Overview
Subject databases focus on specific disciplines like history, african studies, asian studies, or political science, to identify articles, and sometimes book chapters and books, relating to your keyword search.
In databases, you can also use the filters to limit by language, or material type, and more.
When scanning through your results, note any other terms that may be useful in a new search.
Search tips:
Start broad, with only one term or phrase. After scanning through your results, add terms to narrow your search.
Examples:
- Chagos
- Dien Bien Phu
- Bandung conference
Use "And" "OR," and "NOT"
- AND adds terms to your search
- OR broadens your search to include alternative terms, e.g.colonialism OR decolonization
- NOT excludes terms.
Sample searches:
- dutch
[and] decolonization - germany
[and] colonies OR colonial
[and] west africa
[not] south - angola OR mozambique OR guinea-bissou
[and] decolonization OR independence
[and] women - bandung
[and] decolonization OR independence - algeria
[and] war OR independence
[and] sartre OR camus - Dien Bien Phu
[not] military
Selected Databases
- Africa-wide: NiPadAfrica-wide NiPAD is an index covering material -- books, journal articles, and some news articles -- on Africa from the 19th century to the present. It can be a little tricky finding some of the references. Ask me if you run into any trouble.
- BAS - Bibliography of Asian StudiesIdentifies articles, essays, chapters and monographs on all subjects (especially in the humanities and the social sciences) pertaining to East, Southeast, and South Asia published worldwide from 1971 to the present.
- Historical AbstractsIdentifies articles, essays, books chapters and monographs on history worldwide (except the US and Canada. See above). Offers strong coverage of political history from pre-history to the present.
- Worldwide Political Science AbstractsProquest databases search the full text of articles for your search terms. To find more relevant results, where your search terms are part of the title, abstract, or subject terms, begin your search with NOFT, followed by your search terms in parentheses, e.g. NOFT(autocra* AND democra* and backsliding)
Covers political science and its complementary fields, including international relations, law, public administration, and public policy.).