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Literary Studies: Databases

Databases overview

When to use databases

Journal articles are housed inside journals, which in turn, are kept in online databases. Search (the Library Catalogue) links directly to all three, so you can use Search to directly search for articles. However, because we subscribe to hundreds of databases, not all journal articles are accessible through Search (the Library Catalogue), and sometimes we must go directly to the databases to access a bigger range of journal articles. This is why we recommend that you start by using Search, but as your search gets more sophisticated, you move across into specific databases, such as those listed in the tabs below.

Databases for literary studies

Best for finding journal articles, author criticism, and literary theory.

 


Great for getting background on authors or accessing focused literary commentary.

 

 

Key for finding original texts, letters, manuscripts, and rare or historical works.

 

Ideal for exploring the cultural and performative dimensions of literature.