Members of the University of Notre Dame community now have expanded access to Oxford Research Encyclopedias (ORE). 

With an overabundance of information and misinformation, it can be overwhelming for new researchers looking to find trustworthy information. The Oxford Research Encyclopedias offers scholars a starting point for their research. Providing in-depth, peer-reviewed overviews of research literature, ORE is a great first step for individuals embarking on their research journey.

“When someone is getting started on a new research project, the amount of available scholarly literature can be overwhelming,” Mark Robison, department head, Academic Collections and Services, said. “Instead of combing through hundreds or even thousands of articles and books, ORE provides a more efficient first step. An ORE essay provides high-level details of the most important concepts, theories and works on a topic.” 

According to Robison, the Encyclopedias are his first recommendation for nearly every senior thesis writer or graduate student.

“The ORE essays are written by noted researchers, at the invitation of Oxford University Press, which gives me a great deal of confidence in recommending them to our students,” he said. “It is particularly useful for helping students get a handle on broad, unwieldy topics.”

The Hesburgh Libraries originally owned just a handful of the subject collections, including Theology and Latin American History. Over the years, it has purchased additional collections, most recently the Anthropology collection, and now has access to 17 subject areas spanning a range of humanities, STEM, and social science fields. 

“This resource is most useful for anyone conducting an original research project: undergraduates in upper-level courses [e.g., capstone papers, senior theses] and graduate students,” Robison said. “Of course, faculty also might find an ORE overview helpful if they are launching a brand new research project and want to get a handle on the literature.” 

Members of the Notre Dame community looking to use Oxford Research Encyclopedias can do so from anywhere worldwide by visiting the Hesburgh Libraries databases and searching for its name. The link will automatically direct anyone off campus to authenticate through Okta. Visitors to campus and members of the public may also access it and other library e-resources using the library’s guest computers.

For more information, contact Mark Robison, Hesburgh Libraries.