Finding literature is a vital but often complex part of conducting research. This page has lots of useful guidance on where to look for literature and other resources, and how to manage all the information you find.
Discovering research
Search the Library
The Library homepage is the gateway to our services, facilities and resources
- Browse the New starters information to explore the library using our interactive guides: including a general library overview; details of our four campus libraries; help and support; tips on finding materials.
- How to borrow and return items: this information provides details of borrowing, returning and renewing items and placing a hold on a book. You will need your student card to borrow items.
- Your Academic Liaison Librarian can provide specialist help and support, including finding quality resources and information for your research, help wit search strategies, literature searching and referencing. Contact your academic liaison librarian through the Course Resource page, select the nearest match for your area of research.
- As well as your Liaison Librarian, there is a range of online support that is available to you for more general library queries: Chat, Virtual Helpzone and email. Further details are available on our library webpages
There are a range of services and resources to help you find and access materials for your research
- LibrarySearch is the Oxford Brookes Library Catalogue and provides access to books, journals, articles and more. Change the setting to Libraries Worldwide to search for resources beyond Brookes.
- Writing tips and Study skills for researchers is a reading list of suggested books to help with writing and undertaking research. Have a look on LibrarySearch for more resources available on this topic.
- Use Databases for more in-depth research as not all our content is on LibrarySearch. Databases provide access to journal articles, thesis information, multimedia materials, newspapers, conference proceedings and more. The Course resource webpages provide details of and access to the relevant databases in your research area. Alternatively select the Databases option above the search box on the Library homepage.
- BrowZine is an ejournal browsing platform providing access to all Oxford Brookes Library ejournals. Browse by subject, keyword or title and access the full text of current and past journal articles. Keep up to date and add titles you want to monitor to 'My Bookshelf' and these will be tracked for new content. Articles can be saved, downloaded or exported to reference software, including EndNote.
- The Library's Collections webpage provides details of the types of information and collections available at the Library including help guides.
Enhance access to content
- Libkey Nomad is a browser extension that provides instant links to full text content for articles as you do research on the web. It works with Brookes Library and open access resources to find the fastest path to content. To set it up select the ‘Browser Icon’ for the browser you are using and select ‘Oxford Brookes University’ from the drop-down menu.
- Libkey IO enables you to go from a DOI or PMID (PubMed id) to an article in one-click. Just type the id into the single search box, eg 10.1016/j.jormas.2017.12.010 to access a PDF or link if available. Libkey IO searches Brookes resources as well as open access.
Special Collections and Archives
- Special Collections at Brookes. The Library houses a number of special collections in the areas of: Food and Drink; Art and architecture; Publishing and Literary Prizes; Public and allied health and an Oxford Brookes University collection. Our webpages provides further details about the collections and how to access them.
- National Archives Catalogue enables you to access records held by The National Archives and more than 2,500 other archives.
MASC25 provides a unified online resource guide to printed special collections in libraries in Higher Education institutions within the M25 Consortium
- You can get access to libraries other than our own, including the Oxford University Bodleian Libraries and British Library. Our Access to other libraries guide provides further details, including joining information
- The Catalogues of other libraries and archives can provide you with details of additional resources and materials. Library Hub Discover provides access to details of materials held in many UK national, academic and specialist libraries. .
- Links to other Catalogues are available in the section, ‘Other Library catalogues’ in this guide .
- The Interlibrary Loans service is available to all staff and students. When doing research you will come across references to items which are not held in the Oxford Brookes University Library. This services often enables us to borrow items and obtain copies of articles from other UK libraries and even abroad. Our webpages provide details of how to request items.
Finding literature is a vital but often complex part of conducting research. There are various stages to a literature review: preparing or planning; building a search strategy; carrying out a search; working with your results, including evaluating, organising and referencing); writing up. This section contains guidance on preparing your search.
Your Academic Liaison Librarian can provide specialist help and support, including finding quality resources and information for your research, help with search strategies and literature searching. Contact your academic liaison librarian through the Course Resource page, select the nearest match for your area of research
Before you start searching, it can save you time and help you carry out more effective searching if you plan your search first. This brief video, Planning a search provides further details and includes: defining a topic; selecting keywords; Inclusion criteria; where to search and useful links.
Where to search
- LibrarySearch is the Oxford Brookes Library Catalogue and provides access to books, journals, articles and more. Change the setting to Libraries Worldwide to search for resources beyond Brookes
- Databases are key sources for more in-depth research. They provide access to journal articles, thesis information, multimedia materials, newspapers, conference proceedings and more. The Course resource webpages provide details of and access to the relevant databases in your research area. Alternatively select the Databases option above the search box on the Library homepage
- Web of Science: a multidisciplinary database which includes key research journals and conference proceedings in the Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Sciences. It also provides citation data for many disciplines
- Grey Literature guide: Grey literature is resources and materials that are produced outside of traditional academic or commercial channels. This guide provides details of key resources. Grey literature includes: reports, government documents, conference papers and proceedings, dissertations and theses, policy documents and guidelines.
- Jisc Library Hub Discover: in a single search you can discover the holdings of the UK’s National Libraries (including the British Library), many university libraries, and specialist research libraries
- Theses - the Library's webpage on Theses provides information on finding theses written by other people both within and outside Oxford Brookes
- News, TV and Radio - Box of Broadcasts (BOB) service gives you access to thousands of recorded radio and TV programmes including films from an online archive. It also allows users to record programmes. You can also search for playlists and create your own. The Library's News Sources webpages provides details and access to a range of resources for current and historical news.
- Google Scholar provides access to scholarly content for many subject areas
- Statistical information - links to general, multi-topic and single topic sources
- Keeping up to date - these library webpages provide tips on staying V and and include additional information sources.
- The Library's Course resource webpages provide further information about resources in specific areas
An essential element of your research activities is the successful management of the information, both primary and secondary, that you consult.. Developing a systematic approach to this will save you time and heartache when you are writing up.
- EndNote: a reference management software which enables you to collect, organise and use all your references. Store all your references and accompanying PDFs in an online library, organise into groups and create bibliographies in your chosen referencing style. Browse our webpages from the EndNote link above for extensive guidance on using EndNote.
- There are other referencing software platforms available, including Mendeley and Zotero. Browse the web for more details. Choose a reference management software that works for you and use it from the beginning of your research studies. It will help save you time and manage all your references effectively and efficiently.
- Guidance on referencing and referencing styles is available from the library’s webpages, Reference and avoid plagiarism
- Keeping up to date with all the information and resources in your topic area is an important aspect of your research. These library webpages provide further details, including setting up alerts to help you manage information.