This guide is intended for students and researchers at the University of Oxford seeking support in Commonwealth Studies, although students and researchers from any field may find it useful. Use this guide to find out about books, special collections and online resources for Commonwealth Studies, including ebooks, ejournals and bibliographic databases.
This 'Getting Started' page gives you links to key resources and information for Commonwealth Studies via the pages below:
Use the Archives page to discover the African-related archives held in the Bodleian Libraries as well as links to archival collections, and finding aids, for material housed outside Oxford.
This page provides guidance on book collections held in the Bodleian Libraries. Use SOLO to search the Commonwealth-related collections held across the libraries.
Use the Journals page to find printed and electronic journal articles via SOLO, the Oxford Libraries' catalogue. If you want to search for and browse all journals the University subscribes to, you can do so through the e-Journals A-Z platform, a fully browsable list of e-journals available at Oxford. Print journals still housed on the open shelves in the SSL are shelved alphabetically by title in the library's periodical section
Use this page to locate extensive collections of official papers from principal Commonwealth countries. Bodleian collections generally include parliamentary papers and their equivalents; major documents on political, economic and social affairs (including development plans, annual departmental reports, census reports and annual statistical abstracts) as well as official collections of historical documents
The Bodleian libraries provide access to a wide range of current and historical news sources for African Studies. Key printed African Newspapers including the Cape Times, East African Standard, and the Rhodesia Herald are held in the Weston Library. Search SOLO to locate them. All online resources are listed in Databases A-Z under 'newspapers'.
The tools for further research page of this guide to further Commonwealth-related National and research libraries, portals, terminology, glossaries, film and current awareness blogs.
The Bodleian Commonwealth and African research collections, together with those for Oriental manuscripts, are held in The Charles Wendell David Reading Room in the Weston Library. Other related collections, both lending and reference, are housed in the Bodleian Social Science Library, the Indian Institute collections (currently in the Bodleian Oriental Institute Library, Bodleian Law Library and the History Faculty Library. A full listing of all Bodleian Librariesis available.
Contact Lucy McCann, for assistance with Commonwealth-related special collections at the Weston Library. You may also contact Sarah Rhodes, African and Commonwealth Subject Consultant, for subject enquiries.
Search SOLO, Oxford Libraries' catalogue, to find books, documents and journal titles.
Use Databases A-Z to search bibliographic databases/online resources and individual e-journals.
