Miscellaneous tips

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A collection of miscellaneous tips and tricks not covered in other articles that might help you with your research.


Access some subscription websites with a Library Card

  • There are a number of websites including Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO), House of Commons Parliamentary Papers, The [London] Times Digital Archive 1785-1985, The Illustrated London News 1842-2003, 19th Century UK Periodicals and other newspaper sites, JSTOR (many journals), which may help you in your research, where access is restricted . Card holders of participating Libraries including the following National Libraries (noting there is generally a residential requirement) Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Australia, State Library of NSW, and many University Libraries can access some, or all of these websites. ECCO may also be accessed from the British Library Reading Rooms. Also see Subscription websites-online newspapers, journals and directories
  • In England, a Borough or County Library Card may enable you to access The Times remotely but probably not other historical newspaper sites. However, enquire what is available to you both from your local library and the libraries of surrounding boroughs as what is on offer can differ widely and membership requirements are usually easily met. Popular choices available online include The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and Who's Who & Who Was Who. Other subscription sites may be available from terminals in the library itself e.g. Ancestry - this may sound restrictive but, if you already subscribe at a base level, may be useful for consultation when you want to look up a source restricted to premium subscribers.

Access an obsolete website in archives.org

Search for books on a particular topic

The Royal Historical Society Bibliography Search may be of use if you are researching a particular topic and wish to find books written about the topic.As an example, entering East India Company produced over a thousand results, mainly books and articles written in the last forty years.

Search for a Library which holds a book you want to read

Find the meaning of words used in India

Convert a date which has used the Bengali Calendar

Find out the meaning of an archaic medical term

Useful for interpreting the cause of death on a burial record or the medical conditions on a soldier's service record.

Photographs

Date family photographs

Digitally restore old photographs

Aspects to consider when hiring a professional researcher

Copy Information from Full View Google Books

Refer Google Books

Scan and edit a document

Use the Virtual Magnifying Glass

You may find this Virtual Magnifying Glass is useful.