Library Blog - LibGuides at University of Exeter

Staff and students at the University of Exeter now have access to Research Methods Primary Sources This link opens in a new window

This tool, developed by publisher Adam Matthew Digital, is designed to help with understanding and critically evaluating primary sources.

It includes:

Learning tools

Videos from academics on how they use primary sources in their research, as well as insights into the work of archivists, conservators and digitisation specialists
Topics such as 'Why are some sources archived and others not?’, ethical considerations and under-represented voices
Guides exploring how to critically evaluate a source, find clues, and weigh sources against each other

Case studies

Over 100 case studies focusing on:

source types: correspondence, diaries, photographs and many more different types
themes: disability, the environment, gender, popular culture, religion, war and more
data: case studies from scholars discussing how to find and analyse data from historical documents

Practice Sources

Over 300 digitised items from 50 archives around the world, allowing you to practise using historical material.

Recent Posts

Your Study Skills team have moved into the Library…

Same Study Zone service; new location! Your Study Skills team support you in developing key academic skills you need to succeed. Common queries we advise on include:Help me understand this essay question!How can I create a logical structure for my assignment?What’s the best way to use CiteThemRight?Please can we create a plan to manage my time this semester?I want to listen more actively in lectures. How do I do this?We support students with these academic skills and more through Forum and St Luke’s library drop-in cafes, one-to-one appointments, departmental and university wide workshops, and online resources. Check out our drop-in sessions and events in the Library calendar here, and book a 1:1 appointment with an adviser either face-to-face or online here.You can also contact us at StudyZone@exeter.ac.uk, and follow @ExeterUniLib on Instagram for study tips and updates....

Discover JoVE

The University of Exeter subscribes to JoVE, a leading provider of scientific video resources designed to enhance teaching, learning, and research through high-quality, visualized content. Through Exeter’s subscription, you have access to five specialized JoVE video journals in Life Sciences, covering the following disciplines:Biochemistry: Access detailed experiments and methods in biochemical research. Biology: Discover foundational and advanced techniques in biological research.Immunology and Infection: Gain insights into immune responses and infectious disease studies.Medicine: Visualize essential medical procedures and clinical research.Neuroscience: Explore visualized studies that bring complex neural mechanisms to life.JoVE’s peer-reviewed, visualized experiments allow students and staff to explore complex topics, supporting diverse learning styles and making scientific research more accessible and impactful....

New Research Sources from the Library

A range of new archive database collections have been made available over the past few months. Take a look through the latest additions to see if there is anything of interest to your studies or research.If you would like to know more about any of the resources, just get in touch with your Liaison Librarian. Introducing The Social History ArchiveThe publishers of Find My Past and British Newspaper Archives have launched a brand-new platform, The Social History Archive, which makes their extensive primary source records available to universities and other institutions for the first time via subscription. When fully migrated, the Social History Archives collections should offer the same access to historical resources as Find My Past and the British Newspaper Archive.The collections have been organised into two packages:Social History Archive This link opens in a new window Largest single online collection of mainly British & Irish historical primary source material although some U.S and European records are included. Includes birth, marriage and death records, local, regional, and national UK newspapers, electoral records and census returns, army and war records, crime reports and migration records.(Content, when fully migrated, will be the same as content in Find My Past)Social History Archive- Newspapers This link opens in a new window The largest collection of historical British & Irish newspapers online and the official source for the British Library’s newspaper holdings. Search for UK, regional and local newspapers. This collection will contain the same newspapers as the British Newspaper Archive when everything has fully migrated. Date range: 1700 to the 2000s. The university is collaborating with The Social History Archive to enhance the platform for researchers and academics. Partners from The Social History Archive will be hosting an in-person event for academics in early December to gather your ideas and suggestions. More details will be shared soon.Other new resourcesA varied range of new archive collections are available, covering a wide range of topics and providing access to primary source materials as well as commentary from books, journals and press publications. This includes:Environmental History: Colonial Policy and Global Development, 1896-1993 This link opens in a new window Covers the history of environment and conservation efforts across the globe from the late 1800s onwards. Includes British government files from the Foreign Office, Colonial Office and the Ministry of Overseas Development and Overseas Development Administration. Covers topics such as exploitation of natural resources and colonial land use, to agriculture, urban development, the technological revolution, industrial change and urbanization, conservation, pollution, climate, development programmes and sustainability, natural resources and industries such as forestry and mining.History of Disabilities: Disabilities in Society, Seventeenth to Twentieth Century This link opens in a new window This collection provides historical evidence demonstrating how society has interacted with and regarded individuals considered to have disabilities. Includes books, manuscripts and ephemera from the New York Academy of Medicine Library. Most content is US-focused, though there is some European and UK coverage. Date range: 17th to 20th centuryMexico in History This link opens in a new windowNewMexico in History explores the evolution of Mexico from c.1500 to 1929, from Spanish colonisation and the formation of New Spain through the Mexican War of Independence to the Mexican Revolution. The predominantly Spanish-language material is a combination of print, manuscript and photographic collections sourced from The Bancroft Library at the University of California Berkeley.The Olympic Movement: Sport, Global Politics and Identity This link opens in a new windowNewA collection of documentary record of the origins, expansion and growth of the Olympic Games, and the global history of sport (1890s – 1990s). Sources include correspondence, official reports, newsletters and film footage.Power to the People: Counterculture, Social Movements, and the Alternative Press This link opens in a new window Covering C19-C21, this collection covers mainly the US and UK, but also includes coverage of global events. It contains alternative press publications representing anti-establishment and countercultural ideas and movements through art, satire, humour, and alternative lifestyles. Publications include Bizarre, Viz and Fortean Times as well as pamphlet and poster collections.Rock's Back Pages This link opens in a new windowNewA unique collection of full-text articles and audio interviews from the music and mainstream press from the 1950s to the present day. Content from Rolling Stone, NME, Melody Maker, Kerrang, The Face, Smash Hits and more. Mainly UK and US content.Transformation of Shopping: Department Stores, Social Change and Consumerism 1830-1994 This link opens in a new window This archive focuses on the social and cultural history of department stores during a period in which they were adapting to evolving consumer needs, workers’ rights and societal shifts, with a focus on life on the shop floor. Includes company archives, trade journals, union records, pamphlets, diaries and a wide range of ephemera. Countries covered are the UK, US, Australia, Canada, France and Estonia.These resources boost the growing collection of primary source research materials available via the Library. To see the full range of sources and connect with support materials, take a look at the Primary Sources LibGuide....

Join us at a Library Research Cafe

The Library Research CafeThe library liaison team host weekly library research cafes in the Forum Library Lounge. No need to book, just drop by and take the chance to speak to a librarian about your library research or have a friendly chat. Why come along?Not sure how best to use the Library Search Service?Wondering which databases would be best to help you find resources for your assignments?Tried searching online but not finding the information you need?We can help with that and more. So if you need any advice on any aspect of searching for information to support your studies, just drop by and ask.Or just drop by for a chat with your friendly library team. When and Where?Every Tuesday throughout termtime between 12:00 - 14:00.Look out for us in the Forum Library Lounge area. As you enter through the Library gates, just look to your right and you'll find us at the study benches. We look forward to seeing you at a Library Research Cafe soon Other Library EventsYou can keep an eye on other events from the Library and Study Zone via the events calendar. You'll find a mix of on-campus and online sessions. ...

Research Methods Primary Sources from Adam Matthew Digital