Welcome to the European Studies LibGuide
Use this guide to help you make the most of the library and information resources and services.
Library Search will help you discover books, journals, articles, audio visual material and more on your chosen topic. This is a good place to start when you are beginning to research a topic as you can draw on content from a variety of different sources.
For more in depth research in databases and archives, use the A-Z Databases List.
There are a wide range of online resources that will help you trace books, journal articles and much more, to support your study and research.
Key resources are highlighted in the adjacent tabs.
Use the European Studies subject listing on the Database A-Z to see all the recommended resources for European Studies research. Core resources are flagged at the top of the list.
Europa and European Studies Online are great staring points for your research around European Union related topics and countries.
Listed below are a selection of key multidisciplinary research databases which can be used to discover the research literature across all subject areas.
These databases offer sophisticated search functionality and can connect you to related research.
As their content is multidisciplinary, they are useful for investigating subjects that span various research areas. European Studies is a good example of this as you may be interested on lots of different areas such as demography, politics, law, business, history, technology, and many more ...
IBSS covers the Social Sciences.
Scopus and Web of Science provide coverage across all the Humanities, Social Sciences and Sciences.
An Index to scholarly literature across the life sciences, medicine, social sciences and humanities, supporting comprehensive literature searching.
A bibliographic index to the world’s leading scholarly literature in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities, supporting comprehensive literature searching. NOTE: not all results will provide the full-text content. Use the "check for this at Exeter" option to find out if the Library provides access to the full text.
You may well find that you need to use a wide range of different databases, depending on which aspect of European Studies you are researching.
Use the Databases A-Z List to discover all the resources available to you.
You can browse by subject e.g. Politics, Sociology or Business or by type (e.g.maps, news, images etc.) to choose a particular database, or you can search to find your required resource.
Use the demo to guide you.
JSTOR provides access to scholarly book, journal and primary sources via an easy to use search interface.
Use the How to Search JSTOR LibGuide for a general introduction to the service.
JSTOR also has a Vimeo channel for educational and instructional videos. The following video shows you how to use ebooks on the JSTOR service.
You can use the following services to explore research materials available elsewhere
COPAC - exposes rare and unique research material by bringing together the catalogues of c.90 major UK and Irish libraries.
WorldCAT - search the collections of libraries in your community and tens of thousands more around the world.
SUNCAT - is the Serials Union Catalogue for the UK research community, a free tool to help researchers and librarians locate serials held in the UK.
The European Library - access to the collections of the 48 National Libraries of Europe and leading European Research Libraries.
The Library of Congress - catalog records for books, serials, manuscripts, maps, music, recordings, images, and electronic resources in the Library of Congress collections in the USA.
LibWeb - Access to a listing of online library catalogues worldwide
CORE - gives an incredibly fast search of the full-text of 80M open access research resources
Below is a popular talk from Hans Rosling, exemplifying the benefits of data visualisation.
You are likely to use a wide range of different types of information sources for your study and research.
As well as academic sources such as books and journals, you may wish to consult news sources, official publications, statistics etc.
Use the online support highlighted here to guide your searching.
Find out more on the News LibGuide
Find out more in the Official Publications LibGuide.
The University has access to an extensive range of online primary source materials. These contain digitised copies of documents, letters, books, photographs and other primary sources.
The Primary Sources Libguide will help you identify the best databases for your research.
You can use the guide to discover resources by period, country, format and/or theme.
Statistics is the science of collecting, analysing and presenting numerical data.
Statistical data can be found on a huge variety of subjects, for example the economy, employment, the environment, government, health, international trade, manufacturing, and population.
They can be a vital source of information for your studies.
Find out more on the Statistics LibGuide.
The European Union is a partnership between member states (currently 28). The UK joined in 1973, but gave notice on 29 March 2017 that it is going to leave.
The EU has its own legislature and executive, as well as an independent judiciary, with powers conferred through the founding Treaties.
A detailed online guide to all legal and institutional aspects of the European Union is regularly updated by the European Parliament. It is available online as Fact sheets on the European Union.
Address: EDC, Forum Library, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon. EX4 4PT 
Telephone: Exeter (01392) 723867
Email: library@exeter.ac.uk
The European Documentation Centre (EDC) is based in the Lasok Law Library at the Forum Library. However, information from the European Union is increasingly accessible online. Europa is the official website of the European Union with documents in all the languages of the EU. You can use this site to search and browse to various official publications produced by the EU bodies.
You can also use the European Union Law subject guide for guidance on finding all kinds of EU law related information.
You may well find that all your EU related information needs are served online.
It is important to plan your search strategy, and manage your search results so that you get the most from your online searching.
Keep a record of all the material you need to cite in your assignments, papers, projects etc.
Use the Search Techniques and Referencing guidance to assist you.
As you search you need to keep track of all the material you will be using in your academic work so that you can cite and reference it appropriately.
Always check your module handbook for specific departmental guidance on the style required for your assessed works and dissertations. Check with your personal tutor or dissertation supervisor if you need clarification.
For more guidance take a look at:
Find out more about the skills support available to help you develop a range of study skills including essay writing, referencing, critical reading and getting the most out of lectures.
Sage Research Methods Online (SRMO) is a great resource to use when you are planning and conducting your research.
It is targeted at social science researchers but is useful across all subject areas as it covers key research methodology topics that are applicable across the research spectrum.
Sage have produced a comprehensive LibGuide to help you get the best from the resource.
Linking the University of Exeter Library to Google Scholar
Google Scholar is an online, freely accessible search engine for locating scholarly literature from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites. But not all full text content is free to access.
However, it is possible to link the University of Exeter online library to Google Scholar, making it quick to identify and access library full text content.
Just follow these instructions:
Click on Check for this @ Exeter or Access this @ Exeter options to view full text article:
Find out more here: Making the most of Google Scholar
University of Exeter LibGuide is licensed under CC BY 4.0
