AS and A-level

Here you'll find guides and ideas on using the online Oxford DNB for teaching preparation, class reading, and essay writing at AS and A-level.

As a collection of 56,000 people who shaped Britain's past, the Oxford DNB is naturally of use for teachers and students of history. But the Dictionary's breadth means it also has much to interest people studying English, art history,politics, sociology, and general studies.

First you may like to begin by taking our powerpoint tour of the online Oxford DNB for schools (this will take about 6 minutes).

Guides to using the online Oxford DNB

We have provided three background guides that show how teachers and students can use the dictionary, particularly when studying British and world history, English literature, politics, and art history. (all pdf files)
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• What is the Oxford DNB?
• What can the Oxford DNB online bring to teaching?
• Using the Oxford DNB online



• Class demonstration (a ten-minute walkthrough of the online Oxford DNB's features and functionality, to precede other work)

• There's also a Oxford DNB search guide with details of the two most useful types of searches you can do online: i. finding a person by name or ii. finding sets of people who share biographical information (for example, who lived in the same town or are known for the same profession).

• For other ways into the Dictionary, try the Free Oxford DNB area with links to Lives of the Week, biography podcast, monthly online magazine, and quick reference Themes on 'open shelf'.

Teaching with the Oxford DNB

We've put together some further suggestions for using the Oxford DNB, and how three of its key features can contribute to teaching and studying.

• Individual biographies: how does biography help in the study of a historical topic?
• everything comes back to the people who shaped our past
• biographies offer historical context to events or writings
• reputations and historical opinions change with new research

• Defining and investigating groups of people in history
• use the Oxford DNB's online search facilities to find people who shared common attributes such as place of birth, occupation, or religious affiliation
• find out how group searching can help with project work

• Quick reference with the Oxford DNB's Themes area: our ‘companion guide’ to British history
• use reference lists for quick fact-checking and problem solving
• read our new reference group articles on well-known historical groups
• use topical feature articles to gain an excellent introduction to popular historical subjects or history in the news

Getting access to the complete Oxford DNB

If your school or college already subscribes to the Oxford DNB, you can get access to all 56,000 biographies, and Themes, through your institution's link.

If you'd like information on getting a free trial of the Oxford DNB for your school or college please go to www.oup.com/online/odnb or contact onlineproducts@oup.com.

Further information on the Oxford DNB–including details of daily free biographies delivered to your inbox–can be found at www.oxforddnb.com.

Don't forget: in the UK you can get personal access to the full Oxford DNB online via most public libraries; remote log-ins allow library members to read the Oxford DNB at home for free.