Course resource help for Drama, Theatre and Acting

• If you're new to the Oxford Brookes Library, check our quick guides For new starters
• Find out How to get help using the Library
• Find out about Library services for users with a disability and Alternate formats
• Check a PDF floor plan of the Headington Library The main section for print books in Drama and Theatre is on Level 4 of the Headington Library.

Going to university is a huge step but there is lots of support available. Here are links to support services and useful resources for self-care:

• Life and study balance - find out about the Library Wellbeing Zone, Sensory Study Space and collections of self-care resources.
• Managing yourself and your time (part of our Study Smarter series)
• Student support and wellbeing - how to contact your Student Support Co-ordinator and other services. 
• Inclusive Support Service

Check the Study Smarter section to find online resources and recommended books on study skills topics, including:

• Managing yourself and your time
• Reading, lectures and note taking
• Writing essays, reports and other assignments
• Group work and presentations
• Preparing for exams
• Skills for dissertations and independent research

Why should I use databases?

LibrarySearch is a useful starting point but it doesn’t include all of our e-resources. We recommend you also use library databases:

• Databases may give you additional sources that aren't listed on LibrarySearch, including plays in performance, interviews etc.
• Some databases are subject-specific so you can focus on the most relevant sources for your topic.

How do I use databases?

Check the section How to search databases below to find:

• Links to key databases like Performing Arts Periodicals Database and Digital Theatre+
• How to search databases effectively

Image sources

Bridgeman Education - more than 3 million images on all subjects including photographs, art works, museum collections. It’s very good for images of plays in performance and rehearsal

JSTOR image search (incorporating ARTstor) - find high-quality images from around the world, including artworks, maps, photographs, and more.

Find out more about how to use images in your presentations and coursework in the section below

Plays in production

Databases for drama productions has links to:

• Digital Theatre+ - Collection of drama & theatre resources including essays, recordings of live performances & interviews with theatre practitioners
• BoB (Box of Broadcasts) - Online access to TV programmes, radio and films

Explore Shakespeare - includes links to the BBC Shakespeare Archive and a Shakespeare playlist on BoB

Selection of websites for Drama and theatre, including Shakespeare

Using Google and Google Scholar

• Google Scholar is a freely available search engine that focuses on scholarly sources. Check our guide Searching Scholar to find out how to ensure it recognises resources you can access for free via Oxford Brookes.
• Get more from Google - tips on using Google and Google Scholar more effectively.

Assessing the quality of web sources

Remember that you need high quality reliable sources for your university work. Take a look at our guide to Evaluating Web sources for tips (Word & PDF versions available).

Useful websites

Selection of useful websites for English Literature, Drama and Creative Writing

Referencing web pages in MHRA

Check Reference with MHRA: How to reference a web page for guidance on how to reference web pages correctly.

Always check the assignment brief to see whether any use of AI is permitted. If you have used AI, make sure you fill out the declaration form.

Key Brookes links:

• Artificial Intelligence  - Centre for Academic Development (CAD) guidance
• Use of Artificial Intelligence - Academic Integrity module on Moodle

Can I use generative AI tools like ChaptGPT to produce references?

Take care when using chat tools as they will often invent plausible but non-existent references. These tools don’t carry out a search of the literature for you and they may generate references using real people, journals & words from titles, but which do not exist.

Are there AI tools that could be useful for research?

There are other AI tools like Research Rabbit, Keenious and SciSpace which are designed to help you to find literature and understand how different sources relate to each other. To find out more, check the Library page Use AI tools for research.

Using images in your English & Drama assignments (Google slides) - check this guide which covers:

• Understanding copyright
• Finding free to use images
• Crediting and referencing images

Collections of images

Library databases mentioned in the guide above:

• Bridgeman Education - more than 3 million images on all subjects including photographs, art works, museum collections. It’s very good for images of plays in performance and rehearsal
• JSTOR image search (incorporating ARTstor) - JSTOR is a key database for English Literature, containing academic articles and books, but it also offers an image search. Use it to find high-quality images from around the world, including artworks, maps, photographs, and more.

Collections of high quality, free to use photos and images, all mentioned in the guide above:

• Unsplash
• Pexels
• Pixabay

Referencing

Check Reference with MHRA: How to reference other sources for guidance on how to images such as photographs correctly.

• Guide to Using images in your assignments (Google slides) 
• Useful resources on Doing groupwork and presentations (part of our Study Smarter series)

Doing exams

• Past exam papers are available for download by Brookes students and staff from RADAR. Check this quick video guide Finding past Oxford Brookes exam papers on RADAR
• Useful resources on Preparing for exams (part of our Study Smarter series)

Lists of useful resources:

• Study skills resources for English Literature, Drama & Creative Writing
• Dissertations and independent research
• Writing essays, reports and other assignments

Who can apply: Drama, Theatre and Acting students doing dissertation or equivalent research (from the 2nd Semester of your 2nd Year) are eligible to apply for a Bodleian card . 

What they hold: The Bodleian is a copyright deposit library, which means that a copy of all British publications should be deposited in its collections by the publisher under copyright law. Check their Library catalogue SOLO

How to apply: Check How to access the Bodleian and other libraries. Note that there are different procedures if you apply during the vacation. 

What you can access: You can use the main Bodleian Library of Oxford University.
Your Bodleian card gives you access to print and e-resources but only within their library buildings. You will be given a Bodleian Libraries username and password which allows you to log into SOLO, library PCs and the ‘Bodleian-Libraries’ Wi-Fi network as well as using their Print, Copy and Scan (PCAS) service. For full details, check their guide What access do I have as a Bodleian Reader card holder 

Interlibrary loan service

You can use this free service to request a loan of a print book or to obtain a copy of a journal article that we don’t hold at Oxford Brookes. Find out more about the interlibrary loan service

Go further, get more

Check the Library's Go further, get more page for other options.

• LibrarySearch: Libraries worldwide
  You can use LibrarySearch to look for resources in the Oxford Brookes Library and beyond. To look for books and articles held by other libraries, type your keywords in the search box and then use the menu on the left to change the settings from 'Oxford Brookes University' to 'Libraries Worldwide.' For many items you will see an option to place an interlibrary loan request.
  
  
• Jisc Library Hub Discover allows you to search materials held in many UK national, academic and specialist libraries.
  
  
• SOLO Search the catalogue of the University of Oxford