Course resource help for Japanese Studies

Quick access

Resources

Databases for Japanese Studies

The Library has lots of databases that will give you a wide variety of additional sources, beyond what you will find on LibrarySearch. Many databases focus on journal articles but others contain newspaper articles, audio-visual resources or business information.

Some key databases for Japanese Studies are listed below. For further help on searching these resources, including video guides, check the section How to use databases

Factiva

Factiva is an international news database and a key resource for Japanese studies. It covers many Japanese publications, including: The Chunichi Shimbun; Daily Yomiuri; Japan Times; Keizai Kai; Kensetsu Tsushin Shimbun; Look Japan; Nihon Shokuryo Shimbun; Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun ; Nikkan Yakugyo; Nikkin; The Tokyo Shimbun and more. Searches can be made in Japanese if your keyboard has the capability.

Tips on searching Factiva for Japanese publications:

To search Factiva for articles from a specific publication, click on 'Source' and type the publication title in the 'Find a Source' box.
If you want to search through all Japanese publications, click on 'Source', then use the ‘Select Source Category’ drop-down menu to select Publications – By Region. Browse through the regions and countries, then click on Japan to add it to your search.
The default Language setting is to look for articles in English. To change this, first click on English to remove it from your search. Next, click on 'Language' and select Japanese from the list to add it to your search.

For further help see these short videos and written guides: How to use Factiva

Note: No data harvesting, systematic reviews, or large data exports are permitted - the supplier will suspend access if mass downloading is conducted.

Academic Search Complete

A large database covering all subject areas. It contains lots of full text articles and is an excellent resource for any topic.

Business Source Complete

A huge database of academic journal articles, magazine articles, trade journals, reports, industry profiles, and company profiles on all aspects of business including management. It also provides country reports for Japan and other countries.

Communication & Mass Media Complete

Key database for topics relating to intercultural communication, media, social media, and society

Historical Abstracts

Covers the history of the world from 1450 to the present (excluding the United States and Canada), with references to articles, books and other publications from 1950 onwards; contains quite extensive abstracts for most entries; and links to journal articles. EBSCO.

Art Full Text

A key source for the visual arts, other subjects covered include design, architecture, fashion, film and video. Full text coverage from 1997, indexing from 1984. Includes the Art Abstracts database.

Hospitality and Tourism Complete

Articles from academic journals and trade magazines relating specifically to the Hospitality and Tourism sectors. Most articles are available in full text.

One-stop search

Search all of our Education databases at once.

JSTOR

Multidisciplinary database providing an archive of older full-text articles from a wide range of academic journals.

HeinOnline

Includes a large collection of full-text journals It focuses on US and international law but can be very useful for international relations topics.

Performing Arts Periodicals Database

Mainly full-text database covering performing arts, including theatre, film, TV and computer games.

IBSS - International Bibliography of the Social Sciences

Provides abstracts from international journals in the social sciences.

Sociological Abstracts

Covers a broad range of subjects including sociology, political theory, social anthropology. Covers material published since 1952. Also includes cited references for all journal articles indexed on the database since 2002. ProQuest.

Newspapers

Japanese news sources and magazines

Check this quick video guide to searching Factiva for foreign language sources.

For further help see these short videos and written guides by the Business Librarians: How to use Factiva

For more help with tracking down news sources and how to identify fake news, see our News sources guide.

Check Cite Them Right Online for guidance on how to reference newspaper articles in the Harvard style used at Brookes.

TV, radio and films

TV, radio and film

Box of Broadcasts (BoB) is a service which gives you access to thousands of recorded TV, radio programmes and films from an online archive. Note that you will need to sign in with your Brookes login details each time you use BoB and the first time you access it, you will be prompted to create an account. This allows you to create your own playlists and clips, and ask for programmes to be added to the collection.
Find out more from the How to use BoB video guides produced by Learning on Screen.

Check Cite Them Right Online for guidance on how to reference BoB programmes in the Harvard style used at Brookes.

The Library holds a large collection of Japanese feature films and anime on DVD which you can borrow. To see if we have a particular film, check LibrarySearch for the title or director. You can filter your search results to DVDs if you need to. Alternatively, you can look at this list Japanese films and manga or browse the shelves on Level 4, Zone D around 791.430952 for Japanese feature films or 791.43340952 for anime.

Statistics and country reports

Statistics

Our Statistics page provides links to UK and international statistical sources

Country reports

Annual country reports can be useful sources of information about the economic, political and social situation of individual countries:

Use the database Business Source Complete to run a search for Japan country report.

For further help, check this video guide Country profiles in Business Source Complete produced by the Brookes Business Librarians.

Need help? Contact your librarian

Please get in touch if you have any queries about:

finding information and resources for assignments
finding online resources
referencing your sources

Joanna Cooksey

jcooksey@brookes.ac.uk

I'm hybrid working this semester, so will sometimes be on Headington campus and sometimes working from home. Please email jcooksey@brookes.ac.uk in the first instance. If you need a 1-to-1 appointment we can then arrange one either face-to-face or via Zoom or Google Meet. My usual working hours are 8.00 - 16.00, Monday - Friday.

Referencing

Citing your sources (also called referencing) is an essential part of your academic work and is explained fully on our page Reference and avoid plagiarism.

How to reference: use Cite Them Right

Use Cite Them Right to check how to reference a wide range of sources (books, journal articles, web sites) in exactly the same Harvard style used at Oxford Brookes.

The Library also has a shorter printed guide to Brookes Harvard based on Cite Them Right that you can download (Word and PDF versions available).- h

What does Harvard referencing look like?

Cite Them Right has a Sample text and reference list using the Harvard style. This will help you understand what referencing should look like in your written work.

How do I use sources in my written work?

Academic writing involves developing the skills of finding your own voice while also drawing on sources written by others. The resources below offer some practical tips. You can also book a tutorial with staff from the Centre for Academic Development who can advise you on using your sources in your academic writing.

Bitesize video 5: What is paraphrasing and how do I use it?
Centre for Academic Development Writing with sources and Paraphrasing
Cite Them Right Online Setting out quotations and Paraphrasing
How to use your reading in your essays by Jeanne Godfrey (print & eBook) has lots of advice on putting readings into your own words.
Moodle: Academic Integrity - self-directed course
Study skills: Writing essays, reports and other assignments: list of other useful online resources & books.

Can I use referencing or AI tools?

To find out more about the tools available on LibrarySearch, check this guide How to save and cite sources in LibrarySearch (Google slides).

EndNote and other referencing tools

Endnote is a tool for storing and organising your references, and it will also work with Word or Pages to create a fully formatted bibliography from your reference library. Oxford Brookes Library offers guides, support and training with EndNote.
Google Scholar and many databases offer options for formatting references in a particular style. There are also many other referencing tools and apps but be aware that not all Harvard styles are the same as ours. Make sure you check your references against Cite Them Right or the Library guide and amend them if needed.

Gen AI and referencing - the good and the bad

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.

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

Where can I get further help with referencing?

Contact your Academic Liaison Librarian for help with referencing.
You can also use library chat, drop in to the Help Zone on level 1 of Headington library, or email the library - find out more: How to get help using the Library
You can book a tutorial with staff from the Centre for Academic Development who can help you to develop skills in using your sources in your academic writing.

Outdoor study scene with chair, table, books and laptop

Quick Harvard referencing videos

Really useful set of short videos that will help you understand Harvard referencing and plagiarism.

How to use the Library for Japanese Studies

Use the Library as a new student

Getting started

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 language resources is on Level 2 in Zone E of the Headington Library. Japanese arts and cinema are on Level 4.

Looking after yourself

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

student and lecturer looking at books in JHBB library

Virtual tour of Headington Library

Reading lists

Your module reading lists will tell you what sources you need to read before class and also provide further readings that may be helpful for assignments. You can view any reading list, whether you're studying that module or not.

If you're studying the module: Most reading lists are available online via the relevant Moodle course - often in the 'Key resources' section or arranged by weekly topic.
To look through the whole collection of reading lists: go to the Library and choose the Reading lists tab above the LibrarySearch box. Type in the module code or name.
Explore reading lists for Japanese modules

More about finding and understanding your module reading lists (Google slides)

Explore your reading lists

Browse online reading lists for Japanese Studies modules

Explore online resources

Browse this list of online books and journals for Japanese Studies

Use LibrarySearch to find books and articles

Finding and using print books

How do I search for books and eBooks?

Use LibrarySearch to look for books and eBooks available in the Oxford Brookes Library. Just type in the author, title or subject that you are interested in. Limit your search results to books.

Check the video guide (right) for tips on how LibrarySearch works.

Finding print books

Print books have a 'call number' which tells you where the book is shelved in the Library, for example this book The making of modern Japan by Marius B. Jansen is at 952 JAN.

Note that resources for Japanese Studies will be shelved by subject, for example books on anime films will be in the cinema section.

Finding your material shows you how to understand call numbers and look for books on the library shelves
Borrowing and returning tells you about borrowing print books
If the book is on loan to another user or at one of our other libraries, you can put a hold on it (quick video guide). If it's on the shelves, it's quicker for you to go and get it yourself.
Find out more from the guide: 'Finding books for Japanese Studies'. It highlights sections in the Library to browse for subjects such as Japanese culture, manga & film.
- Finding books for Japanese Studies (PDF)
- Finding books for Japanese Studies (Word doc)

Finding and using eBooks

Use LibrarySearch to look for books and eBooks available in the Oxford Brookes Library. Type in the author, title or subject that you are interested in. If you want to just see eBooks, you can limit your results by using the filters on the left.

Here is an example of a library eBook: Manga and the Representation of Japanese History. Follow the 'View eBook' link to connect to it. Log in when prompted with your Oxford Brookes student number and password.

Our eBooks are on various web platforms, for example this one is on ProQuest Ebook Central. You'll see there are options to:

Read the book online
Download individual chapters as PDFs (NB you will be restricted as to how many pages you could save from the whole book).
Download the whole book for a limited time (between 1 and 21 days).

In order to download many of our eBooks - including ones on ProQuest - you need to have the Adobe Digital Editions programme or app on your computer/device. You can download Adobe Digital Editions for free.

O'Reilly eBooks

O'Reilly is another eBook platform but it works differently to most other e-resources. If you need to access an O'Reilly eBook, check this quick guide to how to login; steps 4-6 show you what to do when you reach the O'Reilly site.

Understanding journals

Academic journals are key sources for your university studies.

Articles published in these journals are written by specialists in the subject and they provide an insight into current thinking, debate and research in the field.
Journals can be good sources of up to date information on current topics which may not be covered by books.
Articles can cover a specific topic in depth, e.g. a case study.

This guide Anatomy of a Journal (PDF) from the Open University explains clearly what a journal is, and how they differ from books.

Peer reviewed journal articles

You will often be asked to consult peer reviewed articles for your research. These are high quality scholarly articles that have been checked by other experts in the field.

The peer review provides feedback so that researchers can revise and improve their papers before publication. It also acts as a quality check, ensuring that articles meet high standards expected in the discipline and required to maintain the reputation of the journal. Find out more about the purpose of peer review and how it works in this Explainer: what is peer review?

Find articles on a LibrarySearch

LibrarySearch is a good place to start looking for journal articles on a topic. Just type your keywords or a phrase in the search box. At the results screen, use the the filter options on the left to limit your search to peer-reviewed articles.

We recommend you also use databases, especially for more in-depth research because LibrarySearch doesn’t cover all of our e-resources and you may get better results on a more specialised database.

If you have the details of a specific article (for example from an author's bibliography) you may be able to find it through LibrarySearch by typing in some key words from the article title and an author. If the article doesn't come up, you'll need to look up the journal instead to see if we have it - see the section 'Look for a specific journal' below.

Look for a specific journal or article

Looking for a specific journal

Go to the Library and select the 'Journal titles' tab.
Type in the journal title.
Find the journal on LibrarySearch and click on the title.
Click on the 'Access journal' link to connect to the journal home page.
The journal site may offer a search function and will also allow you to browse. If browsing, use the year, volume and issue numbers to find the correct journal issue. Articles in each issue will be listed in page order, so use the page numbers to find the specific article.

Looking for a specific article

You may want to do this if you're following up a reference found in a bibliography:

Try looking up the article on LibrarySearch. Use the author's surname and a few keywords from the article title.
If you can't locate the article in this way, follow the steps above to look up the journal title and check if we have access to the journal and issue you need.

If we don't have the journal or issue you want, you can use the interlibrary loan service to request a free copy of the article.

Use LibrarySearch to keep track of sources

It's a good idea to keep track of your sources as you find them, so that it's easier to reference them later. Check this guide for How to save and cite sources in LibrarySearch (Google slides)

Always check Cite Them Right to see how your references should look in the Harvard style required at Brookes.

Library eBooks - Cite Them Right says to reference these in the same way as print books
Journal articles - make sure you have a record of: Author(s); Title of article; Title of journal; Year of publication; Volume number (if given); Issue number (if given); Page numbers. You may also want to note the DOI.

How to use LibrarySearch (video guide)

Explore new books and DVDS for Japanese

Browse recent additions to library stock

How to find resources for your assignments

Start with your module reading list

Your module reading lists will tell you what sources you need to read before class and also provide further readings that may be helpful for assignments.

Use LibrarySearch to go beyond your reading list

Beyond your reading list, the best place to start looking for resources is LibrarySearch which is the Library catalogue and more.

Find out how to Use LibrarySearch to find books and articles

Researching a topic? Explore databases

LibrarySearch is a good starting point but it doesn’t include all of our e-resources. We have lots of specialist search engines called databases that will help you trace a wide variety of additional sources. Many databases focus on journal articles but others contain newspaper articles, business information, even images and TV programmes / films.

Check the section below on How to use databases

Access dictionaries and reference books

OED - online version of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Oxford Reference Online - collection of Oxford University Press reference books on a variety of subjects. Good sources for finding concise factual information and definitions. Individual titles from the collection are also listed on LibrarySearch.

Access primary sources

See the section below on Primary sources on Japan

Find and use web resources

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

The online publication The Conversation contains articles written by academics for a general audience on topics currently in the news and contains links to freely available resources, including statistics. This can be a good starting point for getting ideas on how to approach a research topic.
Selection of useful websites for Japanese Studies

Referencing web pages

Check Cite Them Right Online for guidance on how to reference web pages and how to reference publications of international organisations in the Harvard style used at Oxford Brookes.

Responsible use of AI tools

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?

Are there AI tools that could be useful for research?

Find and use images in your presentations and coursework

Using images in your presentations and coursework

Check this guide Using images in your assignments (Google slides) which covers:

Understanding copyright
Finding free to use images
Crediting and referencing images

Collections of images

For high quality photographs & other images, try these digital image databases mentioned in the guide above:

Bridgeman Education - a digital image database highly recommended if you want to find images of Japan, from art works to historical photographs of Japan and its people.
JSTOR image search (incorporating ARTstor) - provides 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:

Box of Broadcasts (BoB) is an online archive of films, TV and radio programmes. You can create your own clips from programmes and include them in presentations. Find out more from the How to use BoB video guides produced by Learning on Screen.

Develop your library and study skills

Library skills

Using library resources for your Japanese assignments (10/23) - slides from Library training session for JPNS4008 Essential Japanology (Semester 1, 2023)

Study skills

Find useful resources on:

These lists are all part of our Study Smarter series

Doing presentations and exams

Doing presentations

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)

Primary sources on Japan

Book sources

Primary sources: book sources on Japan

Online Open Access sources on Japan

Primary sources: Online primary sources - these are all Open Access, so free to use

Image sources and how to use them

Collections of images

For high quality photographs & other images on Japan, try these digital image databases mentioned in the guide above:

Bridgeman Education - a digital image database highly recommended if you want to find images of Japan, from art works to historical photographs of Japan and its people.
JSTOR image search (incorporating ARTstor) - provides high-quality images from around the world, including artworks, maps, photographs, and more.

Box of Broadcasts (BoB) is an online archive of films, TV and radio programmes. You can create your own clips from programmes and include them in presentations. Learn more from the BoB Video Tutorials

Using images in your presentations and coursework

Check this guide Using images in your assignments (Google slides) which covers:

Understanding copyright
Finding free to use images
Crediting and referencing images

Library databases for news and historical sources

Factiva is an international news database and a key resource for Japanese studies. It covers many Japanese newspapers and magazines. Check the guide for tips on how to search for resources from Japan or in Japanese.
HeinOnline This database offers full text resources on international relations and international law, such as journal articles, government documents and much more. The collection includes historical sources on foreign affairs, many from a US perspective.

Learning and reading Japanese

Language learning resources

Books and other resources for learning Japanese are shelved on Level 2 of the Library, in Zone E (silent study area) of the Headington Library.
Note that the languages section will be moving up to Level 3 during the summer of 2025.

Some key sections are:

418.02 Translation
420 English language
495.6 Japanese language
495.6321 Japanese dictionaries
495.65 Japanese grammar
495.68 Learning Japanese, Japanese language usage
495.686 Graded readers including the Brookes series Let's Read Japanese

Learn Japanese: Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese Freely available online.

Reading Japanese texts

Japanese texts: easy readers & fiction - list of resources available in Brookes Library for students of Japanese who want to read Japanese texts
Japanese literature in translation - list of shorter Japanese fiction, essays and novels translated into English, available from Brookes Library.
Aozora Bunko - (the "Blue Sky Library", also known as the "Open Air Library") is a Japanese digital library of thousands of works of Japanese-language fiction and non-fiction. These include out-of-copyright books or works that the authors wish to make freely available.

Manga

Manga texts in translation are shelved around 741.5952 on Level 4 in Zone B of the Headington Library.

Browse this list Japanese films and manga to find out what series are available.

Man browsing in manga superstore, Tokyo — Mandarake Manga superstore in Shibuya Tokyo, (photo) by Sergi Reboredo / Bridgeman Education

Independent research

Developing your research skills

Useful resources on doing Dissertations and independent research (part of our Study Smarter series)

Access to the Bodleian Library

Who can access: Japanese Studies undergraduates doing honours level 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, as well as the Bodleian Japanese Library .
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 and other options for getting materials Brookes doesn't hold

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 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.

Access other library catalogues

LibrarySearch: Libraries worldwide
You can use LibrarySearch to look for resources in 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

student working on laptop in Headington library

How to use databases

Databases are specialist search engines that can help you find high quality academic sources like journal articles. In this section you'll find links to some key databases plus video guides. Further databases are listed in the Resources section above.

The guide Database search tips for Japanese Studies Word file and PDF shows you how to use keywords to search databases

NB Always connect to Library databases through the Library web site. You'll be prompted to log in with your Brookes ID and then will get full access.

Can I use LibrarySearch?

If you want to find and access books, use LibrarySearch.
You can also use LibrarySearch to look for academic journal articles. However LibrarySearch doesn’t include all of our e-resources, so it is often useful to consult databases as well.

Can I use Google and Google Scholar?

Google isn't recommended for finding academic sources but may be useful for other searches, for example looking for an organisation's web site.

Google Scholar is a freely available search engine that focuses on scholarly sources. It can be a useful starting point, but move on to using library databases afterwards. Check the guide Searching Scholar to find out how to ensure Google Scholar recognises resources available via Oxford Brookes.

Can I use AI tools to help me find sources?

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.

Take care when using generative AI 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.

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.

Choosing words to put in a search box

Video guide by Charlie Brampton

Create your own search plan

Save a copy of this Google doc and add your own notes

Databases for journal articles

Academic Search Complete and other EBSCO databases

Academic Search Complete is a highly recommended database that covers all subjects so it's good for finding academic journal articles on any topic.

Other EBSCO databases

Academic Search Complete is available on a web platform called EBSCO. The Library subscribes to several key databases through this same platform. Brookes has access to around 20 other EBSCO databases. They all look the same and you can search them individually or in combination. The video guide (right) shows you how to search any of these EBSCO databases.

Here is a selection of subject-specific EBSCO databases that you may be useful:

Art Full Text - A key source for the visual arts, including design, architecture, fashion, film and video
Business Source Complete - key business database for academic journal articles, magazine articles, trade journals, country reports, industry profiles, and company profiles and country reports.
Communication & Mass Media Complete - good for media and social media topics
Hospitality & Tourism Complete
One-stop search of Education databases - search all of our Education databases at once
MLA International Bibliography with Full Text - literature database that includes some coverage of Manga. It also covers language and linguistics

student using laptop and sitting on a bench

How to use EBSCO databases for Modern Languages (video guide)

This video (9:34) will show you how to use Academic Search Complete and other EBSCO databases

Social Science databases

These 2 databases are good for social science topics like gender, education, identity and culture. They are both on the ProQuest platform and look and work the same.

IBSS (International Bibliography of the Social Sciences) is a major Social Science database, while Sociological Abstracts is a more specialised Sociology databases.

illustration of man working on computer at desk

Databases for other resources

Dictionaries and reference books

Oxford Reference Online - references sources on all subjects
OED - Online version of the Oxford English Dictionary for definitions.

Image databases

We have several digital image databases that will give you high quality photographs & other images - find out more from the section Use images in your presentations and coursework

Primary sources

See the section Primary sources on Japan

Factiva database for news sources

Factiva is an international news database and a key resource for Japanese studies. It covers many Japanese publications.

Check the video guide for how to search Factiva for Japanese sources.

Find out how to reference articles from Factiva in the Harvard style.

Video guide to Factiva

Learn how to find foreign language sources on Factiva

BoB (Box of Broadcasts) for TV and films

BoB is an online service which gives you access to thousands of recorded TV, radio programmes and films from an online archive.
NB Only available to view in the UK.

Follow the link to access BoB. Click on 'Sign in', then type Oxford Brookes University in the Where are you from? box. The first time you access BoB, you will be prompted to create an account.

Check the How to use BoB video guides produced by Learning on Screen.
Search BoB by keywords for programmes and films. If you get too many results, click on the 'Search options' link under the search box where you'll see filter options.
Try putting names and phrases in quotation marks e.g. "great expectations"
Browse the TV listings and ask for upcoming programmes to be added to the collection.
Create your own clips from programmes and include them in presentations.
Create your own playlists or browse existing ones - see right.

Japanese resources on BoB

Explore this BoB playlist of documentaries on Japan

Japanese films on BoB

BoB playlist of Japanese feature films and anime

Life and study balance

Study smarter

Find details of study skills books available from the Library, useful web resources, and other study support:

Skills for assignments:

Skills for doing independent research:

Course resource help for Japanese Studies

Quick access

LibrarySearch

How to use the Library for Japanese Studies

How to use databases

How to reference your sources

Learning and reading Japanese

Life and study balance

Resources

Databases for Japanese Studies

Factiva

Academic Search Complete

Business Source Complete

Communication & Mass Media Complete

Historical Abstracts

Art Full Text

Hospitality and Tourism Complete

One-stop search

JSTOR

HeinOnline

Performing Arts Periodicals Database

IBSS - International Bibliography of the Social Sciences

Sociological Abstracts

Newspapers

Japanese news sources and magazines

TV, radio and films

TV, radio and film

Statistics and country reports

Statistics

Country reports

Need help? Contact your librarian

Joanna Cooksey

Referencing

How to reference: use Cite Them Right

What does Harvard referencing look like?

How do I use sources in my written work?

Can I use referencing or AI tools?

Where can I get further help with referencing?

Quick Harvard referencing videos

How to use the Library for Japanese Studies

Use the Library as a new student

Reading lists

Explore your reading lists

Explore online resources

Use LibrarySearch to find books and articles

Finding and using print books

How do I search for books and eBooks?

Finding print books

Finding and using eBooks

O'Reilly eBooks

Understanding journals

Peer reviewed journal articles

Find articles on a LibrarySearch

Look for a specific journal or article

Looking for a specific journal

Looking for a specific article

Use LibrarySearch to keep track of sources

Explore new books and DVDS for Japanese

How to find resources for your assignments

Start with your module reading list

Use LibrarySearch to go beyond your reading list

Researching a topic? Explore databases

Access dictionaries and reference books

Access primary sources

Find and use web resources

Using Google and Google Scholar

Assessing the quality of web sources

Useful websites

Referencing web pages

Responsible use of AI tools

Find and use images in your presentations and coursework

Using images in your presentations and coursework

Collections of images

Develop your library and study skills

Library skills

Study skills

Doing presentations and exams

Doing presentations

Doing exams

Primary sources on Japan