New resource trial at the Radcliffe Science Library
The library is currently trialling a new resource to help researchers locate grey literature across a range of scientific disciplines. Grey literature refers to materials produced by organisations such as charities, governments, and businesses, outside of traditional academic publishing. It includes works such as reports, technical papers, blogs, theses, pamphlets, white papers and clinical guideline documents.Grey literature is often difficult to locate. It is not usually indexed in major databases, is scattered across organisational websites, and can disappear from the web without warning. It can contain valuable data and evidence not published elsewhere that can inform research. Grey literature is often required in systematic reviews and similar comprehensive literature review projects. To address these challenges, the library is trialling several Coherent Digital Applied Science Commons modules.
Coherent Digital Applied Science Modules
Until the 30th of May, all Oxford members have access to Coherent Digital Applied Science Commons modules in ‘Environmental Sciences’, ‘Psychology’, and ‘Computer Science, Data, and AI’. The modules make it easier to search for grey literature by –
Consolidating documents from hundreds of organisations.
Archiving full-text documents at risk of deletion.
Creating stable, permanent links for citing grey literature.
Providing a sophisticated search interface to help pinpoint relevant material efficiently.
We encourage researchers to explore these resources during the trial and provide feedback. This will help inform our decision on subscribing to one or more modules.
Applied PsychologyComputer Science, Data & AIEnvironmental Science
Help & Tutorials
To get started with, and learn more about using, this new resource, you can use the following guide to Coherent Digital Applied Science modules and search tips for using the modules
Please provide your feedback
Please complete our short feedback survey for the trial to share your views. You can share your feedback until the 3rd of June.
If you prefer to send your feedback via email or have any questions about the trial, please contact oliver.bridle@bodleian.ox.ac.uk
The first chapter of the 25/26 academic year has been written and a new one is underway here at the Radcliffe Science Library. We thought that it would be a nice opportunity to revisit some of the highlights of the Michaelmas term and to give you a heads up on some things to keep an eye out for during Hilary.
RSL in 2025
Throughout 2025, we continued to ask for your feedback on how we could enhance your experience and in Michaelmas term we continued to add to our offering. Based on your comments, we once again increased the number of monitors available in the library. New product lines were added to the ‘items we lend’ with the noise cancelling headphones proving particularly popular.
Alongside these physical items, we have introduced new programmes including the Pomodoro based working groups. These have seen the Subject Librarians chair timed sessions where attendees commit to focused work and regular short breaks during the two or three hour slots. With refreshments available, they have provided a number of our Postgrads with both a highly effective working environment and a peer networking opportunity. 100% of those who attended a session in 2025 stated that they would join future dates when they become available.
They have provided direct support (either through leading/contributing to workshops or holding one to one sessions) to over 2500 attendees during the Michaelmas term across our undergraduate, Postgrad and Postdoc reader community.
Reading roomSubject LibrariansItems we lend
Michaelmas Wellbeing at the RSL
Michaelmas term saw the Wellbeing Room in constant use, either in its capacity as a drop in space to provide a relaxing change of scene, or as the host venue for a series of events encouraging readers to schedule a break.
Guaranteeing that the space is available every day from 2pm-5pm on weekdays ensures that all readers have the opportunity to use the room. If you haven’t had the chance yet then come explore and enjoy this unique environment and its facilities.
Our weekly Lego Lunch (every Wednesday) and the monthly Craft & Chat afternoon (1st Tuesday each month) continue to draw regular guests but we have plenty of capacity for more of you to join us. Lego Lunch is a drop in event although we do ask you to sign up for the crafting sessions to help us manage the materials that we need.
Michaelmas saw a number of special events including a Mindfulness session to help us with the skills that build resilience into our working lives. There were two lovely ‘Hug in a mug’ Hot Chocolate days where the RSL team served up free drinks with marshmallow trimmings and no one who attended will forget the happiness that the Therapy Dogs bring as they stopped by for lunch in December. We hosted Post Docs for Pizza and DPhils crafted at Christmas as we laid on networking events for different members of our reader community.
We revisited a favourite from previous terms as we collected (and then shredded!) our readers worries. A cathartic event to end the year saw many of you drop in to share a cuppa and a bit of cake as we consigned our concerns to the past and sent them off to enjoy a new life (as part of the fertiliser used to grow some of the beautiful flowers in the University gardens).
Supporting reader wellbeing across the whole library, we have continued to offer weekly free hot drinks every Wednesday between 10am and noon. This self-service facility is set out by the Reader Services team in the vending area and provided over 275 teas, coffees and hot chocolates last term. Running each week during term time, your first date for a free cuppa is this Wednesday, the 21st January.
What’s Hilary got in store?
Keep your eyes on the posters and screens around the library as we will be continuing to highlight a series of newly added resources throughout the Hilary term. Each month either an all new resource or a selection of new, subject specific, items will be promoted throughout the library.
In addition to this, we will continue to highlight the opportunities presented by existing resources as the Subject Librarians take it in turn to recommend titles, databases or collections from their field of expertise that can aid you in your work.
They will continue to provide support to both the Bodleian Libraries wide iSkills workshop programme as well as other courses offered by specific Divisions and Departments and you can contact them to request one to one support for specific queries such as purchasing a book that we do not currently hold or help using particular resources as the need arises.
The Subject Librarians will also be leading new Focus & Finish sessions for Hilary, built on the success of last year’s work and using the Pomodoro study technique. We will manage the timings to ensure focused work is followed by short breaks to help maintain concentration and support you with the right environment to get that outstanding task done. Spaces on the first two sessions are available now.
Hilary Term will see a number of additional events added to the Wellbeing Calendar, including details of our Wellbeing Week, which will be released shortly, so keep a look out for more information here and across Bodleian libraries to make sure you don’t miss the chance to time your breaks to coincide with some enjoyable and restorative activities.
We would very much encourage you to continue to give us your feedback, both the positive and any constructive criticism, that you think will enable us to develop and enhance your reading experience. You can do so using the whiteboards situated throughout the library, the comments book located outside the main reading room or by speaking to the Reader Services team in person, on live chat or by e-mailing enquiries.rsl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.
Thank you for continuing to use the Radcliffe Science Library, we wish you every success in your work during the Hilary term and beyond.
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
Search for the books that you need and apply filters to access those titles that are available online, wherever you are.
You can access E-Journals through SOLO and Browzine. Browzine provides access to all journals licenced by Oxford University from 2005 onwards
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.
The Radcliffe Science Library values diversity and inclusion and is committed to fostering an environment where all students feel welcome, respected, and have a strong sense of belonging. To support this mission, we are highlighting some of the excellent work by members of the University.
For this term, the library has chosen to celebrate the work done by:
The Oxford Chemists – Charlie Simms, Manami Imada, Sofia Olendraru, Felicity Smith, Josie Sams, Charlotte Oliver, Amygrace Berger, Elba Feo, addressing menstruation and its challenges during lab work.
Dr Gbemisola David-West, Dr Debbie Aitken Obstetrics, and Professor Arathi Sriprakash on racial discrimination and resilience among Black doctors.
They highlight the challenges women experience in labs and at work and the experience of Black doctors during postgraduate training.
MPLS – Winner of the MPLS EDI Awards 2024 in category Best Initiative
PERIODically Podcast created by Oxford Chemists, Charlie Simms, Manami Imada, Sofia Olendraru, Felicity Smith, Josie Sams, Charlotte Oliver, Amygrace Berger, Elba Feo.
PERIODically is a podcast by Oxford chemistry students exploring how the physical, medical and mental health aspects of periods impact studying chemistry, addressing challenges, stereotypes, and ways to improve the experience for those with periods.
Sommer, M., Chrisler, J. C., Yong, P. J., Carneiro, M. M., Koistinen, I. S., & Brown, N. (2024). Menstruation myths. Nature Human Behaviour, 8(11), 2086–2089. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-02057-6
MSD – Research carried out by Dr Gbemisola David-West, Dr Debbie Aitken and Professor Arathi Sriprakash on racial discrimination and resilience among Black doctors
Dr Gbemisola David-West, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Registrar & Clinical Teaching Fellow, Dr Debbie Aitken, Supervisor and Course director in Medical Education, and Professor Arathi Sriprakash, Supervisor and Professor of Sociology and Education, have summarised their research into the poster ‘Understanding the Postgraduate Training Experiences of Black doctors: A Study of Resilience.’
Chilakala, A., Camacho-Rivera, M., & Frye, V. (2022). Experiences of race- and gender-based discrimination among Black female physicians. Journal of the National Medical Association., 114(1), 104–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnma.2021.12.008
Jerome, B., Fassiotto, M., Maldonado, Y. B., & Dunn, T. (2024). Barriers and Facilitators to the Success of Black Academic Physicians. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-024-02201-y
Term is finishing up and the break is fast approaching. We hope you have a restful and relaxing break – but if you need to get in a bit of work, we have plenty of tips on how to access the RSL and our resources.
Image from 2Photo Pots via Unsplash
While you’re away
While you’re away from Oxford, we have a wealth of online resources to enable you to continue your studies remotely.
You can access the full text of many resources via SOLO when logged in with your Single Sign-On (SSO) ID – look for the green Online access icon to find these.
If a book you need is not available as an ebook, then we may be able to purchase one – complete the book recommendation form to put in your request.
All e-journals can be found on SOLO and BrowZine. BrowZine provides access to journals licensed by the Bodleian Libraries from 2005 onwards.
Databases
All of Oxford’s databases are accessible via SOLO (filter by Databases under Resource Type) and also via Databases A-Z.
Check our Subject Guides for key subject-specific resources, including ebooks, ejournals, databases and other resources available online. We also have some great guides for researchers covering reference management, patents and tips on getting published.
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.
Lead Librarian – Physical and Applied Sciences
Subject Librarian for Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Materials Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics.
Alessandra 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.
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).
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.
Subject Librarian – Life Sciences and Non-clinical Medicine
Subject Librarian for Biochemistry, Biology, Forestry, Pharmacology, Plant Sciences and Zoology
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:
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.
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.
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.
Subject Librarian – Physical and Applied Sciences
Subject Librarian for Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Materials and Statistics
Rachel has selected the database GeoRef, available onSOLO
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
Subject Librarian – Life Sciences and Non-clinical Medicine
Subject Librarian for Biochemistry, Biology, Forestry, Pharmacology, Plant Sciences and Zoology
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
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).
This site uses cookies to support some content and functions, and also Google Analytics. By using this site you agree to their use. Find out more and opt out »
