We use periodical indexes to find articles within scholarly journals. The online catalog shows which journals we have, but not what is within them; for this we use periodical indexes. Both keyword and subject heading/term searches are possible. For best quality retrieval, learn to look up the appropriate subject terms, akin to subject headings in the online catalog. Each database works differently.
Bibliography of British and Irish History
Bibliography of British and Irish History is the major index to secondary articles about British history. It covers books, articles in collective volumes (including conference proceedings and festschriften) and journal articles. Primary source material is indexed as well as much secondary material. To find subject terms, scroll down to the box "Subject search" near the screen bottom. Click on "All subjects" on the line next to the words "Subject tree." This brings up a screen where you can choose the type of history or material you seek. Click on a topic and it expands showing its component parts. For example, choose Imperial and Commonwealth, then Imperial and Colonial Policy, then Mandates, then Mandates Iraq or Palestine. To perform the search, check the box and click on "Insert/Close" at the top right of the screen. This pastes your search into the search work form. On the work form click "Search" at the lower right of the screen to see the results.
Indexes articles, review articles, book reviews, conference proceedings, anthologies on world history topics from 1450 to the present. To find subject terms, click on "Indexes" near the top of the screen in the blue bar. Where it says ""Browse an index" use the drop down arrow and put "subject terms" into the box. Where it says "Browse for" put in the word you want to find a subject term for. Click the blue "Browse" button. Click to put a check in the box(es) of the subject terms you choose. Decide how you wish the terms you are choosing to be related: and, or, not. Then click the blue "Add" button. The terms you chose appear in the search box at the top of this screen. Click the blue "Search" button to input the search. Then, notice on the right side of the results screen that you can limit the search in various ways. Click on "Search History/Alerts" in blue to see the searches done and combine them in useful ways.
Searchable database of the full texts of journals in many fields. Years available vary with each title, JSTOR emphasizes the older journal literature. Some current issues are beginning to be included. This database does not offer intellectually controlled subject heading searching. Obtain the most precise retrieval with keywords in the "item titles" using the advanced search form. Then scroll down and confine your results to journals in the field of history.
Contains a search engine and full texts of recent issues of many journals in the humanities. Click on "Article Search," in orange, near top left of screen. Notice that on the right side of the search form it says "Browse subject headings for articles." Do that to find the intellectually controlled subject headings, which, in this database, are the same Library of Congress subject headings used in our online catalog! Refer to the list of possible subject headings in the online catalog in the first section of this research guide for ideas.
PAIS International (Including Archive)
Information in PAIS International and PAIS Archive covers topical public and social issues and the making and evaluating of public policy. Worldwide in geographic scope, they index publications in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish that deal with public affairs. International contains currently written material; the Archive indexes 1915-1976 material.
Index Islamicus is an international bibliography of publications in European languages covering all aspects of Islam and the Muslim world, including history, beliefs, societies, cultures, languages, and literature. The database includes material published by Western orientalists, social scientists and Muslims and contains indexing for 3,470 titles with coverage dating back to 1906.
Middle East, Abstracts and Index Main DS 41 .M44
A print index. Annual volumes with abstracts of major English-language journal articles. Also includes editorials, research reports, press releases, annual reports, speeches, statements, interviews, news conferences, doctoral dissertations and some theses, statistics, and current monographs. Arranged by region—Near East, Central–Inner Asia (includes Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia), Africa (Maghreb-Sahel-Horn)—with regional issues as first topic and then organized by country. From v. 20 (1997) includes an additional annual volumes on special topics with distinctive titles, including women in the Middle East and North Africa; oil, natural gas and petrochemical industries in the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa; women in sub-Saharan Africa; refugees; oil, natural gas and petrochemical industries; Al-Qaeda and jihad movement worldwide. Author, corporate, named persons, subject indexes. Our subscription stopped in 2006.
Middle East, Abstracts and Index Main DS 41 .M44
A print index. Annual volumes with abstracts of major English-language journal articles. Also includes editorials, research reports, press releases, annual reports, speeches, statements, interviews, news conferences, doctoral dissertations and some theses, statistics, and current monographs. Arranged by region—Near East, Central–Inner Asia (includes Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia), Africa (Maghreb-Sahel-Horn)—with regional issues as first topic and then organized by country. From v. 20 (1997) includes an additional annual volumes on special topics with distinctive titles, including women in the Middle East and North Africa; oil, natural gas and petrochemical industries in the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa; women in sub-Saharan Africa; refugees; oil, natural gas and petrochemical industries; Al-Qaeda and jihad movement worldwide. Author, corporate, named persons, subject indexes. Our subscription stopped in 2006.
Muslim Studies Resources: Find Articles
Has some indexes not listed here that might be helpful.
