Documentary and digital resources

Documenting your thesis, online resources

Using the ENT and your digital identity (Idnum), you can view from the Library tab:
Online resources related to specific fields → Application “Digital collections/selection by theme”

The ENT also provides access to third-party websites where you can view:

• Any type of document (online or a physical copy) → Babord+
• Old documents that have been digitised → BabordNum
• News headlines and current affairs → Europresse and Factiva
• Open-access scientific publications → OSKAR Bordeaux, institutional repository of scientific publications, Open U Journals, open-access journal platform, Hal, multidisciplinary open archive.

Receive assistance from library staff

• PhD students with teaching contracts can take part in workshops on how to use documentary materials in lessons;
• Library staff can also train you in information management and control, they can also show you around the libraries;
• Library staff provide support for your research: they can assist you in open-access publishing and distribution, provide documentary support for calls for projects and research contracts, help you with open science issues (publications, research data).

Individual appointments can be set up to meet the staff.

Resources to write and print your thesis

Writing a thesis is an important step that needs to be planned from the outset. To help you better plan for the various phases, the Graduate Research School and the Documentation Department have made several tools available:

Structure: All theses of the University of Bordeaux have to be written in a structured manner. This ensures a degree of consistency in presentation at national level and makes them easier to reference and consult, by generating a summary. To find out more about the rules for writing and structuring your thesis, download the guide to writing and presenting theses.

Format: The Documentation Department provides a short summary of the main recommendations and templates for the title page and front matter for theses with and without co-supervision. You can find all resources on the University of Bordeaux libraries website.

Language: A French thesis must be written in French. In the cases of a co-supervised thesis written in English, the thesis must include a summary in French describing the context of the research, the approach used and the results obtained.

Managing and formatting the bibliography: Students are advised to use a reference management tool to collect, organise, save and format references. To master these aspects when writing your thesis, the Documentation Department provides training for the free open-source reference management tool, Zotero.

Digital preservation: When submitting a thesis digitally, one version must be archived at the Centre Informatique de l’Enseignement Supérieur (Higher Education Computer Centre, CINES). The thesis division of the Documentation Department will ensure that the file is suitable for archiving or, if needed, will carry out the necessary format changes.

Printing: The University of Bordeaux's print shops can print your thesis. The document can be printed in black and white or colour, in A4 or A5 format, it can then be bound and the title printed on the spine. To benefit from this service, you can contact the University’s printing team directly. For more information you can contact the Printing Department.

Digital identity IDNUM

To access the digital services, and in particular the digital work environment (ENT), you have a digital identity called “IDNUM University of Bordeaux”. As a new arrival, your digital identity is created automatically during your administrative enrollment. Once you have received your certificate of enrollment, you can activate your IDNUM via the activation interface. If you have any questions about the activation of your IDNUM, visit the dedicated webpage.

Activate your IDNUM

Electronic messaging

ZIMBRA is the collaborative messaging system used at the university. It allows you to synchronise your email, calendar and address book with your smartphone. No earlier than 24 hours after your administrative enrollment, you will have a digital identity and an email address with the following format: name.surname@u-bordeaux.fr. If you have any questions, a user guide is available on ZIMBRA in the “Help” tab.

Read the user guide

Wifi

The university provides Wi-Fi coverage on its campuses. The Eduroam Wi-Fi network provides secure wireless access to the Internet for anyone (students, staff) with an IDNUM digital identity.