Welcome! This checklist highlights Library advice, information and resources designed to help you succeed as a postgraduate researcher at The Open University.

Attend a Library online training session as part of your University induction

The Library’s training sessions will introduce you to the OU Library, show you how to use online resources effectively, and help with finding resources. The Library offers a number of training sessions and events that run periodically and cover topics such as "Reference management tools — an Introduction" and "Smarter searching with library databases."

Attend training sessions offered by the Library Research Support team​

The Research Support team offers a range of training sessions across different areas designed to support you, including sessions on research data management, Open Access publishing, ORCIDs, literature searching, copyright and sessions that provide an overview of what the Library can do to support your research degree. Sign up to one of our sessions.

Visit the Library website to explore library resources

The Library website is your gateway to the extensive library content provided by The Open University. Use the Library Search box to start searching for resources such as ebooks, databases, journals or journal articles. Alternatively, use the Library Resources tab to browse for resources. Most of our content is available online.

Learn about Library Helpdesk, our 24/7 Chat to a Librarian Service and the LibChat Chatbot

Find links to contact the Library Helpdesk on every page of the Library Services website, including details of our webchat service if you need assistance with library resources or services. Alternatively, use our LibChat Chatbot to help with quick queries.

Visiting the Library building and accessing services

Opening hours and support

The Library building is open from Monday to Friday, 09:00-17:00. During this time, you can access our collections, borrow items, and use study areas and meeting spaces. Library staff will be located on the ground floor to welcome and assist you with any library-related enquiries you have.

The PGR Common Room, located on the ground floor, is open 24/7. You will need to activate your ID card with Security to gain access. Please note that you will not be able to access the main Library building areas out of hours.

Accessibility of the Library building 

Find information about the accessibility of the Library building, including assistive equipment, the availability of hearing loops, and what to do in the event of a fire alarm. 

Disabled user support

The Library has a variety of services and support to help with your accessibility needs. Learn about database accessibility, how to convert files into accessible formats, referencing and literature searching help, and support from other organisations. 

How to join the Open University Library 

Find out how to join the Library and borrow, renew, and return items from the Library. You will need to activate the barcode on your staff ID card.

Suggest new titles 

Can't find a book in our Library collection? Open University PGRs may suggest new titles for the Library stock. 

Set up Google Scholar to link to full text resources provided by Library Services 

Instructions for setting up Google Scholar are available on the Library website. 

Check out LEAN Library

The LEAN Library access browser extension will alert you whenever you are on a website if the content you are viewing is available via Open University subscribed content, helping you find what you need with a single click! 

Find out about the SCONUL Access scheme 

The SCONUL Access scheme allows all PGRs based in the UK and Republic of Ireland access to other academic libraries near you. Join the scheme early on to make sure your application is processed and ready for you to use at all participating libraries.

Find out about our Document Supply and Inter-library Loan services

You can use the Document Supply and Inter-library Loan services to get items the Library doesn’t have in stock. You will need to join the Library before accessing this service.

Use our print research methods and academic writing books

Covering a wide variety of topics, these resources can be found on the second floor of the Library building (near The Park) and are available on a reference basis (i.e., they cannot be taken out of the library) in order to maximise the number of people who can use them. Alternatively, the SAGE Research Methods online database is a great resource for beginner and advanced researchers alike. Find it via the Library Resources Databases webpage.

Learn about tools that will help you manage your references

See the Bibliographic management page, and have a look at our comparison tables on the reference management tools page to help you compare functionality between EndNote 21, EndNote Online, Mendeley and Zotero.

Copyright, plagiarism, and your thesis

We recommend you think about securing permission for any third party copyrighted material early on. Have a look at the Research Skills site (OU login required) to help you make a start and come along to our copyright training session. Follow this activity to learn about different forms of plagiarism and how to avoid them during the production of your thesis (OU login required).

Data management

Write a data management plan (DMP)

Data management plans (DMPs) help formulate how you’ll store and manage your research data throughout your project and how you plan to archive and share it at the end. Under the Open University Research Data Management Policy, it is mandatory to write a DMP before data collection begins and upload a copy of it to ORDO (the OU's research data repository). Research data is the evidence on which researchers build their analytic or other work, collected, observed or created for the purposes of analysis to produce and validate original research results. Examples are images; video and audio; survey results and interview transcripts; experimental observations; text corpuses; notebooks and lab books; models and software. Contact the Research Support team for advice; we can check your DMP for you.

Read about the potential benefits of sharing your research data

In keeping with The Open University principle of openness, it is expected that research data and software will be shared as openly as possible (within legal, commercial and ethical restrictions). There is lots of information and guidance on data sharing on the Library Research Support website. 

Open Access

Join our Open Research Community on Viva Engage

The Research Support Team has an Open Research Community on Viva Engage. This is a forum for posting relevant news, developments, and policy updates and for prompting questions, debates, and discussions on the direction of Open Research, as well as for sharing services and tools to support researchers in navigating this fast-paced world. This is an inclusive, supportive, and active community for researchers and research support staff across the Open University to interact, discuss, share knowledge, and encourage good working practices to embed a culture of Open Research. Why not join the conversation today by joining the Open Research Community.

Find out about Open Access publishing

Open Access aims to make the research process more transparent and the data and published outputs from research accessible to all. Making research outputs Open Access can increase their readership and impact. Research funders increasingly require research data and published outputs to be made Open Access. If your research degree is funded, please check our list of funder requirements.

Check out our deals and discounts on Open Access publishing fees

Library Services has deals with certain publishers, meaning you can publish your research Open Access without any direct cost to you. We also have discount deals. Visit our page on publishing deals for full details, including terms and conditions.

NB: deals are only available to current OU-affiliated research staff, postgraduate research students and emeritus professors (excluding visiting researchers and ARC students).

Familiarise yourself with Open Research Online (ORO)

Open Research Online (ORO) is The Open University’s Open Access repository of research publications. It contains records of research outputs published by OU staff and postgraduate research students and theses of former research students. Many of the ORO records also have the full text of the publications attached. All postgraduate research students are required to deposit the full text of their thesis in ORO and a DataCite digital object identifier (DOI) will be created which provides a permanent, citable web link.

Find out about Open Research Data Online (ORDO)

Open Research Data Online (ORDO) is The Open University’s research data repository, where Open University researchers can upload their data for long-term preservation and, where appropriate, sharing e.g., at the end of a project or supporting a publication. Data stored in ORDO will be kept for a minimum of ten years after project completion. Published data will be given a DataCite digital object identifier (DOI), providing a permanent, citable web link.

Investigate tools that help you find Open Access versions of research publications

Have a look at Unpaywall. There is also CORE and EndNote Click. The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) will also help you find Open Access content.

Set up ORCID

ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a unique digital identifier that helps ensure you get credit for all your published work. You will be required to use an ORCID when you upload your research data to ORDO. You can register for an ORCID free online.

Securing approvals for your research project

For guidance and advice on securing the required approvals for your research project, join us at a Research Approval Advice Drop-in. Use this link to join on the 3rd Tuesday of every month 11:00am - 12:00pm, hosted by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC), Information Rights, Library Research Support and Student Research Project Panel (SSRP).

Stay connected

Check out The Open University Library YouTube channel. 

Join the OULibrary on Facebook and Bluesky.

Need a quick reminder of what we do? Watch our 160-second video introduction to the Library for PGRs!