Yale University Library Research Guides: AMST 493: American Studies Senior Project Seminar: Secondary sources

Bibliographic (subject) databases

In addition to the online library catalog (Books+ and Orbis), reference sources, and footnotes in sources you've already found (etc.), bibliographic (subject-specific) databases are helpful for finding secondary sources, especially scholarly/peer-reviewed journal articles, magazine articles, book reviews, and citations to book chapters and edited collections of books. Please note: the full text of articles will not always be available in these databases. If you see the "YaleLinks" icon instead of a PDF, click on the icon to discover whether we have online access to the article.

America: History and Life
Provides historical coverage of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Includes information abstracted from over 2,000 journals published worldwide.
Art and Architecture Source
Database covering a broad range of art history subjects, including fine, decorative and commercial art, architecture & architectural design, and photography.
Black Studies Periodicals Database
Contains the largest backfile of retrospective bibliographic citations for Black periodicals from as early as 1902. The Black Studies Periodicals Database covers journals and magazines from the United States, African nations, and the Caribbean. Coverage is international in scope and multidisciplinary, spanning cultural, economic, historical, religious, social, and political issues of vital importance to the Black Studies discipline.
Chicano Database
This database includes records from journals and other resources including newspapers, books and book chapters. The database provides coverage dating back to the 1960s and selective indexing dating back to the early 1900s. Subject coverage includes art, education, labor, literature, law, poetry, politics and sociology.
Communication and Mass Media Complete
Offers information from journals in communication, mass media and related fields; includes abstracts, indexing, bibliographical citations and author profiles, as well as full text from many titles.
Film and Television Literature Index
Gender Watch
Gender Watch is a full text database of publications that focus on gender and society. Publications include scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, regional publications, books, and NGO, government and special reports. Coverage is from 1970 to the present.
International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance
The International bibliography of theatre & dance contains the contents of the bibliography of the same name and full text of performing arts journals
Legal Source
Searchable database which provides access to information on the discipline of law and various legal topics, including international coverage, and access to scholarly articles, symposia, jurisdictional surveys, court decisions, legislation, books, book reviews, periodicals, and more.
LGBTQ+ Source
Full-text coverage of key journal literature in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender studies. Offers a variety of scholarly and popular magazines and also includes citations to books and book chapters.
MLA International Bibliography
The major index for literary studies. Updated several times throughout the year. A helpful way to search the MLA Bibliography is by using the Advanced search interface to run a "Primary Subject Author" and "Primary Subject Work" search.
Music Periodicals Database
Music periodicals database provides indexing and abstracts, and full text for music periodicals from many countries. The majority of the records in the database are from the most recent ten years of publication. Some complete journal runs are included, with indexing back to 1874.
RILM Abstracts of Music Literature with Full Text
Collection of full-text resources on music and music-related subjects (ethnomusicology, theory, instruments, pedagogy, performance, dance, etcetera). Includes coverage from international journals, audio recordings, bibliographies, conference proceedings, dissertations, electronic resources, Festschriften, essays, film & video, monographs, reviews, and other types of resources, dating from the late 18th century to the present.

Orbis & Quicksearch

And, don’t forget, Orbis, Books+ and Articles+ are all important tools for locating secondary sources!

AMST 493: American Studies Senior Project Seminar: Secondary sources

Bibliographic (subject) databases

Orbis & Quicksearch

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