Research Guides: American Studies: Secondary Sources

With hundreds of databases at William & Mary Libraries, it takes time to determine which ones are the most useful for finding research on your topic. This page provides some suggestions for databases related to American Studies.

Our Database Finder provides a comprehensive list of all of the databases we currently subscribe to.

Databases at WM Libraries
Use this to browse all of our databases by subject or source type, or search for databases by keyword (for example, search "food" for all of the databases we have pertaining to food studies).

Databases at W&M Libraries

Some Specific Database Suggestions for American Studies Research

Please note that these are some "best bets" for American Studies, but are by no means the only databases you should search when casting a wide net for sources. I suggest looking in our database finder for subjects such as Africana Studies, Anthropology, English, Film & Media Studies, Law & Legal, etc., depending on your topic.

When in doubt, make a research appointment - I'd be happy to discuss your search for scholarly sources and point you in new directions.

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
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Multidisciplinary database of journal articles (including peer reviewed), books, book chapters, reports, conference proceedings, etc. Coverage: 1887-present.
America: History & Life with Full Text This link opens in a new window
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Provides full text coverage of the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Includes nearly 200 journals and 100 books, selective indexing for over 1,700 journals, and abstracts in English of foreign language articles.
Film & Television Literature Index with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Covers journal and magazine titles for film and television reviews, scholarly and critical analysis of cinema and television, and articles of popular interest about film and television. About half the journals and magazines are film periodicals and the other half cover film and television with some regularity. Subject coverage includes film & television theory, preservation & restoration, writing, production, cinematography, technical aspects, and reviews.
Humanities International Complete This link opens in a new window
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Literature & the literary arts, philosophy, the arts, history, culture, and creative thought. Journal articles, books, and other sources from around the world. Coverage: Varies by title.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Multidisciplinary full-text journal articles from 1,500 major journals. Please note: In many cases, JSTOR does not include the most recent 3 to 5 years of these journals. Please use other databases to retrieve recent articles, especially for current events topics. Coverage: Varies by title. Access is available to 2007+ alumni; requires W&M userid and password.
MLA International Bibliography with Full-Text This link opens in a new window
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Produced by the Modern Language Association (MLA), the MLA International Bibliography is the definitive index for the study of language, literature, linguistics, rhetoric and composition, folklore, and film, covering scholarly publications from the early 20th century to the present.
Music Index This link opens in a new window
Classical and popular music, musicians, and the music industry. International coverage with citations in journal articles, book reviews, record reviews, news, and obituaries. Coverage: 1970-present.
Political Science Complete This link opens in a new window
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This database provides indexing and abstracts for top-ranked scholarly journals, recent reference works, and professional conference papers. Its coverage consists of topics such as law and legislation, comparative politics, political theory, international relations, humanitarian issues, and non-governmental organizations.
ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Collection of databases devoted to disciplines in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. See titles of individual databases for further information. Coverage: Varies by database.
Proquest Arts & Humanities Database This link opens in a new window
This database features around 600 titles covering Art, Architecture, Design, History, Philosophy, Music, Literature, Theatre and Cultural Studies. Titles include both scholarly peer-reviewed journals and selected trade and consumer titles relevant to applied arts and cultural studies.