A flying start to your studies at the library!

How do you pick a topic and research question for your thesis or paper? And is your schedule realistic? Check out the tutorials and resources below.

From 28 April onwards, national curfew restrictions will be lifted. Library opening hours will be adapted.

Library

Gathering and distributing patient data can make an important contribution to containing the coronavirus. But if we want to be successful, we need better data. With this objective in mind, Leiden data stewards have joined the Virus Outbreak Data Network (VODAN).

As of this year, Leiden researchers form both University and LUMC may profit from the open access agreement that the Dutch Universities (VSNU) concluded with Oxford University Press (OUP).

Armed with sunglasses, a thick layer of sunscreen and several bottles of water, over 3,300 students have arrived in Leiden for their introduction week. The start of the 55th EL CID happened to be on the hottest day of the year.

Do you need help writing your thesis or paper? Take a look at the different steps of the research process.

We understand that at the start of your new study programme, quite a lot of information comes your way. Here's a quick look at the most important facts about our libraries in a short video.

Under agreement with the Dutch National Archives (2011), all static archives created by Leiden University are kept as a loan in the University Library. In this way, users can study the history of the university and library in conjunction with other relevant archives, collections and items.

Publishing and sharing information has become more accessible. How can you judge whether or not a publication or an internet site is trustworthy? Here you will find some useful leads to help you judge information.

When writing a paper or thesis you are bound by the principles of academic integrity. There are strict rules concerning plagiarism. Citing your sources right is important to prevent plagiarism. But how do you read a reference and how to cite right?

Training

All our services for teaching staff

As of 2017 the Wouter Swets Foundation has invoked a Wouter Swets Fellowship at the Scaliger Institute. The Foundation supports the promotion of research into the holdings relating to the musical tradition from the Balkans and Turkey to Central Asia in the Special Collections of Leiden University Li…

Searching for relevant scholarly information can be a challenge. These tutorials can help you navigating the catalogue and other databases.

Looking for a book? Materials within the Leiden University Libraries (UBL) collection are (mostly) arranged according to the Library of Congress Classification.

Overview of databases, reference works and websites for research in Criminology

Would you rather read your article on paper or do you need a scan of a book? Check how it's done.

Leiden University owns an extensive collection of papyri. The Papyrological Institute is proprietor of most of this collection. A smaller amount of Papyri is part of the ULL collection. Apart from original papyri the Papyrological Institute offers an extensive collection of handbooks and secondary studies…

This Subject Guide is designed to support students of International Studies with writing their BA thesis and research papers. This guide focuses on the research process, and suggests effective ways to: 1. find a topic and formulate a good research question; 2. search, find and evaluate literature; 3.…

The G.W.J. Drewes Fund was invoked to celebrate the transfer of the scholarly legacy of Professor Drewes to the UBL and to mark the opening of the Asia Library in the University Library at the Witte Singel. The fund provides financial support to one or more fellowships at the Scaliger Institute. The…

The Juynboll Foundation and the Scaliger Institute of Leiden University Libraries have founded a collaborative fellowship program to enable one or two scholars to study the Arabic and Islam special collections of Leiden University Libraries. The allowance is € 1,500 per month.

The Lingling Wiyadharma Fellowship program offers the opportunity to three scholars to spend up to three months conducting research using the Southeast Asian and particularly the Indonesian special collections at Leiden University Libraries.

As of 2017 the Vera Gottschalk-Frank Foundation has invoked an Arminius Fellowship at the Scaliger Institute. The Foundation supports the promotion of research into all holdings relating to the Remonstrants in the Special Collections of Leiden University Libraries.

The Isaac Alfred Ailion Fellowship will support scholars to work with the extensive Special Collections of Leiden University in the field of Japanese culture and language for a period of maximum three months.

Overview of databases, reference works and websites for research in Philosophy

Study support

Everyone working with research data will, at some point, come across the acronym of FAIR, which stands for Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable.

The collection of prints was started through a donation from the aristocrat Jean Theodore Royer, who bequeathed some 20,000 prints to the university in 1815. The collection has expanded through further donations and some major purchases. The nucleus consists of Dutch graphic art from 1500 until now.…

Overview of databases, reference works and websites in western languages for research in Comparative Philosophy

Overview of databases, reference works and websites for research in religious studies.

Overview of databases, reference works and websites for research in Art & Art History

Sources for finding legislation, treaties and parliamentary documentation

The number of historical and contemporary photographs of Leiden University approaches a half million.

Overview of reference works, journals and website for research in Gender and Women’s studies of Japan

In short, data management can be defined as the creation, storage, maintenance, disclosure, archiving and sustainable preservation of research data. Increasingly the so called FAIR principles are referred to as a final goal: data should be made 'Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable'.

Library exhibitions, both online and physical, give an idea of the breadth of our collections.

At the moment a lot of discussion surrounds ChatGPT, an advanced chatbot which uses Artificial Intelligence (AI). ChatGPT is based on a Large Language Model (LLM) and has been trained using an enormous amount of text, providing it with knowledge of grammar, semantics and contextual nuances. The program…

Assistance creating links to journal articles and (e-)books.

Workshop

This Subject Guide is designed to support students of Korean studies at Leiden University in their research process. For every step of the research process, this guide introduces a number of tips and recommended resources. You can find several sub-guides and contacts in the 'quick links' in the tab…

This Subject Guide is designed to support students of Japan studies at Leiden University in their research process. For every step of the research process, this guide introduces a number of tips and recommended resources. You can find several sub-guides and contacts in the 'quick links' in the tab on…

Overview of databases, reference works and websites for research in Urban Studies

Library

Overview of databases, reference works and websites for research in Computer Science

Some books have particular features such as design, unique illustrations and descriptive annotations. These features can be of interest for specific research.

Knowing where scientific information can be found and how to use it is of great importance for getting through university. In collaboration with teachers, UBL guides students in information literacy skills: from assessing information to searching in the Special Collections and citation management.

Leiden University Libraries (UBL) owns over 5 million paper materials. Loanable items can be picked up and returned at the UBL library location of your choice.