Aside from digitised newspapers and magazines (see section above), the Library has purchased a number of online primary source collections, including those listed here:
A broad range of thematically organised documents from 21 libraries in five sections offering c. 50,000 images of original documents linked to essays by leading scholars in the field.
This database offers approximately 60,000 images of original documents linked to essays by leading scholars in the field of Empire Studies.
From personal collections and rare printed material to military files, ephemera, and artwork, The First World War Portal highlights the experiences of soldiers, civilians, and governments on both sides of the conflict and in multiple theatres of war.
Essential primary sources documenting the changing representations and lived experiences of gender roles and relations from the nineteenth century to the present. This expansive collection offers sources for the study of women's suffrage, the feminist movement, and the men’s movement.
This resource offers revolutionary access to one of the most important archives for the study of social history in the modern era (1937-1956). Explore original manuscript and typescript papers created and collected by the Mass Observation organisation, as well as printed publications, photographs.
Launched in 1981 by the University of Sussex as a rebirth of the original 1937 Mass Observation, its founders' aim was to document the social history of Britain by recruiting volunteers to write about their lives. Still growing, it is an important source for qualitative social data in the UK.
Oral History sources have the potential to offer rich qualitative data for many types of sociological study, including life course studies, social change, family & personal relations, occupation, leisure, and so forth.
This guide from the UK Data Service is a helpful starting point. See also some of the links to sources on the Social History section of the Sociology subject guide, and on the History subject guide too.
The archives at Essex contain some important oral history collections, notably the Paul Thompson material in the National Social Policy and Social Change (Qualidata) archive, and the Colchester Recalled Oral History Group digitised recordings. See the Library's Special Collections page for details
An increasing amount of material is being made available open access. Some national & research libraries have taken a lead in this area.
Be aware that some resources appear to be open access, in that they are free to search, but viewing content requires payment.
See More Resources for further listings by subject
Before digitisation, the Library acquired large amounts of primary source material on microfilm and microfiche, much of it of potential interest to sociologists.
You can search the Library catalogue by keyword (limit your search to Microforms) to see what we have, or browse a list of the main collections here:
The Library has quite extensive archival collections that have been assembled over the years. Some of them have relevance to sociology, and you can find out more about these on our Special Collections web pages.
The Special Collections guide also links you to information about collections elsewhere in the UK and overseas. National archives, national libraries, and portals such as Archives Hub (for the UK) are often good starting points for your research.
For details of UK government publications please see the Politics subject guide
For details of official publications from the UN and other international agencies see the Law subject guide and the Politics subject guide
