Through Oria you query both UiT's library repository and a large interdisciplinary index of articles and other electronic material. The interface is relatively simple to use and you don't need to be an expert of literature retrieval to find information in Oria. Oria is a good gateway to academic literature.

Here you will find some videos for how you easily can search for literature.

Use Oria when you:

- Want to find a specific book or article you need.
- Need relevant literature on a subject. Try simple keyword or phrase queries in Oria.
- Want to get a hold of doctoral or master theses from Norwegian educational institutions.
- Want to reserve books that aren't available (on loan or not in UiT's collections).
- Want to order articles without full text access.
- Are uncertain of which are the best search tools for your subject or discipline.
- Are uncertain of how to construct a robust literature query.

Oria is not well suited for thorough and complicated queries.

Go to Oria

The employees at the University Library are as always available if you need guidance in your literature search – these days via Skype or similar. If you want to schedule a meeting with one of us, send an email to post@ub.uit.no. In this email, specify your discipline and the topic you are searching literature on, in order for us to forward your email to those who can best help you. If you prefer to find out things yourself, either to get started or to refresh old knowledge, we encourage you to check out the resources listed on this page.

Simple searches and retrieval of particular documents

Many needs related to literature will be covered by Oria. Instructions on how to search efficienctly in Oria can be found here: Norsk | English.

Please note that access to subscription-based resources require a VPN solution when you work from home. A provisional VPN solution for access to the electronic library resources can be found here (Norwegian only): Foreløpig VPN-løsning for UB.

Search techniques for discipline-specific databases

More thorough literature searches should be done in relevant discipline-specific databases. Go to the library's overview of accessible databases in order to find those relevant for your discipline (linked to from both uit.no/ub and Oria). Please note that access to subscription-based resources require a VPN solution when you work from home. A provisional VPN solution for access to the electronic library resources can be found here (Norwegian only): Foreløpig VPN-løsning for UB.

Many of these databases are a bit less intuitive than simple search tools such as Oria and Google Scholar. Some of them require knowledge about how controlled search vocabularies and Boolian operators work. Below you find links to videos that explain these terms, in addition to videos that demonstrate use of controlled search vocabularies, operators, and search histories in two different database interfaces. The videos are in Norwegian.

• Kontrollerte søkevokabular (Norwegian only)
• Operatorer (AND og OR) (Norwegian only)

• Enkelt eksempel (PsycINFO, Ovid) (Norwegian only)
• Litt komplisert eksempel (PsycINFO, Ovid) (Norwegian only)

We also have access to the databases MEDLINE and Embase on the Ovid platform. The search techniques demonstrated in the PsycINFO examples are therefore relatively transferable to these databases.

• Søkeeksempel i ERIC, kontrollerte termer (EBSCO host) (Norwegian only)
• Søkeeksempel i Education Research Complete, tekstordsøk (EBSCO host) (Norwegian only)

We have access to other databases on the EBSCO platform (for instance CINAHL). The search techniques demonstrated in the ERIC and ERC examples are therefore relatively transferable to these databases.

The Norwegian Electronic Health Library (Helsebiblioteket) webpages on evidence-based practice can be useful for the entire search process. The examples are taken from the Health Sciences, but the description of the process can be useful for many disciplines. There is also information about how to find good keywords, the PICO format, and other things. See link here (Norwegian only): https://www.helsebiblioteket.no/kunnskapsbasert-praksis

Searches and systematic literature reviews 

If you're gonna carry out a systematic literature search, you use a wide range of search tools and search techniques. The most important is to have a systematic and well thought-out approach to the development of the search, rooted in a good understanding of the entire review process. Ovid WoltersKluwer has a threefold explanation of systematic literature reviews that may be useful for most of us.

1. Step 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfO5yB9EoJU
2. Step 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky4bU94dZnY
3. Step 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEBal2QgH7c

Presentations we have used in teaching sessions with PhD students can be found here.

All the books in the Library search tool that are printed before 1930 are marked with a specific symbol indicating that the book may be requested as a digital copy, if copyright and condition allows for it.

This service is part of eBooks on Demand (EOD), a European network and digitization service that makes it possible to order public domain books as full text PDF files. UiT The Arctic University of Norway – University Library is the first library in Norway to join EOD and offer this service.

The National Library of Norway is already in the process of digitizing a large number of older Norwegian books. There are still however thousands of titles at UiT – both Norwegian and foreign – that are not yet digitized and that will be available for digitization through EOD.

For employees and students at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, the digitization is free.

How to order

Start by searching for the book in the Library search tool Oria. Then click on the EOD symbol to open the order form.

The ordering system is self-instructional and multilingual.
When the form is sent, the library will be notified and the scanning process is initiated. The whole book will be scanned and delivered (if possible) in OCR searchable PDF format.

Price and delivery

The delivery time is estimated to 1-3 weeks. After the book has been scanned, an e-mail will be sent saying that the book is ready to be paid for and delivered. When payment, by debit card or credit card, has been registered, the PDF file will be available for download.

The price depends on the size of the book (number of pages). The basic fee is NOK 100 + NOK 1.50/page. For students and employees registered with an UIT e-mail address the service is free and the cost will be deleted.

The books’ physical conditions and copyright issues may result in a decision not to digitize the book. If so, an e-mail will be sent informing the person who has ordered the digitization that the order has been canceled.

The EOD service is set up in a way so that only the first patron pays for the digital copy. After approximately one month, the book will be available and anyone may download it, without paying.

The eBooks on Demand Network

Almost 40 libraries from 13 European countries participate in the eBooks on demand (EOD) network. The project’s goal is to make older books available.

Contact

For inquiries regarding the service, please contact: collections@ub.uit.no.

Academic databases

We offer many different databases for most subject areas. Such databases usually give a better coverage of the literature on a specific subject area than does Oria.
You also minimize the amount of irrelevant hits, and they allow precise, thorough, systematic and more complicated queries.

Use one (or more) subject specific database(s) when:
- Your topic is relatively narrow and demands a complicated query.
- It's important to be thorough and/or precise when you search.
- You're doing queries for a systematic literature overview
- When you want to document and reuse your query

Many of the subject specific databases have robust and controlled query vocabularies and thorough indexing. Get in touch with your library for information on courses, guidance or assistance in using these databases.

Interdisciplinary databases

In addition to the subject specific databases, the university library offers access to two large interdisciplinary databases, Web of Science and SCOPUS. These are useful when your topic spans different subject areas and disciplines, and as a supplement to subject specific databases. Both of these databases have a lot of referencing data; information about which documents reference other documents.

Other tools with overlapping areas of use are: Google Scholar and BASE (Bielefield Academic Search Engine) - which is especially focused on open access academic literature.

Use interdisciplinary databases when:
- You want to acquire a sense of which documents are most read and referenced.
- You want to make organized and reproducible literature queries for topics spanning different subjects.
- You want to supplement systematic queries from subject specific databases.

When your priority is acquiring literature openly available for everyone (BASE)

Overview of databases UiT has access to

Description of some of the databases:

ARKITEKTURGUIDE (Architecture guide)

Are you interested in architecture? Arkitekturguide (Architecture guide for Northern Norway and Svalbard) contains much informationabout buildings in Nordland, Troms, Finnmark and Svalbard, the guide includes many beautiful photographs of the regional architecture.

Go to the guide 

HIGH NORTH

Are you interested in the Hight North? In that case you should take a closer look at High North, a database that gives you free access to research documents on this region.

Via the High North database you can easily find relevant documents from various subjects, independently of where they've been written or published. There are indexed documents in several different languages, but the majority are in English. You can also search for redearch data (raw data) about or from the High North.

Scope

The database now includes more than 320 000 scientific documents. In addition to this it contains more than 100 000 posts of raw data from relevant research projects. The content of the database will be dynamic and growing, both because the influx is increasing and because the database is continually being developed to become better at identifying documents pertaining to the High North.

High North Research Documents is developed and managed bt UiT The Arctic University of Norway - the University library.

Go to High North

ORDNETT (dictionaries)

Ordnett.no a language and dictionary service that gives you access to various online dictionaries.

Do you need a dictionary of English, Russian, French or Spanish? On ordnett.no you find dictionaries of these and several other languages.

Ordnett.no is published by Kunnskapsforlaget ANS.

To access these dictionaries you have to either be on campus or use VPN.

Go to Ordnett.no

Log on VPN

SCOPUS

Scopus is the worlds largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature and quality controlled web resources. In Scopus you find as many as 53 million references, 70% of them with abstracts. Almost 22.000 titles from 5.000 international publishers are included.

Scopus also contains more than 4,6 million conference proceedings, and gives 100 % coverage of Medline (principal medical database).

In addition Scopus offers advanced tools for searchin, analysing and visualising research results.

Read more on Scopus

Go to Scopus

To access Scopusyou have to either be on campus or use VPN.
Read more about VPN here

 

Easy access to all electronic journals at UiT is available via BrowZine. In BrowZine you can easily find journal by title, subject, or ISSN.

As an employee or student you can sign up for an account, and then be able to put your favorite journals on an electronic bookshelf. You will then be alerted when a new issue is available.

Go til BrowZine

Do you need to look up a word? Here you will find links to online dictionaries and encyclopedias.  

• Bokmåls- og nynorskordboka Norwegian dictionary - bokmål and nynorsk.
• Ordnett
  Norwegian dictianaries of several languages (Norwegian, English, Russian, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Swedish).
  
• MOT-ordböcker 
  Multi-language dictionaries (Norwegian, Danish, English, Finnish, Icelandic and Swedish). Including referencetools for geographical names, synonyms and idiomatic expressions in Finnish.
• Oxford English Dictionary
• Encyclopædia Britannica
• Store norske leksikon - Norwegian encyclopedia

To access all of these resources you must be on Campus or use VPN.

More about VPN and AnyConnect here

The University library’s private archives

Over the years, the University library has received archived documents from, among others, Northern Norwegian authors, academic employees and research groups at UiT. The private archives are located in an internal storage, but are available on request, to researchers, authors, genealogists and others who wish to study the material.

Via this link you can find a list of indexed archives with link to the archive catalogue.

To request access, contact Per Pippin Aspaas. 

Ultima Thule

Ultima Thule is the University Library's collection of older print (mainly pre 1900) concerning the Arctic in a broad scope. The collection includes among other things travelogues, expedition reports, older research works, fiction, maps, polar history accounts, portrayal of the sami, etc. Literature on Antarctica is also included in this collection. The Ultima Thule collection is located in a locked, climate controlled room at the Culture and social sciences library. It's possible to borrow a limited number of titles on study hall loan, contact the front desk between 8 AM and 3 PM Monday through Friday.

To set up visits, contact Per Pippin Aspaas.

The Qvigstad collection

Just Knud Qvigstad (1853–1957) was the principal of Tromsø teacher college and a significant researcher of sami and kven language and culture. He collaborated with researchers from all over the High North and was methodically building a book collection of his field of study. Among other things he bought antiquated works on the Samis and other Finno-Ugric peoples and traded publications with colleagues domestically and abroad. The donated this collection of research literature to Tromsø Museum (now The University Museum of Tromsø). The Qvigstad collection is located in a locked, climate controlled room at the university library at the museum.

Contact the museum library at e-mail tmu@ub.uit.no for further information.

Seminarsamlingen (The seminar collection)

Trondenes seminar, a precursor to UiT The Arctic University of Norway, was established in 1826. This institution moved to Tromsø in 1848, and is today known as Lærerskolen (School of Education), the building where the department of education and pedagogy is situated. The seminar had, from the start, its own book collection. Until after the Second World War, the books in this collection were registered in a handwritten catalogue by running numbers (chronologically organised by time of acquisition). The majority of the titles are intact and the collection is without a doubt a rare example of a book collection representing the history of an education school. At present time (autumn 2016) the University Library is working on reconstructing the collection based on the handwritten catalogue. The books will then be placed in locked, climate-controlled storage at the Psychology and Law Library.

For more information, contact Marianne Kaldager

The Indigenous Peoples room

The culture and social sciences library includes a designated room, that holds the indigenous peoples collection and the Gajdušek collection. The room is situated on the top (2nd) floor of the library, in the south west corner.

• The indigenous peoples collection contains publications on the Sami and other indigenous peoples, and Sami publications.
• The Gajdušek collection is a collection of books donated by professor Gajdušek to the library.

For more information, contact Erlend Hagan, subject librarian for Sami and indigenous studies.

The Kolsrud collection

Church historian Oluf Kolsrud (1885–1945) was a professor at the University of Christiania/Oslo and an avid book collector. His particular interests were the fields of history, religion and linguistics. Kolsrud was proficient in a number of languages, among other Old Norse, Latin, Church Slavonic, Finnish, Sami, Russian and Polish. He methodically collected offprints of journal articles, religious pamphlets and local historical literature published in his contemporaneity, in addition to rare, antique works on, among other things, the reformation and church historical issues in several countries. In his late years he assumed the book collection of theologian Sigurd Odland, which mostly contains exegetical academic literature. After Kolsrud passed away the whole collection ended up in Northern Norway, specifically at The Central Library of Northern Norway in Tromsø. The public library in Tromsø still holds some of Kolsrud's books, but after the establishment of The University Library in the 1970s, the majority of the documents were and still are, located here. The Kolsrud and Odland collections are now catalogued and are located in a separate, climate controlled room at the Psychology and Law library. Documents from the collections can be requested for use at the library. From Autumn 2016 it will also be possible to request digital copies from the collections.

For more information, contact Marianne Kaldager.

Digital Collections

Some material from the University Library’s special collections that are public domain and digitized is available from the Digital Collections in Oria. More content will be available gradually.

Can’t find the literature you’re looking for? Unsure which database to search in? Do you need help to find your way round the library? Feel free to ask us for help or guidance.

We are experts when it comes to literature searches and we will be happy to help you.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the staff at the desk. You can also ring us or send an e-mail. We are here to help you. You are welcome to contact your subject contact if you have questions relating to your subject.

Find the subject contact for your subject

You can also reach us by e-mail: postmottak@ub.uit.no

Reading lists

Published reading lists are available through the Leganto reading lists system.

Students registered for courses will find their reading lists integrated in the Canvas learning environment.

If reading lists are not available, please contact your lecturer or institute.

Some material (electronic articles, e-books and uploaded material) will only be available if you are within the university network and/or registered as student. If outside of campus, please use VPN.

More information about course syllabus and reading lists at UiT.

Lecturers create reading lists in Leganto. The University Library checks the lists, purchase literature and publish the reading lists. Students access their reading list through Canvas.

More information about creating reading lists in Leganto.

For questions and error messages, please contact: leganto@support.uit.no.