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.
Search across multiple historic archives from Gale, including historic newspaper collections, Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO), and Nineteenth Century Collections Online (NCCO).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fully digitised archives of 26 LGBT publications, mainly from the UK and USA. Coverage dates from 1954 to 2015 (depending on the specific publication).
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.
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.
Explore the different types of information available at the Library.
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