Embedded Files
Scroll down for links to research sites covering ALL SUBJECT AREAS, as well as those specifically for:
SCIENCES; GEOGRAPHY; BUSINESS & ECONOMICS; POLITICS; LITERATURE & LANGUAGE; VISUAL ARTS; MUSIC
First, some advice on finding, evaluating and attributing sources
Source: ibo.org
USING AN AI TOOL, LIKE GEMINI TO HELP YOUR RESEARCH?
YOU MUST CITE IT!
From the IBO:
For any IB student work where an external source has been used, including information sourced or generated through AI tools, a citation must be included at the point of use which should link to a full reference in the bibliography. Students should be clear that if they use content produced by an AI tool—by copying or paraphrasing text or modifying an image—they must clearly reference it in the body of their work and add the reference in their reference list or bibliography.
The in-text citation for an AI resource should contain quotation marks using whichever referencing style already being used by the student, as in the following example:
“the development of the tools and variables required for …”—text taken/paraphrased from ChatGPT, 2023.
The reference in the bibliography should also contain the prompt given to the AI tool and the date the content was generated, as in the following examples:
Google. (Year, Month Day). Title of chat [Generative AI chat]. Gemini. URL
OpenAI. (23 February 2023). ChatGPT response to prompt [example] about [example] topic.
IBO.org. Supporting student use of AI Tools. Accessed 3rd October 2025
https://resources.ibo.org/dp/subject/Extended-essay-2027/works/dp_11162-433686?lang=en&root=1.6.2.4.15
MyBib: quick citation generator:
click the pic, set the generator to "APA 7" and it's as simple as pasting in a URL and hitting ENTER...
RESEARCH PORTAL: ALL SUBJECT AREAS
Try these first
JSTOR open access: academic work from peer reviewed sources and respected scholarly journals
Reliable encylopedia which covers an extensive range of subjects. Paywall, but summaries are free to read. Good starting point for research, or to find ideas.
Try using Boolean operators to find academic research via Google (more reliable sources than via a straight Google search).
Open, reliable database covering a wide range of subjects and diverse range of countries and languages
Results from Google and Google Scholar searches are sometimes corrupted by AI-produced content and advertising. Try using the code below instead.
A search bar which avoids sponsored or AI-produced results in your Google search.
Didn't find what you needed? Try these.
Search the world’s largest collection of open access research papers (UK hosted)
Cambridge University hosted open access journals and research papers
OpenAIRE: European database of open access research
Alternative search engine for academic works
Catalogue of open access publications: especially good for science
Easy-to-use alternative search engine for academic works
Searchable academic journals on multiple subjects, many of them open access
A great way to "audition" books before purchase! Read sample pages to get an idea of a book's suitabiity for your purposes. You can also read many public domain texts in full with no purchase necessary.
Don't forget our school library!
Using your Google login, you can search the catalogue, check availability and make reservations, among other things.
Base de datos académica en español
Tesis doctorales en español
Open Journals
A growing database of high quality, open access (free!) academic journals on a range of subjects.
Resource for finding open access graduate theses and dissertations published around the world.
A database of high quality scholarly writing on various subjects which are free to read and usually available online or to download in .pdf format.
Database of open access and freely available books, covering a range of academic subjects
Freely available scholarly works in all all topic areas
Vast collection covering a huge range of subjects. Click the picture for the main catalogue, or click here for the E-Resources Online Catalog
HUGE A-Z of international databases and online collections, including many in Spanish (and other languages)
The globe symbol indicates a database with free access to all.
LibreTexts: a free online library
LibreTexts: a free online library
Click on the subject area, then BOOKSHELVES to find a wonderful collection of online books, full of clear explanations and full colour photographs and illustrations.
Exploring the collections is also a great way to generate topic ideas, or new angles for your research.
TIP: to find freely available online resources, type the subject you are interested in and the words OPEN ACCESS into a Google search bar (or similar)
SCIENCES
Searchable database for research in the Sciences, Maths, Computer Science, Economics and more!
CHEMISTRY
Well-organised collection of online reference books with clear explanations and colourful illustrations
International System for Agricultural Science and Technology (AGRIS) — for research on the environment, geography and natural sciences
Human and natural sciences, education, the arts and much more
Astrophysics, astronomy
Social sciences research database
Technology (searchable network of websites)
Natural Sciences (especially related to medical topics)
Find scholarly works and patents in the field of science and technology
An impressive - and growing - catalogue of marine species
Vast database of plant species
A trove of fascinating information about Marine Biology
EUNIS: The European Nature Information System - a great database for naturalists!
A "living atlas" of life on earth, community-run database full of identification information and colour photographs.
Photographs and useful fieldnotes covering hundreds of species found across Europe.
GEOGRAPHY
Geography, meteorology and the natural sciences.
Not all resources are open access, but a huge number can be viewed for free
Interactive world weather map and storm tracker
Interactive world weather map
Searchable, browsable information about geology
Interactive map of earthquakes and volcanoes
Google Earth
A fantastic repository of information: perfect for Geography or ESS projects.
Maps, charts and all things cartographical
Everything about volcanic activity
The world in numbers! Population, climate, economy and more
BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
The economics of everything!
Search for publications relating to business and economics
POLITICS
Free access to EU publications
Database of European statistics
The archives of the British House of Commons
Research and Politics: open access journal on political science
Audiovisual archive of European history, politics and culture in the 20th and 21st centuries
Internet Encyclopaedia of Philosophy
Open access journal on economic and political policy theory
Statistical & Data Sources
Use for evidence, statistics, and data visualisation to support arguments in essays, IAs, or EEs.
World Bank Open Data
World Bank Open Data
Free access to global development data, including economic, social, and demographic indicators worldwide — searchable by country, indicator, or year.
UN Data
UN Data
A centralised UN database aggregating statistics from various UN agencies, covering population, trade, health, education, and more.
OECD Data
OECD Data
Economic and social statistics for OECD member (mostly developed) countries — strong for comparative economic, labour, and demographic data.
IMF Data
IMF Data
International economic and financial statistics from the International Monetary Fund — useful for macroeconomic and financial topics.
UNHCR Data & Publications
UNHCR Data & Publications
The UN Refugee Agency's data hub, covering global refugee, asylum-seeker, and displacement statistics.
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
Research reports, working papers, and publications on global development, economics, and policy — reports and analysis rather than raw statistics.
LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE
Interested in comics? Follow this link for some great online resources relating to the study and creation of comics
Out of copyright texts, novels and poetry downloadable as ebooks
Immense online catalogue of books with preview and search facilities. Older editions can be viewed in full (if they have a READ button)
Loyal Books: public domain texts available in a range of Ebook and audiobook formats
Millions of digitised, out of copyright texts, many available to read online
LITCHARTS: Covering novels, plays and poetry...everything you need to understand and analyse a wide range of literary texts
(NB use this as a starting point: the IBO prefers academic papers, journals and books as appropriate sources!)
Poetry Foundation: Massive resource covering poems and poets, both ancient and modern
SHAKESPEARE ONLINE: excellent resource for studying all aspects of Shakespeare
Open access to the first printed editions of Shakespeare's work
The Folger Shakespeare Library A fantastic collection, and essential for anyone studying the Bard
Open access journal with scholarly articles on children's and YA literature
(new, so not an extensive collection yet, but a good argument for "literary merit" in writing for young people)
Our school library is right here and full of useful books! Click the pic to search the catalogue with your library login. (Consult the school librarian if you have any issues logging in)
Make use of our virtual library for ebooks, especially those in the public domain!
Language Resources
ENGLISH CORPORA: Fantastic free resource for researching use of the English language
NB You will need to set up a free account to use it
English Slang Dictionary
Database of English Corpora (freely available collections of texts for carrying out research into word-use)
Find the fascinating origins of English words!
CORPORA ESPAÑOL: fantástico recurso gratuito para investigar el uso de la lengua española
Database of online dictionaries covering multiple languages, slang and specialist vocabulary
Incredible resource that goes far beyond definitions and synonyms. Essential for anyone studying the English language.
The Oxford English Dictionary's guide to varieties of English spoken around the world.
Diccionario de la lengua española:una guía esencial, incluido el español de América Latina (nb no incluye el argot)
THE ARTS
Fantastic online art gallery with search tools and built-in citation generator
Google Arts & Culture
AMAZING resource that goes beyond the arts and into history, geography, music and more. Check it out!
Enormous online collection of public domain images from classic art to posters, illustrations and much more
Enormous archive of prints and photographs with free access via the Library of Congress
High-quality images, curated from leading museums and archives around the world
Music
Explore the world through music
A bit more about searching
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