Every subject has unique and specialist types of information that add rigour and interest to research. Usually, you’ll need to look beyond Library Search for these information types; some are accessed via specialist databases, while others are available online via websites, social media or streaming platforms.
We’ve picked out some key resources for your subject here but you might like to explore our Resource Guides for more resources on different information types.
- Gale Primary Sources
Search across multiple historic archives from Gale, including historic newspaper collections, Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO), and Nineteenth Century Collections Online (NCCO).
- History of Advertising TrustLargest archive of British advertising in the world.
- Market research library guideOur own library guide highlighting specialist databases for market research.
- Mintel Marketing Intelligence This link opens in a new window
As a globally recognised market analyst, Mintel produces hundreds of reports into UK-specific consumer markets every year. Our subscription provides access to Reports (in-depth analysis of sectors and the most useful resource in Mintel), Insights (short analysis of topics), and News (short bits of news about brands or sectors). We do not subscribe to all the Reports on Mintel, currently we have access to: Automotive, Beauty and personal care, Clothing and footwear, Drink, Food, Health and Wellbeing, Home retailing, Household care, Media, Retail, and Technology.
- Passport (Euromonitor International) This link opens in a new windowAn online business information system providing business intelligence on countries, consumers and industries
- Statista This link opens in a new windowAn extensive statistics platform covering over 1.5 million data sets (and adding an additional 500 each day) with revenue forecasts from 2015 to 2027 on over 400 industries. Data is collected from over 22,500 sources covering over 75,000 different topics.
- Women's Magazine ArchiveA searchable archive of leading women's interest magazines, dating from the 19th century through to the 21st. Subject coverage includes consumer culture, economics/marketing, family life, fashion, gender studies, health and fitness, home/interior design, popular culture, and social history.
- Vogue Archive This link opens in a new windowA complete searchable archive of American Vogue, from the first issue in 1892 to the current month, reproduced in high-resolution color page images. Every page, advertisement, cover and fold-out has been included, enabling you to find images by garment type, designer and brand names. It is a unique record of American and international fashion, culture and society from the dawn of the modern era to the present day.
The resources below are useful for researching the media. For access to historic and contemporary newspaper archives online, please visit our separate news guide.
- Archival research: Film, television and performing artsResearch guide from the National Archives about how to find archival records relating to film, television and performing arts, held in various locations.
- BARB (Broadcasters' Audience Research Board)TV viewing figures for the UK. We don't have a susbcription to the full data, but this site explains which data is available free of charge for academic research purposes.
- BBC ArchiveThemed collections from the BBC archives, including TV and radio clips as well as background information.
- BBC Genome: TV listingsContains the BBC listings information printed in Radio Times between 1923 and 2009. You can search the site for BBC programmes, people, dates and Radio Times editions.
- BBC Handbooks, Annual Reports and Accounts, 1927-2002 This link opens in a new window
This collection contains handbooks, annual reports and accounts published by the BBC between 1927 and 2002. It also includes a review of each year’s public service broadcasting, with detailed schedules, audience research, performance and objective tables, commentaries, and editorials.
- BBC Written ArchivesHolds the BBC’s working papers resulting from all aspects of the BBC's business from 1922 to the 1980s. This includes files of correspondence with contributors, programme and policy material together with a vast collection of scripts and press cuttings. These archives come from all parts of the BBC.
- Box of Broadcasts This link opens in a new window
Box of Broadcasts provides access to over 2.2 million TV and radio broadcasts from over 75 channels, including most of the UK’s freeview network, all BBC TV and radio content from 2007, and several foreign language channels. This resource is not available outside the UK.
- BUFVC GatewayOver 2,000 websites relating to moving image and sound materials, arranged by subject area.
- British Film InstituteThe BFI offers a wealth of resources, including the National Archive of film and television collections and film industry statistics and reports.
- British PathéBritish Pathé is a newsreel archive. Spanning the years from 1896-1978, the entire archive of 85,000 films is available to view for free on the British Pathé website.
- Film and Television Literature Index This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive collection of academic journals, magazines, and images relating to film and television studies. Includes topics such as cinematography, film and television theory, preservation and restoration, production, screenwriting, technical aspects and reviews.
- Film industry statistics and researchA range of regularly updated statistics and reports from the British Film Institute.
- Independent Radio ArchivesArchives of independent local radio from 1973-1996 held at Bournemouth University.
- ITN Video ArchiveThe ITN Video Archive is a repository of British cultural history, featuring news footage from ITN’s first broadcasts in 1955 to the present day. ITN makes award-winning daily news programmes for ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
- Listener Archive 1929-1991 This link opens in a new window
Full colour archive of the weekly magazine produced by the BBC, which featured radio, and later television, broadcast transcripts and commentaries. The Listener is one of the few records of the content of many early broadcasts, it also previewed major literary and musical programmes and regularly reviewed new books.
- Media History Digital LibraryA non-profit initiative dedicated to digitising collections of classic media periodicals that belong in the public domain for full public access. Over 200,000 pages scanned and growing. The collections feature extensive runs of several important trade papers and fan magazines.
- Media news: The GuardianConstantly updated round up of news and trends in the media.
- Media Show: BBC Radio 4Radio show analysing news and developments in the media world.
- News, Policy and Politics Magazine archiveDigital access to the archival runs of 15 major 20th/21st-century consumer magazines covering topics such as the history of politics, current events, public policy, and international relations. Titles include Newsweek, In These Times, Europe, New Internationalist, NATO Review and more.
- Radio Joint Audience Research (RAJAR)RAJAR is the official body in charge of measuring national and local radio audiences in the UK. Detailed statistics are released every quarter.
- Statista This link opens in a new windowAn extensive statistics platform covering over 1.5 million data sets (and adding an additional 500 each day) with revenue forecasts from 2015 to 2027 on over 400 industries. Data is collected from over 22,500 sources covering over 75,000 different topics.
- TRILT (Television and Radio Index for Teaching and Learning)Search listings for over 560 UK TV and radio channels from 1923 onwards. Some pre-2007 broadcasts are available to order (for post-2007, use Box of Broadcasts).
- AATA (Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts)Comprehensive database of nearly 150,000 abstracts of literature related to the preservation and conservation of material cultural heritage.
- BAR Digital Collection This link opens in a new window
An online collection of academic archaeological research, BAR Digital provides full text access to titles published from 1974 to date. It includes both BAR’s British and international series, and covers archaeological research, excavation reports and other important series from around the world.
- BCIN Conservation This link opens in a new window
A bibliographic resource focusing on themes around the conservation, preservation and restoration of cultural property. The database includes conference proceedings, books, technical reports, journal articles, theses, audio-visual materials, software, and machine-readable files. Also includes the Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts (AATA) for the years 1955-1997.
- Bridgeman Education (images) This link opens in a new window
This database provides access to over three million images, including paintings, posters, artefacts and photographs, from galleries and collections worldwide. All images are copyright-cleared for educational use, and cover a wide range of themes.
- CASE databaseThe CASE database of empirical research marshals in one place over 12,000 studies that examine the drivers, impact and value of engagement in culture and sport.
- Culture and Sport statisticsLatest data on culture and sport from National Statistics.
- EuropeanaExplore millions of images, films and other archival material from galleries, museums, archives and libraries across Europe. Search by topic and refine by copyright to find reusable materials. Can also refine to find images, films, audio etc.
- Flickr the CommonsProject to make photographs available online from the archives of cultural institutions around the world.
- Heritage GatewaySearch local and national records on the historic environment, including buildings, monuments and landscapes.
- Historic England imagesSearch thousands of images of English places, buildings and people.
- Research Centre for Museums and GalleriesOpen access to publications since 2000 from this Centre, based at Leicester University.
- SHARE Museums East resourcesGrowing library of free museum resources: reports, presentations, papers, sample documents and more. New resources added regularly.
- Statista This link opens in a new windowAn extensive statistics platform covering over 1.5 million data sets (and adding an additional 500 each day) with revenue forecasts from 2015 to 2027 on over 400 industries. Data is collected from over 22,500 sources covering over 75,000 different topics.
- Tourism statisticsLatest tourism data from National Statistics.
- Bloomsbury Popular Music This link opens in a new windowComprehensive resource covering all genres of popular music, including ebooks, books about significant LPs, artist biographies and interactive timeline and map.
- Culture and Sport statisticsLatest data on culture and sport from National Statistics.
- LGBT Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
Fully digitised archives of 26 LGBT publications, mainly from the UK and USA. Coverage dates from 1954 to 2015 (depending on the specific publication).
- Mass Observation Online 1937-1967 This link opens in a new window
A major resource for British social history from 1937-1967, it contains material generated by the Mass Observation social research organisation, including day surveys, diaries and subject directives from 1937-1967, a wide range of themed topic collections, together with other material such as images and essays.
- Mass Observation Project 1981-2009 This link opens in a new window
A major resource for British social history from 1981 - 2009, it contains responses to the Mass Observation project's directives (questionnaires) sent out to volunteers who were asked to report on their lives and opinions. Topics covered are wide-ranging and include political and social themes of the period, plus insights into everyday life.
- Rock's Backpages This link opens in a new windowThe largest database of online music journalism, providing access to thousands of interviews, reviews and articles about artists of all genres, from Aaliyah to ZZ Top. Coverage dates back 50 years, and also includes 500 audio interviews.
- Vogue Archive This link opens in a new windowA complete searchable archive of American Vogue, from the first issue in 1892 to the current month, reproduced in high-resolution color page images. Every page, advertisement, cover and fold-out has been included, enabling you to find images by garment type, designer and brand names. It is a unique record of American and international fashion, culture and society from the dawn of the modern era to the present day.
- Women's Magazine ArchiveA searchable archive of leading women's interest magazines, dating from the 19th century through to the 21st. Subject coverage includes consumer culture, economics/marketing, family life, fashion, gender studies, health and fitness, home/interior design, popular culture, and social history.
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