Higher education and university

Here you'll find guides and ideas on using the online Oxford DNB for teaching preparation, seminar reading, and essay writing in higher education.

As a collection of 57,000 people who shaped all walks of Britain's past, the Oxford DNB is naturally useful for history lecturers and students. But its breadth means it also has much to interest people studying English, art history, the histories of science or ideas, politics and political philosophy, and sociology.

Guides to using the online Oxford DNB

We have provided three background guides that show how lecturers 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



• There's also an Oxford DNB search guide with details of the two most useful types of searches you can do online: finding a person by name or 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, a biography podcast, 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

• Creating and researching 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

How other university teachers are using the Oxford DNB

Three lecturers explain how they use the dictionary, either as background to their teaching or as the basis for dedicated courses:

• Joanna Innes, fellow and tutor in history, Somerville College, Oxford
• Rosemary Mitchell, senior lecturer in history, Trinity and All Saints College, Leeds
• Seth Koven, associate professor of history, Villanova University

Getting access to the complete Oxford DNB

If your college or university already subscribes to the Oxford DNB you can get access to all 57,000 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.