Oxford LibGuides: History: Research training for historians

Overview

History students and research can make use of a wide range of information skills courses, workshops and events.

Information skills training for historians

Radcliffe Camera staff offer tailored courses and events to historians at various times of the year. They include:

Library inductions & tours (more on this via History Faculty Canvas - cf. link below)
History Thesis Fair Wed 30 April - Week 1 TT 2025
Finding resources for your UG thesis: Bodleian Libraries’ research skills (more on this via History Faculty Canvas - cf. link below)
1-1 sessions with the History Librarian. Students: email Rachel; reseachers & DPhils: Book a 1-1 session with Isabel.
Act-on-Acceptance and Open Access briefings (email Isabel)

History Faculty Canvas
Information and booking for library inductions and tours, research skills training from the History Librarians, links to the most relevant Bodleian training for historians, etc.
Undergraduate History Thesis Fair
All information about the UG History Thesis Fair, as well as links to relevant resources and contact details for reference after the Fair (or in case you missed it).

Bodleian iSkills - Workshops in Information Discovery & Scholarly Communications

This programme is designed to help you to make effective use of scholarly materials. We cover

Information discovery and searching for scholarly materials
Endnote, RefWorks, Zotero and Mendeley for managing references and formatting footnotes and bibliographies
Keeping up to date with new research
Measuring research impact
Understanding copyright and looking after your intellectual property
Open Access publishing and complying with funder mandates for open access
Managing your research data

Bodleian iSkills Programme
The Bodleian iSkills workshops develop your skills in information discovery and scholarly communications, covering a variety of resources across a wide range of disciplines. They are primarily aimed at University of Oxford students and staff.
On this webpage, you can find a workshop, browse and book your place. You will need an Oxford Single Sign-On (SSO) to book a course.

Institute of Historical Research - Research Training

The Institure of Historical Research, London (IHR) offers high-quality research training programmes to historians.

Courses vary in length from one day to one term, and cover a variety of subjects from language learning to digital research practices.

IHR Research Training and Short Courses
Annual specialised training programme in historical research skills for professional historians, independent researchers, early career scholars, etc.

Deciphering Handwriting: Palaeographic Training Resources Online

The sources below offer useful online training and guidance on deciphering historical handwriting. More palaeographic sources can be found bookmarked on HFL D iigo.

Interactive Album of Mediaeval Palaeography
Interactive collection of transcription exercises, curated by the University of Lyon, to allow students or amateurs to train themselves in the practical aspect of palaeography: reading manuscript texts.
English Handwriting Online 1500-1700: An Online Course
Resource designed for students and scholars of early modern English letters, history, theology, and philosophy, drawing on the rich manuscript holdings of some of the older Cambridge colleges. Presents an extensive archive of manuscript images together with a range of pedagogical materials--transcription conventions, tips on dating, a bibliography and list of links--suitable for beginners, but convenient also for continuing reference.
Palaeography: Reading Old Handwriting 1500 - 1800: A Practical Online Tutorial
Web tutorial from the National Archives and School of Library, Archive and Information Studies (SLAIS), University College London, helping you learn to read the handwriting found in documents written in English between 1500 and 1800.
Scottish Handwriting
Practical online tuition in palaeography for historians, genealogists and other researchers who are looking for guidance reading manuscript historical records written in Scotland in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries - maintained by the National Records of Scotland.
BYU Script Tutorials (including German and French)
Brigham Young University resource offering guidance on deciphering archaic handwriting styles or alphabets, particularly European scripts in use between 1500 and 1800. Several languages are covered in separate tutorials, including German.

Need to brush up your Français? Have to learn Deutsch?

The University's Language Centre has a lot to offer for historians wishing to upgrade their language skills or, quite simply, start learning a language. There are a variety of tailored language courses for historians.

Modern Languages Tailored Courses for Historians
Lists available courses from the OU Language Centre for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students from the History Faculty.
Rewley House Continuing Education Library
Now includes the Language Centre’s library holdings, consisting of materials covering Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
The Virtual Language Centre and Language Learning Exchange Network
A hub for learners to assess their level, buy and sell second-hand language books, and meet like-minded people via the Language Learning Exchange Network. The latter is a fun, free facility for students and staff at Oxford to share their native language skills in exchange for support with the language they wish to learn or improve. Hosted on Canvas.

The National Archives: Postgraduate archival skills training (PAST)

The National Archives offers a variety of training for students and researchers (Postgraduate Archival Training Skills)

National Archives - Practical Archival Skills Training (PAST)
Programme, run by the National Archives, to help you get started in the archives and gain the skills and knowledge needed to take your research further.

See their website above for further details and sign up to their newletter to receive information about upcoming PAST sessions. The programme consists of three core levels:

Introduction to archival research (Level 1)
Aimed at 3rd year undergraduates and postgraduate students. This introduction day will explain how to get started with archival research, the importance of knowing the history and structure of a collection to navigate the records, and how to make the most of your time on site.
Skills and methodology workshops (Level 2)
Aimed at taught postgraduates and DPhil students, covering particular topics or periods. Two-day skills and methodology workshop that will show you how to navigate records useful for your specific area of research and provide you with the skills you need to use and interpret them. On site at The National Archives in Kew.
Records workshops (Level 3)
Aimed at DPhil students and early career researchers. In-depth information on a range of key record series, their context and administrative background. Sessions include lectures, practical exercises and hands-on document work.

New to Oxford?

Bodleian Libraries Quick Start Guide 2024-25
Key information about library services.

IT skills

IT Services Digital Skills Training
IT Services offers a great range of courses which are useful to historians. These include introductions to data visualisation or surveys, navigating AI, and effective use of Microsoft office, reference managers or other software.
IT Self-Service Learning
Students and researchers also have access to Self-service learning which is a huge library of online, video based, courses covering a wide range of software and IT related topics.

1-1 with a History Librarian

If you would like a one-to-one session to get help on any aspect of library resources and tools (SOLO, databases, ejournals, etc.) and generally get advice and tips for locating sources for British and Western European history or History of Medicine, Technology & Science, then sign up for a 1-1 session.

Taught Students: Email Rachel, History Librarian (Teaching).

Reseachers & DPhil: Book a 1-1 session with Isabel, History Librarian (Research).

You can find details of Bodleian Libraries' subject specialists online for other areas.

Subject Librarians
Your subject librarian can provide valuable support for your research, such as assisting with research-level enquiries, literature reviews, current awareness, use of specialist materials (including electronic resources), copyright/Intellectual Property issues, and reference management.

Making Maps: self-teaching resources from the Bodleian Map Department

Gough Maps Oxfordshire 12 (1751) from Digital.Bodleian.

Making Maps: self-teaching resources
Online guidance, tutorials and videos on digital mapmaking and spatial data processing using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. There are tutorials for ArcGIS Desktop and QGIS.
Bodleian Map Room
More assistance in learning how to find, use or create maps is available from staff in the Bodleian Library's Map Department.