interest in the latest developments and technologies in optics and photonics.

How can I access it? 

SPIE Digital Library is available through SOLO. To access it off campus use the VPN or sign in to the journal platform with your Single Sign On (SSO).

Check out our Resource of the Month – Zoological Record

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The RSL has a huge collection of physical and electronic materials. We have so much that we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of our items, whether recently added or an existing collection item. The resources are recommended by our knowledgeable subject librarians, who are excited to show off parts of the collection for their subject.

Text that says resource of the month over small images of books, computer equipment and scientific equipment

This month’s selector is:

Ollie Bridle 

Subject Librarian – Life Sciences and Non-clinical Medicine
Subject Librarian for Biochemistry, Biology, Forestry, Pharmacology, Plant Sciences and Zoology

Photograph of Subject Librarian Oliver Bridle

Ollie has selected Zoological Record by Web of Science and Ovid, available on SOLO

This resource is available on two providers, Web of Science and Ovid: 

Brief Description 

First begun as a publication by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the British Museum in the 19th century, the Zoological Record is the oldest database of animal biology, with records dating back to 1864. The database has extensive coverage of the zoological literature published in journals, books, reports, meetings, etc. The Zoological Record has become the ‘unofficial’ register of taxonomic names for animals, and records in the database are enhanced by added taxonomic and systematics information.

A black and white drawing illustrating the bones in a giraffe skeleton

Credit: Gordon Johnson, Pixabay

Who is this useful for? 

This database is useful for students or researchers looking for literature in zoology and animal biology and palaeontology. It is also useful for researchers investigating the taxonomy and naming of particular animal species. It is a particularly valuable resource for uncovering older literature in these areas which is often not included in other databases and is missing from web-based literature searching tools like Google Scholar.

How can I access it? 

This database is available through SOLO. To access it off campus use the VPN or sign in to the journal platform with your Single Sign On (SSO).

Note that the database is divided between two providers – Web of Science and Ovid. To find older material use Ovid. To ensure a comprehensive search of the database you will need to search both providers to cover the whole contents.

Check out our Resource of the Month – GeoRef

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The RSL has a huge collection of physical and electronic materials. We have so much that we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of our items, whether recently added or an existing collection item. The resources are recommended by our knowledgeable subject librarians, who are excited to show off parts of the collection for their subject.

This month’s selector is:

Rachel Scanlon

Subject Librarian – Physical and Applied Sciences
Subject Librarian for Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Materials and Statistics

Photograph of Rachel Scanlon

Rachel has selected the database GeoRef, available on SOLO

Brief description

From the American Geological Institute (AGI), GeoRef is the most comprehensive geoscience database available. It provides access to a wide range of geoscience literature from around the world in the form of articles, books, maps, conference papers and more.

The GeoRef database covers the geology of North America from 1666 to the present and the geology of the rest of the world from 1933 to the present. The database includes references to all publications of the US Geological Survey.

GeoRef logo and collage

Search functions

Along with the Basic Search function there is also an Advanced Search, though we recommend using the Multi-Field Search for ease of use. All these searches accept Boolean operators and allow you to conduct detailed keyword searches. GeoRef also has an excellent thesaurus function with more than 40,000 controlled vocabulary terms and the complete GeoRef indexing structure. If you find a Subject Heading in your results that you find useful you can click on that term and see all related results.

Who is this useful for?

This database is useful for students and researchers working in Earth Sciences, particularly geology, geophysics, geochemistry and seismology. It may also be of use to geographers or economists interested in petrology and mineralogy.

How can I access it?

The GeoRef database is available through SOLO. To access it off campus use the VPN or sign in to the journal platform with your Single Sign On (SSO).

Do you need a book or resource that we don’t currently stock?

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We have a wide range of books and resources at the RSL – but if we don’t have what you want, we can try and source or purchase it for you, via our Recommend a Purchase scheme.

Photo (c) John Cairns

If a book or another resource that you need for your studies or research is not currently held in the libraries or online, we will be happy to find it for you, if we can. The Recommend a Purchase option is a valuable additional tool, and we welcome suggestions and recommendations from both students and staff.

You can submit a request via Bodleian Libraries website (SSO required) – but before submitting a request, do check SOLO to make sure the resource is not already available in Oxford. You can also use our inter-library loan service.

Our specialist subject librarians liaise with various divisions and departments to ensure we purchase books and resources that are useful and meet the requirements of both staff and students. When completing the form, please give us as much detail as possible about the book or resource that you are recommending – the more information you give, the more helpful it will be for us.

We can purchase print books and e-books where they are available. This can include out-of-print books, and foreign language material.

Your request will then be passed on to the relevant subject librarian for consideration, and you will be notified of the outcome in due course.

Books

Credit: Arcaion, Pixabay

Have you tried BrowZine?

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Have a browse on BrowZine. This helpful tool collates thousands of articles from multiple publishers and hundreds of platforms, making browsing quick and easy, and saving time searching for what you want.

Browzine logo

BrowZine enables seamless access to all the electronic journals licensed by the Bodleian Libraries since 2005 – and it has also been integrated with SOLO, so with one click on an article you can download a pdf of it, go to the article on the web, and view the contents page of the journal issue.

Browsing couldn’t be more convenient with BrowZine. It breaks down journals into familiar subjects – and you can just click on each subject to see a list of categories within that subject. Look at all the journals under your specialist area, or select a category within it – and there are subcategories too so you can break it down into further specialisms to focus your study and research interests.

Just to give a little taster, on the BrowZine homepage you can see a list of subjects, such as Earth and Environmental Sciences:

If you click on Earth and Environmental Sciences, you will see categories such as Geosciences:

If you click on Geosciences, you will see subcategories such as Geomorphology:

Additional Features

Set up a personal account on BrowZine so that you can gain access to additional features. Use My Bookshelf to track your favourite journals, and use My Articles to save your favourite article, so you can return again and again to your favourite items quickly and easily.

BrowZine has access to all the electronic journals that the University of Oxford has subscribed to since 2005. For older articles and journals, you can browse SOLO or just click on See All in BrowZine and it will open that journal in SOLO.

Check out our Resource of the Month – CAB Abstracts

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The RSL has a huge collection of physical and electronic materials. We have so much that we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of our items, whether recently added or an existing collection item. The resources are recommended by our knowledgeable subject librarians, who are excited to show off parts of the collection for their subject.

Text that says resource of the month over small images of books, computer equipment and scientific equipment

This month’s selector is:

Ollie Bridle 

Subject Librarian – Life Sciences and Non-clinical Medicine
Subject Librarian for Biochemistry, Biology, Forestry, Pharmacology, Plant Sciences and Zoology

Photo of Ollie Bridle

Ollie has selected CAB Abstracts by CABI, available on SOLO

Brief description 

CAB Abstracts is an applied life sciences database, providing over 10.4 million records. If you are researching topics touching on forestry, agriculture, crop science, environmental sciences or nature conservation and biodiversity, CAB Abstracts can be a fruitful place to search for literature. Here’s why:

  • It has wide, international coverage, with material from over 120 countries in 50 languages
  • Every record is provided with an English language abstract
  • Extensive grey literature content is included – including bulletins, annual reports, field notes and technical reports
  • Each record is professionally indexed with terms from the CAB Thesaurus to make comprehensive topic searching easier

A forest bathed in dappled sunlight

Credit: Manfred Antranias Zimmer, Pixabay

Who is this useful for? 

This resource is useful for students and researchers at any level who are researching topics in applied life sciences. It is particularly useful for those researching topics in forestry, agriculture and environmental sciences.

How can I access it? 

This database is available through SOLO. It is searched using the OVID database platform. To access it off campus, use the VPN or sign in to the journal platform with your Single Sign On (SSO).

Check out our Resource of the Month – ACM Digital Library

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The RSL has a huge collection of physical and electronic materials. We have so much that we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of our items whether recently added or an existing collection item. The resources are recommended by our knowledgeable subject librarians who are excited to show off parts of the collection for their subject.

Text that says resource of the month over small images of books, computer equipment and scientific equipment

This month’s selector is:

Rachel Scanlon

Photograph of Rachel Scanlon

Rachel has selected ACM Digital Library by the Association for Computing Machinery, an association of computing professionals including educators and researchers, available on SOLO.

Brief Description

The ACM Digital Library brings together full text access to the full range of ACM publications including journals, conference proceedings technical magazines and books. It also includes publications from select publishers with over 3.5million publications in the library.  ACM is the world’s largest computing society and their content covers the latest developments in areas of

  • Security and privacy
  • Computational theory and algorithms
  • Machine learning and natural language processing
  • Software engineering and programming
  • And more.

The ACM journals also have great open access credentials. Oxford has agreed a read and publish deal with ACM that allows all Oxford affiliated corresponding authors to publish open access in all gold and hybrid ACM journals. Research articles and conference proceedings are covered. Authors are asked to use an Oxford email address. Please choose CC BY and list Oxford as your affiliation.

Person standing in front of a screen showing the faces of many different people.

ACM provides great opportunities for networking and collaboration.

The people section is a great resource for finding experts and potential collaborators. There are filters on geography and subject so you can find the best people to work with.

The conferences section has proceedings from more than 170 computing conferences, symposia  and workshops with content from renowned experts in various computer science disciplines.

Image of ACM Digital Library website home page.

Who is this useful for?

Researchers, DPhils and postdocs in the field of Computer Science particularly those looking to find collaborative colleagues. It is also useful for other scientists looking to develop skills and knowledge in computing.

How can I access it?

This database is available through SOLO. To access it off campus use the VPN or sign in to the journal platform with your Single Sign On (SSO).

Check out our Resource of the Month for September

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The RSL has a huge collection of physical and electronic materials. We have so much that we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of our items whether recently added or an existing collection item. The resources are recommended by our knowledgeable subject librarians who are excited to show off parts of the collection for their subject.

Text that says resource of the month over small images of books, computer equipment and scientific equipment

This month’s selector is:

Karine Barker

Photograph of Karine Barker

Karine Barker

Karine has selected the ClinicalKey Student database Elsevier.

Brief Description

ClinicalKey Student is an online education platform for students and faculty providing access to:

  • Over 200 textbooks including those recommended for the pre-clinical and clinical courses.
  • Over 850 associated videos.
  • Over 85 000 copyright cleared images for visual learning and enhancing lectures.

Recently acquired with our subscription is ClinicalKey Student Assessment, an extensive bank of single best answers (SBA) with case studies, tools and analytics for students to test their learning progress while also assisting teachers in preparing teaching content. The questions progress from basic sciences to clinical sciences and are graded from easy to difficult within each category.

 

Photograph of medcial accessories including a stethoscope, a syringe, small bandages, individual tablets or pills and packages of teblets or pills.

Who is this useful for?

Pre-Clinical medicine and Biomedical Sciences Undergraduate students will receive the most benefit from this database, as well as clinical medicine students. It will also be useful to faculty teaching medical courses.

How can I access it?

This resource is available through SOLO. If you have signed into SOLO, ClinicalKey will create an account for you based on your Single Sign On (SSO) details. If you have not logged into SOLO you will be asked to log into ClinicalKey with your Single Sign On (SSO). You will need to create an account to use ClinicalKey but this will allow you to save books and resources to your shelf.