Start Here – Literature Specific Databases
When searching databases, it's important to aim for efficient numbers of results (e.g. 200 or less). In order to achieve that, it's helpful to keep searching via trial and error until something sticks. Key limiters include:
- Subject terms: see the thesaurus within individual databases
- Language
- Year published
- MLA International Bibliography with Full Text This link opens in a new windowEBSCO database, covers literature and more from 4,400 journals and series worldwide.
*Important!* See the tabs Browse Works and Browse Authors and the top of the page and incorporate names and authors into searches using the subject term prefix DE. For example, a search about Tolstoy's use of gender in Anna Karenina: (DE "Tolstoy, Leo") AND DE gender.
- Gale Literature Criticism This link opens in a new window
Why Search Here?
You are researching authors and specific works of literature and are looking for scholarly and popular commentary from broadsheets, pamphlets, encyclopedias, books and periodicals. An excellent companion to the more scholarly MLA International Bibliography with Full Text database.What's Included?
The series that comprise Gale Literature Criticism represent a range of modern and historical views on authors and their works across regions, eras and genres.
Especially helpful for book reviews and shorter literary criticisms. This database won't include each of the authors you've read about. But for some, especially Dostoevsky, there is a great overview page with links to specific reviews.
Interdisciplinary Databases
- JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Why Search Here?
You want deep backfiles of journals across disciplines, especially humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Note: if you need the most current articles, look elsewhere. Most journals have five-year embargoes, but go back to the beginning of print runs.What's Included?
In addition to the 2,800 top scholarly journals and 100,000+ ebooks, you'll find ArtStor's Public Collections, primary sources, and open access monographs, etc. - Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
Why Search Here?
This resource searches collections included in other EBSCO databases, meaning it searches across many disciplines at once. Use this for early research or for interdisciplinary topics. Also consider ProQuest Central or Library Search/Primo.What's Included?
Articles from over 13,000 journals and supplementary resources like monographs, reports, and conference proceedings across, science, social science, and the humanities. - ProQuest Central This link opens in a new window
Why Search Here?
This database is actually a combination of many ProQuest databases, meaning it searches across many disciplines at once. Use this for early research or for interdisciplinary topics. Also consider Academic Search Premier or Library Search/Primo.What's Included?
Articles from thousands of journals, dissertations, working papers, reports, and more. Subjects include Arts & Humanities, Business, Health and Medical, Current Events/News, Science & Technology, Social Sciences, and Interdisciplinary.
Open Access Databases
- Arts and Humanities CommonsThe Digital Commons Network provides free access to full-text scholarly articles and other research from hundreds of universities and colleges worldwide.
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)DOAJ is a community-curated online directory that indexes and provides access to high quality, open access, peer-reviewed journals.
- HathiTrustHathiTrust is a partnership of academic & research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world.