About
This page contains tips for searching in library databases and lists the most useful library databases for English 102 research as well as links to citation information, KU Libraries' "Ask a Librarian" instant messenger, and KU Libraries' locations and hours.
Searching Library Databases for Common Research Topics
The Quick Search on the KU Libraries home page searches and provides access to many but not all of our 400 databases as well as the KU Libraries Catalog, which lists the over 4 million books, journals, DVDs, maps, and more that are owned by KU Libraries.
- When searching through the KU Libraries Quick Search, make sure to check the different tabs to move between different kinds of results. The Quick Search results page defaults to the Articles tab.
- To get to an individual database, use the Database A-Z index located beneath the Quick Search box.
- Click on the first letter of the database title you want.
- Scroll down the database list and click on the title.
Listed below are databases that may be useful for many research topics. Ask library staff about which databases are the best for your particular research topic.
Useful Databases
- KU Libraries Quick SearchKU Quick Search searches and provides access to many but not all of our 400 databases as well as the KU Libraries Catalog, which lists the books, journals, DVDs, maps, and more that are owned by KU Libraries.
- Academic Search CompleteProvides indexing and abstracts for more than 8,200 journals in the sciences and humanities, with full text for more than 4,500 titles.
- Alternative press Index This link opens in a new windowIndexes the alternative press in North America, with citations drawn from alternative, radical, and leftist publications covering cultural, economic, political & social change.
- America: history and life This link opens in a new windowIndexes scholarly literature in the history of the United States and Canada from prehistoric times to the present.
- Business source complete This link opens in a new windowProvides full text from more than 7,400 scholarly business journals (over 1,100 are peer-reviewed) and periodicals covering management economics, finance, accounting, international business and more.
- CQ researcher online This link opens in a new windowProvides in-depth, analytical reporting on current, controversial issues. Includes a broad overview of the subject, historical background, and information on the current controversies. Published by Congressional Quarterly, a non-partisan organization with a large press corps covering Capitol Hill.
- ERIC This link opens in a new windowCovers all topics relating to education, school and learning from kindergarten through college years. Also covers many topics relating to children, teenagers and college student life.
- Ethnic newswatch This link opens in a new windowFull text access to articles from newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press in America. Searchable in English and Spanish.
- Gale Academic: OneFile Select This link opens in a new windowIndexing, abstracts, images, and full text for scholarly and general interest journals embracing all academic disciplines. Includes film reviews.
- FIAF International Index to Film PeriodicalsThe FIAF International Index to Film Periodicals indexes 300 academic and popular film journals, from 1972 to the present.
- GenderWatch This link opens in a new windowFull text collection of journals, magazines, newsletters, regional publications, books, booklets and pamphlets, conference proceedings and special reports devoted to women's and gender issues. Contains materials dating back to the 1970's.
- Gale Health and Wellness This link opens in a new windowCovers the topics of health and medicine, medications and wellness. Contains information from journals, magazines, newspapers, encyclopedias, medical dictionaries.
- Historical abstracts This link opens in a new windowA bibliographic database to the history of the world, from 1450 to the present (excluding the U.S. and Canada, which are covered in the database America history and life). Indexes journals and books.
- Music Periodicals Database This link opens in a new windowProvides indexing, abstracting and selected full-text from many periodicals, covering the scholarly to popular from 1874 to present. For music researchers!
- Performing Arts Periodicals Database This link opens in a new windowProvides indexing, abstracting and some full-text from many sources. Covers film, theatre, dance, stagecraft and television from 1864 to the present.
- Gale literature resource center This link opens in a new windowProvides access to biographies, bibliographies and critical analysis of authors from every age and literary discipline. Covers novelists, poets, essayists, journalists and other writers.
- MLA International BibliographyThe MLA International Bibliography provides a classified listing and subject index for books and articles published on modern languages, literatures, folklore, and linguistics.
- Music Index OnlineIndexes journal articles covering classical, popular, and world music.
- New York Times with index This link opens in a new windowAccess to full page and article images with searchable full-text from the first issue in 1851up to two years ago.
- Project MUSE This link opens in a new windowProvides online access to current issues of selected scholarly journals in the arts and humanities, social sciences, and mathematics.
- ProQuest research library This link opens in a new windowContains citations or full text of journal articles in a variety of disciplines.
- Sage journals online This link opens in a new windowCovers many topics-business, science, technology, communication studies, criminology, politics and international relations, and sociology.
- SPORTDiscus with full text This link opens in a new windowContains articles on all aspects of sports, including physical fitness, sports medicine, physical education, training, coaching, equipment and history.
- Worldwide political science abstracts This link opens in a new windowAbstracts and indexes journals in political science, international relations, law, public administration and policy, including the merged backfile of Political Science Abstracts and ABC POL SCI. Some full-text linking. Coverage 1975 -
Citing Sources
Click on these links for writing help and for information on citing sources.
- Citing in MLA formatClick on these links for information on citing the sources of your research in MLA or APA format. Click on the KU writing center logo below to go the KU Writing Center's homepage.
- Citing in APA formatFind out more about how to use APA citation and how to write in APA style by following this link.
- KU Writing CenterGet help with brainstorming, researching, writing, organizing, and refining your writing at the KU Writing Center.
Research Help
We can help with your research questions -- contact us by chat, phone, email, text or at a Research Help desk.