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.
Below are a list of links which highlight frameworks and toolkits to help you in the appraisal of speech research and interventions:
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine (CEBM)Based at the University of Oxford, the EBM resources are particularly useful for developing skills in focusing your research questions.
- The Community ToolboxThe Community Tool Box is a free, online resource for those working to build healthier communities and bring about social change. It offers thousands of pages of tips and tools for taking action in communities. Want to learn about community assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation, advocacy, and other aspects of community practice? Then help yourself to over 300 educational modules and other free tools.
- Critical Appraisal of Health Care LiteratureFrom Cardiff University, a resource tool on how to evaluate a wide range of resources.
- Evidence Based Medicine ToolkitTools for identifying, assessing and applying evidence for better health care decision making. These tools are adapted from the user guides prepared by the Evidence Based Medicine Working Group and originally published in JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association.
- Health Knowledge - Critical Appraisal FrameworksInformation on how a good paper should be laid out and what information each section should include.
- SpeechBITEFrom the University of Sydney. A database of interventions in the field of speech pathology practice. Includes useful guidance about evidence based practice.
- What Works for HealthProduced in America, this free online resource provides communities with information to help select and implement evidence-informed policies, programs, and system changes that will improve the variety of factors which affect health. This includes education and language interventions.
- Accents and DialectsSearchable database of English accent recordings from the British Library sound archive.
- Dictionary of Old English Web CorpusThe Dictionary of Old English defines the vocabulary of the first six centuries (C.E. 600-1150) of the English language. The associated web corpus consists of at least one copy of every surviving Old English text, including records written on parchment, carved in stone and inscribed in jewellery. Texts include prose, poetry, glosses to Latin texts and inscriptions. Both resources are freely available, with each user able to access 20 free logins every year. To access the database you will need to create a free account via the store login page.
- The Diachronic Electronic Corpus of Tyneside English (DECTE)Research resource providing a corpus of dialect speech from the Tyneside area of North East England spanning five decades.
- English Language TimelineFrom the British Library, this interactive timeline allows you to explore the evolution of English language, from the 11th century to the present day.
- Oxford Text ArchiveThe Oxford Text Archive develops, collects, catalogues and preserves electronic literary and linguistic resources for use in Higher Education, in research, teaching and learning.
- The Rosetta ProjectA global collaboration of language specialists and native speakers building a publicly accessible online archive of ALL documented human languages. Find audio, video and text files in this wiki.
- Speech Accent ArchiveThis presents a large set of speech samples from a variety of language backgrounds. Native and non-native speakers of English read the same paragraph and are carefully transcribed. The archive is used by people who wish to compare and analyse the accents of different English speakers.
- The Talk of the ToonAimed at local schools and the general public, this archive of local language and stories showcases research data and interviews collected for DECTE by theme.
The term grey literature refers to research that is either unpublished or has been published in non-commercial form.
Examples of grey literature include: policy statements and issues papers; conference proceedings; pre-prints and post-prints of articles; theses and dissertations; research reports; newsletters and bulletins and fact sheets.
Grey literature can be found by doing an Internet search focusing your search terms, for example ending your search with site:.gov.uk to look for government reports. You will also find grey literature by searching some of our news databases that can be found on our newspaper resources guide (please see the link at the right hand side of this page).
Most databases allow you to limit your search by document type so you can look for grey literature as part of your research.
Other recommended resources include:
- Bielefeld Academic Search EngineOperated by Bielefeld University Library this search engine indexes open access academic literature. The Advanced Search option allows you to search for specific types of grey literature.
- OpenDOARThe Directory of Open Access Repositories. Browse by country, subject area and more for open access resources, including freely accessible dissertations and theses.
- Open Grey This link opens in a new windowThe System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe provides open access to over 700,000 bibliographical references.
Resource Guides
Explore the different types of information available at the Library.
Support and services
Explore further tools, guides and support from the Library.
