Library
English Language &
Linguistics
A guide to finding information
The aim of this guide is to introduce you to some of the sources of information held in Oxford
Brookes University Library, which may be useful during your study of English Language and
Linguistics or ESOL.
Useful links
 Library Web site: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/
 Links to relevant electronic sources for this subject:
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/efl.html
For more specific help, please consult the Subject Librarian for Languages, Joanna Cooksey.
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Finding material in the Library
Reference works
Journals, newspapers and databases
Internet sites
Citing and managing your references
Writing a dissertation/thesis
Researchers and staff
Your Subject Librarian
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1. Finding material in the Library
There is a wide range of different resources available to you, including books, encyclopaedias,
journals and electronic sources of information. You need to check the Library Catalogue for full
details of what is available. The Catalogue gives details about all items held at the Headington
Library and the libraries at Oxford Brookes’ other two sites. You can access the Catalogue on
computers in the Library, and through the Library’s Web pages at http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library
The Catalogue covers books, journals and newspapers (see Section 3), videos and DVDs, and
will tell you if a specific title is in stock and whether it is currently available. Items on reading lists
may have been put in the Short Loan Collection on the First Floor; the Catalogue will give you
this information. The Catalogue will also give you the relevant shelfmark. This is the number
used to arrange materials on the shelves.
Searching the Library Catalogue
If you know the author's name or book title you can search by either of these on the Catalogue.
A useful tip is to search by Keyword - type in one or two significant words from the title. This
search is best for quite specific topics such as second language writing.
You can also browse through the Catalogue’s Subject Index. To do this, choose Advanced Search
and scroll down to see the Further Search Options. For example, if you are looking
Directorate of Learning Resources
www.brookes.ac.uk/library
Contents:
for items on linguistics, select Subject Index and type linguistics in the search box. You can then
browse through the Subject Index for more specific aspects of this subject.
Language material in Headington Library is contained largely within the section 400-499 which is
on the Second Floor of the Library. Below are some selected shelfmarks you may find useful, but
always check the Library Catalogue for full details of what is available.
Language studies (Second Floor)
400
Language
401
Philosophy of language
401.41
Discourse analysis
401.9
Psycholinguistics
410
Linguistics
410.1
Theory of linguistics
410.72
Linguistics research
418
Applied linguistics
418.007
Language teaching
420
420.141
423
425
428
428.24
428.2407
English language
English discourse analysis
English dictionaries (In Subject Quick Reference & on main shelves)
English grammar
English language usage
Learning English as a foreign language
Teaching English as a foreign language
Writing (Second Floor)
808
Writing
808.042
Writing skills
808.04207
Teaching of writing
808.066
Writing techniques for students
Psychology (Ground Floor)
150
Psychology
155.413
Child psychology (including learning)
Sociology (Ground Floor)
302.2
Communication
301.21
Sociolinguistics
303.482
Intercultural communication
306.44
Language policy
Education (Ground Floor)
370
Education
370.1
Philosophy of education
375.4
Teaching of language in education
2. Reference works
Reference works, such as specialised dictionaries and encyclopaedias, offer a useful starting point
for any research. They may be useful for getting an overview of a subject, looking up unfamiliar
terms, or finding details about a specific writer. Many of these sources are reference books, others
are available online through our Library Web pages.
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Subject Quick Reference Collection
There is a wide range of reference books covering various aspects of language studies and
linguistics shelved in the Subject Quick Reference (SQR) collection on the Second Floor in the
East Library. You can browse this Collection for works covering subjects such as:
SQR 400
SQR 403
SQR 409
General reference books on languages
Language and linguistics
Linguistic cultures of the world
SQR 410
SQR 418
Linguistics
Applied linguistics
SQR 420
SQR 422
SQR 423
SQR 423.1
SQR 425
SQR 427
SQR 428.31
English language
Etymology of English language
English dictionaries
Thesauri and dictionaries of synonyms, eponyms and abbreviations
English grammar
English language variations
Guides to English idioms – e.g. Caribbean English; Jamaican English
SQR 808.88
SQR 808.882
Dictionaries of proverbs
Dictionaries of quotations
Further information about dictionaries can be found in the Library guide Dictionaries and Language
Resources. One other printed resource that might be useful is:
Moseley, C. (1994) Atlas of the world's languages
912.1409 ATL in Atlas Collection (Second Floor)
Online Reference Sources
We also have access to a number of electronic databases which can be useful sources for your
English Language research:
Oxford English Dictionary Online.
The online version of the classic English dictionary, available via the Library Web pages.
Oxford Reference Online
This is an online collection of around 200 dictionary and subject reference works published by
Oxford University Press. From the database home page you can search the entire collection, or
browse for a specific work from their English Dictionaries & Reference collection. The collection
covers various aspects of English Language studies, including:
 General works on the English language
 Linguistics
 Abbreviations
 English etymology
 English grammar and usage
 American usage and style
 Eponyms
 Idioms
 Foreign terms in English
 Proverbs
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3. Journals, newspapers and databases
The majority of journals on language studies are housed on the Second Floor in the South Gallery,
but there are also a number of relevant titles on the Ground Floor in the North Library. In addition
we have a growing collection of electronic journals, many of which allow off campus access.
Both print and electronic journals can be found on the Library Catalogue by searching under the
journal title. The Catalogue will tell you where to find the journal in the Library if it is a print journal,
or give you the appropriate connection link if it is available as an electronic journal.
You can browse through a subject list of e-journals for English Language Studies at
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/efl/eflejnls.html
Alternatively, you can search our complete A-Z list of e-journals at
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/ejnls.html
Newspapers can also be useful sources of information for a wide range of subjects, including
reviews of new books and feature articles on writers. More information on searching for news
stories can be found in our printed guide News and Current Affairs or from our Web pages at:
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/news.html
This is a selective list of some key journal titles:
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Applied Linguistics
Critical Discourse Studies
ELT Journal
English for Specific Purposes
English Language and Linguistics
English Teaching Professional
English Today
The Incorporated Linguist
continued as Linguist
International Journal of Applied Linguistics
Journal of Linguistics
Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development
Journal of Second Language Writing
Journal of Sociolinguistics
Language and Education
Language Arts
Language Learning
Language Teaching Research
Language Testing
Literary and Linguistic Computing
Modern English Teacher
Modern Language Review
Practical English Teaching
Quinquereme
Reading and Writing
ReCALL
TESOL Quarterly
World Englishes
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J 418 A and e-journal
E-journal
J 428.2407 E
J 428.2407 E and e-journal
J 420 E and e-journal
J 428.2407 E
J 420 E and e-journal
J 400 I
J 400 L
E-journal
J 400 J and e-journal
J 400 J and e-journal
J 428.2407 J and e-journal
E-journal
E-journal
J 400 L (Harcourt Hill)
E-journal
J 418.007 L and e-journal
J 418.007 L and e-journal
J 800.0183 L
J 428.2407 M and e-journal
J 400 M and e-journal
J 428.24 P
J 400 Q
J 418.4019 R and e-journal
J 407.0183 R and e-journal
J 428.2407 T
E-journal
Searching for journal articles
The Library Catalogue lists journal titles, but it does not provide details of articles from journals. To
search for articles on your chosen topic, it is best to use an abstract/index service. Some of these
are printed sources, but most are electronic databases.
Printed abstracts/indexes
Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature. 1969-.
J 016.82 A
This provides a comprehensive bibliography of English and American literature in yearly volumes.
It includes journal articles and dissertations. The main body of each volume is in chronological
order, with indexes of scholars (i.e. critics), authors and subjects.
Language and Language Behavior Abstracts.
Desk.
Shelved in Stack at J 016.4 L. Ask at Enquiry
Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts
1985-1989 shelved in Stack – ask at Enquiry Desk for these.
J 016.4 L
Year's Work in English Studies. 1981-.
J 016.82 Y
A narrative bibliography that records and evaluates scholarly writing on English language and on
literatures written in English. Contains critical notices for some 1,100 books. Also available in
electronic format from 2001 onwards via our A-Z list of e-journals on the Library Web pages.
Electronic Databases
Databases list details about journal articles and other publications (books, book chapters, reviews,
theses etc) on particular subjects. They are usually abstract/index services, giving you full
bibliographic details (e.g. author, title, journal name, volume and page numbers) and often an abstract
(summary) of the article, so that you can judge whether it’s relevant to your research. A few
databases are full-text i.e. they contain complete journal articles.
Most of our databases are Web resources and can be accessed on pooled room computers in the
Library or any computer room. Many can also be accessed from outside the University (passwords
required). Information about all our electronic resources, including access and password details,
are available on the Library Web pages at: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/eleclib.html
The following databases are relevant to English Language Studies:
English language studies:
MLA international bibliography The key source for finding journal articles on English Studies.
Consists of bibliographic records pertaining to literature, languages, linguistics, and folklore and
includes coverage from 1963 to the present.
Communication & mass media complete Provides full text links to more than 200 journals and
indexes many more. Covers linguistics.
Social Science and Education:
ASSIA Net (Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts) Applied social sciences from
international journals.
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British Education Index. Covers British education and training.
Emerald Fulltext Mainly full-text. Includes education and training journals as well as business.
International Bibliography of the Social Sciences International social sciences.
Sociological Abstracts International sociological and political issues
Times Educational Supplement and Times Higher Education Supplement (CD-ROM database)
Journals covering British and some international education issues.
Multi-disciplinary databases:
Academic Search Premier Multi-disciplinary Web database offering full text access to more than
4,450 scholarly publications, including more than 3,500 peer-reviewed journals. It also has
abstracts from more than 2,500 additional periodicals.
Arts and Humanities Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index. Both available via Web of
Science (WoS). Coverage includes modern languages; linguistics; sociology; education.
BHI (British Humanities Index). Broad arts/humanities subject coverage. Print version also
available, shelved at QR 016.3 B.
JSTOR Archive of full-text articles from a range of academic journals in a wide range of humanities
and social sciences disciplines. Most journals do not give access to issues which are less than 3-5
years old.
Oxford Reference Online Collection of Oxford University Press reference books, including foreign
language dictionaries.
ProQuest Newspaper Library Collection of UK newspapers. Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Evening
Standard, FT, Guardian, Independent, Times plus Sunday versions. Full text.
Times Digital Archive The complete digital edition of The Times (London), 1785-1985, with all
articles, advertisements and illustrations.
Getting copies of articles
When you have searched a database for your topic, the next step is to find out whether the Library
holds the journals that you need. Many of our databases have a LinkSource icon. You can click
on this to check whether we have the journal in print or electronic format.
Alternatively you should check our Library Catalogue to see whether we have the journal you
want in print or electronic format. Do a “Title” or “Keyword” search and change the Collection from
“Full Catalogue” to “Journals Catalogue”. Remember to look up the title of the journal - not the title
of the article. You can also check our A-Z list of our electronic journals at:
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/ejnls.html
Note that databases usually cover a large number of journals as well as other publications,
including sources which are not held in the stock of Brookes Library. See Section 6 for details of
accessing material from other libraries
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4. Internet sites
There are a large number of Languages and Linguistics resources available on the Internet. A
selected list of Internet sources of use to English Language Studies students can be found via the
Library Web pages for English Language Studies:
 Sites for English Language Studies: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/efl/efloninternet.html
 Sites for EFL resources: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/efl/eflweb.html
 Sites for Language Studies and Linguistics:
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/lang/linternetsites/lingweb.html
These lists include links to several subject gateways, such as Intute: Arts and Humanities at
http://www.intute.ac.uk/artsandhumanities/
Gateways are Web resources primarily devoted to collecting high quality sites in a particular
subject area and can help you to locate good quality material on the Web.
5. Citing and managing your references
Citing your sources (also called referencing) is an essential part of your academic work. ICELS
recommends using the Harvard referencing system. Please check with your department about any
specific guidelines they produce (e.g. in a course handbook). The Library guide Citing your
references using the Harvard (author-date) system gives guidelines on how to reference your work
and present a bibliography in this style. See also the Library Web pages for English Language
Studies at http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/efl/eflcite.html which gives tips on citing the information
sources used in your work.
EndNote is reference management software (also known as personal bibliographic software).
This type of software is recommended for anyone, including those working at undergraduate level,
to improve efficiency when studying, doing research and creating bibliographies.
You can enter references manually into Endnote or import them directly from databases using
import filters. Once you have compiled your EndNote Library you are able to create your
bibliography automatically as you write your Word document. This bibliography can then be easily
formatted in the Brookes Harvard style.
EndNote is available on all pooled room computers, it is also available to buy for home use. For
more information, see our Library Web pages at http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/endnote
6. Writing a dissertation/thesis
The Library has a variety of guides and textbooks covering the writing and presentation of
dissertations/theses, most of them shelved at 808.066 or 378.1702812. The Library guide
Researching and writing a thesis or dissertation lists a number of useful books covering study skills
and literature searching.
Access to material not held at Oxford Brookes
When doing research for an in-depth project such as your dissertation you are likely to come
across references to publications which are not held at Oxford Brookes Library. The Interlibrary
Loan service will be able to supply you with most other items you need. We make a charge for
every item we provide for you. Journal articles can usually be supplied in 3 working days; other
materials will take longer.
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Dissertation-level undergraduate students, postgraduates, researchers and staff are entitled to join
the Bodleian Library at Oxford University. Ask at the Enquiry Desk for an application form
More details on these services are in the Library guide Obtaining material from other Libraries.
7. Researchers and staff
The following databases are useful for finding out about previous research in your subject area and
for keeping up-to-date with current research.
Index to Theses
Available online via the Library Web pages, this is a comprehensive listing of all UK higher degree
theses.
Web of Science
Web database
Web database consisting of the 3 Citation Indexes: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (1975-);
Social Science Citation Index (1970-) and Science Citation Index Expanded (1970-). The database
covers a wide range of sources and is updated weekly. Abstracts are included for many records.
Web of Science is a particularly useful source for finding out about previous research in your
subject area and for keeping up to date with current research.
Zetoc (British Library's Electronic Table of Contents: ETOC)
Web database
Covers current journals and conference proceedings in most subjects. You can also subscribe
to the ZETOC Alert service and have e-mail bulletins when material relevant to your subject is
added to the database.
The Library Web pages have a section of information for researchers at
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/researchers.html
which lists other useful resources and services.
8. Your Subject Librarian
If you need any more information or help please contact your Subject Librarian, Joanna Cooksey
by email, telephone or at her office on the Ground Floor of the Headington Library.
Joanna Cooksey
Subject Librarian for Languages, Film Studies, English Studies &
Sociology
Headington Library,
Oxford Brookes University,
Headington Campus,
Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford OX3 0BP
Tel: 01865 483138 Email: jcooksey@brookes.ac.uk
JC linguistics.doc 9/07
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