Getting started: Research postgraduates

The Bodleian Libraries supports researchers at every stage of their research.

This guide is for researchers and research postgraduates at the University of Oxford. It outlines the tools, services and expertise available to help you enhance your skills, find and manage data, stay up to date with current developments in your field, and publish and share your research.
 

Find resources

You can use SOLO to search the holdings of the University of Oxford's libraries. We also offer guides to finding resources by type and subject:

• find books, journals and databases
• browse our subject and research guides
• explore our inclusive and diverse collections

Access specialist material

• Special collections

Access material not held at the University

• Make an inter-library request
• Recommend a new resource
• Search materials held across major UK and Irish libraries on Library Hub Discover
• Find UK theses on EThOS (Electronic Theses Online Services)

Get research help from library staff

Our subject librarians provide specialist support for researchers in their disciplines. They can give you expert help on how to use particular resources or locating hard-to-find material. Discuss your research topic and literature searching needs with your librarian to make the most of researching at Oxford.

Our specialist teams and centres also support researchers in specific areas:

• Centre for Digital Scholarship
• Centre for the Study of the Book
• Open Scholarship Support

Workshops, training and guides

We offer free iSkills workshops to help you develop essential skills in discovering, critically evaluating, managing, presenting and sharing information.

Our copyright guide for researchers covers the essentials for using and citing creative works. 

• Reference management   
• Study skills resources on Oxford Reading Lists Online (ORLO)   (SSO required)

Research data

The Bodleian Libraries provides support and services to help you find, access and manage research data.

• Find data and statistics
• Organising, using and storing your research data  
• Workshops and training for using data  
• Deposit your data (ORA-Data)   

We also offer a data brokering service.

For more help and support, contact the Data Librarian.

Digital tools and collections

We can provide support and help with funding applications and guidance on technology platforms to researchers interested in working with:

• digital collections that involve materials for the Bodleian Libraries
• new or existing collections of metadata from the Bodleian
• the long-term sustainability of your project

Contact us as soon as you have your research question in mind: research.support@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Services for disabled readers

• Help and support for disabled readers

Publishing and sharing your research

• Getting published   
• Open access for publication
• Depositing your research on Oxford Research Archive   
• Register for a research identifier (ORCID) at Oxford 
• Public engagement with research at the Bodleian Libraries

University services

• Research at Oxford    
• Research Support    
• Research Data Oxford   
• Researcher Hub   
• Doctoral Training Centre    

Divisional training

• Social Sciences researcher development    
• Humanities researcher development    
• Medical Sciences study skills    
• Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences research training    

Help

Not sure where to start? Use our live chat service to talk directly to library staff or send us an email.