Arts & Humanities Databases
The following are the most recommended for arts & humanities research. Please remember that depending on your research topic, you may have to expand your search to other disciplines to get the best results.
Most Recommended
JSTOR Collections
“JSTOR includes journal content, primary sources, images, and more across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences” (JSTOR 2011). Although most content found here is full-text, researchers may also find links to articles that are not available online through Morningside. The HJF Library provides access through JSTOR to 15 Arts & Sciences Collections and 1 Life Science Collection.
MLA International Bibliography (EBSCO)
“Produced by the Modern Language Association (MLA), the electronic version of the bibliography dates back to the 1920s and contains millions of citations from journals and series, as well as book publishers. MLA International Bibliography covers literature, language and linguistics, folklore, film, literary theory and criticism, dramatic arts, as well as the historical aspects of printing and publishing. Listings on rhetoric and composition and the history, theory and practice of teaching language and literature are also included. In addition to the bibliography, the database includes the MLA Directory of Periodicals, the association's proprietary thesaurus used to assign descriptors to each record in the bibliography" (EBSCOhost 2019).
Music Index (EBSCO)
Invaluable for both novices and scholars, Music Index database provides cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts covering every aspect of classical and popular music. Music Index includes 862 indexed and abstracted journals and 366 peer-reviewed indexed and abstracted journals (EBSCOhost 2022).
Oxford Music Online (OUP)
Alternative Name: Grove Music Online
"Oxford Music Online, home of Grove Music Online, the world’s premier online music encyclopedia, offering comprehensive coverage of music, musicians, music-making, and music scholarship. Updated frequently, Grove Music Online is an essential tool for anyone interested in researching, teaching, or just learning more about music. Written and edited by nearly 9,000 subject experts, Grove’s 51,000 articles offer clear overviews of topics from a scholarly perspective and include extensive bibliographies, which are curated to guide users through existing scholarship. Grove’s 33,000 biographical articles provide life information and detailed works lists for composers, performers, and other important musical figures. Grove Music Online also features more than 5,000 images, musical examples, and links to audio and video examples. It is the perfect starting point for scholarly research, but with a clear and engaging writing style, Grove is easily accessible to amateur music-lovers as well" (Oxford University Press 2021).
"Oxford Music Online, home of Grove Music Online, the world’s premier online music encyclopedia, offering comprehensive coverage of music, musicians, music-making, and music scholarship. Updated frequently, Grove Music Online is an essential tool for anyone interested in researching, teaching, or just learning more about music. Written and edited by nearly 9,000 subject experts, Grove’s 51,000 articles offer clear overviews of topics from a scholarly perspective and include extensive bibliographies, which are curated to guide users through existing scholarship. Grove’s 33,000 biographical articles provide life information and detailed works lists for composers, performers, and other important musical figures. Grove Music Online also features more than 5,000 images, musical examples, and links to audio and video examples. It is the perfect starting point for scholarly research, but with a clear and engaging writing style, Grove is easily accessible to amateur music-lovers as well" (Oxford University Press 2021).
All
Academic OneFile (Gale)
"The premier source for peer-reviewed, full-text articles for academic libraries from the world's leading journals, this comprehensive resource covers the physical and social sciences, technology, medicine, engineering, the arts, technology, literature, and many other subjects. With millions of articles in both PDF and HTML full-text format and simultaneous, unlimited usage, researchers are able to find accurate, timely information quickly" (Gale 2017).
To search a specific subcollection, look for databases with (Gale OneFile) in the title.
To search a specific subcollection, look for databases with (Gale OneFile) in the title.
Academic Search Elite (EBSCO)
Academic Search Elite offers nearly 1,600 active full-text journals and magazines, more than 1,300 active full-text peer-reviewed journals, more than 670 active full-text peer-reviewed journals with no embargo, and more than 1,100 full-text journals indexed in Web of Science or Scopus. Academic Search Elite covers most disciplines, provides access to news and videos from the Associated Press.
America's Historical Newspapers (Newsbank)
"Find news articles covering topics in government, politics, social issues, culture, literature, discoveries, inventions and more from hundreds of primary sources . Search using either the timeline or topic search to easily find news and eyewitness accounts and pro/con articles of events, issues and daily life in the colonies or during the Revolutionary War, westward expansion, the Civil War, Reconstruction, industrialization, the Progressive Era, World War I and other eras. Also included are illustrations, advertisements, classifieds, birth and marriage announcements, obituaries, stories about historic people and other articles exactly as they appeared in print" (Newsbank 2019).
Contains Primary Sources
Contains Primary Sources
ATLA Historical Monographs Collection: Series 01 (1200-1893) (EBSCO)
"The ATLA Historical Monographs Collection: Series 1 & 2 provides religious and theological literature from the late 13th century to 1922. Series 1 includes monographs prior to the 1893 World Parliament of Religions, while Series 2 covers 1893 through 1922. This resource is vital for scholars seeking to understand religious thought and practice, particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries" (EBSCOhost 2016).
Contains Primary Sources
Contains Primary Sources
ATLA Historical Monographs Collection: Series 02 (1894-1922) (EBSCO)
"The ATLA Historical Monographs Collection: Series 1 & 2 provides religious and theological literature from the late 13th century to 1922. Series 1 includes monographs prior to the 1893 World Parliament of Religions, while Series 2 covers 1893 through 1922. This resource is vital for scholars seeking to understand religious thought and practice, particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries" (EBSCOhost 2016).
Contains Primary Sources
Contains Primary Sources
Books & Authors (Gale)
"Books & Authors offers new ways to explore the endless possibilities and combinations of books, authors, genres and topics. The ideal convergence of science and serendipity, this online resource leverages the Internet's unique capacity to create, build, communicate and sustain communities of readers" (Gale 2017).
Chicago Manual of Style Online (CMOS)
The complete online version of the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) in its most current edition. Search for citation rules, see and download practice sheets, get paper formatting tutorials, a Q&A Forum for those tough citations, and more with this online tool.
See Also: Chicago Citation Style Guide.
See Also: Chicago Citation Style Guide.
Civil War Primary Source Documents (EBSCO)
"This unique archive captures various accounts of the Civil War as it was experienced on land and at sea. The collection provides firsthand perspectives from hospitals and prison camps and reactions to the War from the home front. While focus is placed on the War years, this resource also includes important contextual documents in the crucial years leading up to the War and after the fall of the Confederacy" (EBSCOhost 2016).
Contains Primary Sources
Contains Primary Sources
Diversity Studies (Gale OneFile)
"A must-have for social science, history and liberal arts coursework, the Gale OneFile: Diversity Studies explores cultural differences, contributions and influences in the global community. This collection includes more than 2.7 million articles from 150 journals, updated daily" (Gale 2019).
EBSCO eBook Collection (EBSCO)
"This growing subscription package contains a large selection of multidisciplinary e-books representing a broad range of academic subjects. The breadth of information available through this package ensures that students and scholars will have access to information relevant to their research needs.
Offering more than 200,000 e-books, this collection includes titles from leading university presses such as Oxford University Press, MIT Press, State University of New York Press, Cambridge University Press, University of California Press, McGill-Queen's University Press, Harvard University Press and many others. Additional academic publishers include Elsevier, Ashgate Publishing, Taylor & Francis, Sage Publications and John Wiley & Sons" (EBSCOhost 2019).
Offering more than 200,000 e-books, this collection includes titles from leading university presses such as Oxford University Press, MIT Press, State University of New York Press, Cambridge University Press, University of California Press, McGill-Queen's University Press, Harvard University Press and many others. Additional academic publishers include Elsevier, Ashgate Publishing, Taylor & Francis, Sage Publications and John Wiley & Sons" (EBSCOhost 2019).
Fine Arts (Gale OneFile)
"The Fine Arts collection places 10.4 million articles at the fingertips of serious students of drama, music, art history, and filmmaking. More than 250 journals covered in databases such as the Wilson Art Index and the Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale (RILM) index are available in full text. Exclusive features, including Topic Finder, InterLink, and a mobile-optimized interface, support and enhance the search experience" (Gale 2017).
Gateway to North America (EBSCO)
"During the “Long 19th Century,” New York City was the focal point in North America for industry, trade, commerce and immigration. Gateway to North America is a unique collection of historical directories, member lists and other name-rich sources from the New-York Historical Society (N-YHS), and features materials that track individuals and organizations over time and place."
"Gateway to North America contains over 800,000 pages of content from over 1,500 print and manuscript directories, member lists, travel guides and other sources, chronicling the people and organizations of New York City from the late 18th through the early 20th century. It is an invaluable resource for scholars, students, researchers and educators alike" (EBSCOhost 2016).
Contains Primary Sources
"Gateway to North America contains over 800,000 pages of content from over 1,500 print and manuscript directories, member lists, travel guides and other sources, chronicling the people and organizations of New York City from the late 18th through the early 20th century. It is an invaluable resource for scholars, students, researchers and educators alike" (EBSCOhost 2016).
Contains Primary Sources
Gender Studies (Gale OneFile)
"Gale OneFile: Gender Studies provides balanced coverage of this significant aspect of culture and society. The database offers access to scholarly journals and magazines covering topics including gender studies, family and marital issues, and more" (Gale 2019).
Informe Académico (Gale OneFile)
"Informe Académico meets the research needs of Spanish-speaking users with a wide range of full-text Spanish- and Portuguese-language scholarly journals and magazines both from and about Latin America. Informe Académico provides quality reference material—not simply translations of English-language materials—on a powerful, easy-to-use interface configured for Spanish-speaking users, allowing researchers to analyze topics and conduct research in Spanish. Exclusive features, including Topic Finder, InterLink, and a mobile-optimized interface, support and enhance the search experience" (Gale 2017).
Spanish Language Resource
Spanish Language Resource
Internet History Sourcebooks Project (Fordham University)
"Welcome to The Internet History Sourcebooks Project, a collection of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts presented cleanly (without advertising or excessive layout) for educational use. Primary sources are available here primarily for use in high-school and university/college courses. From the outset the site took a very broad view of the sources that should be available to students and as well as documents long associated with a "western civilization" approach to history also provides much information on Byzantine, Islamic, Jewish, Indian, East Asian, and African history. You will also find many documents especially relevant to women's history and LGBT studies" (Fordham University 2021).
Contains Primary Sources; Open Access
Contains Primary Sources; Open Access
Iowa Official Register (Redbook)
"The Iowa Official Register, or Redbook as it is commonly known, is published biennially and contains historical and current biographical information about Iowa's governmental institutions and leaders, as well as other information and statistics of general value but not of a partisan nature" (Iowa Legislature 2019). The archives go back to 1860.
Government Resource; Contains Primary Sources
Government Resource; Contains Primary Sources
IPA Source
"IPA Source was developed to benefit singers, teachers, and all those interested in the correct and knowledgeable performance of vocal literature. What started in 2003 as a support site for students in a university diction class has grown into the largest collection of literal translations and International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions on the web. The goal of IPA Source is to promote the comprehension and accurate pronunciation of foreign language texts in art song and opera in order that the singer may imbue each syllable with the appropriate emotional content. Online since 2003, IPA Source is the web's largest library of International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions and literal translations of opera arias and art song texts. Now with over 12487 titles" (IPA Source 2019).
JSTOR Collections
“JSTOR includes journal content, primary sources, images, and more across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences” (JSTOR 2011). Although most content found here is full-text, researchers may also find links to articles that are not available online through Morningside. The HJF Library provides access through JSTOR to 15 Arts & Sciences Collections and 1 Life Science Collection.
Library of Congress Digital Collections (US Government)
The Library of Congress Digital Collections provides access to thousands of digitized artifacts and primary sources from America's history. Users can find audio recordings, newspapers, magazines, letters, maps, images, and more. Some examples of collections include: Civil War Maps, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Railroad Maps, Sanborn Maps, Matson Photograph Collection, Historic American Buildings Survey, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Aaron Copland Collection, and more.
Government Resource; Contains Primary Sources
Government Resource; Contains Primary Sources
Literary Index (Gale)
"Gale Literary Index is a master index to the major literature products published by Gale. It combines and cross-references author names, including pseudonyms and variant names, and listings for titles of works into one source. Gale Literary Index provides quick and easy access to author and title listings from over 130 literature products from Gale and the imprints Charles Scribner's Sons, St. James Press, and Twayne Publishers. The referenced products themselves will contain complete biographies on authors and critical essays on their writings" (Gale 2020).
This index provides a complete searchable experience for all of Gale's Literary Criticism books found in the HJF Library's reference collection, such as: Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism, Contemporary Literary Criticism, Shakespearean Criticism, and Poetry Criticism.
This index provides a complete searchable experience for all of Gale's Literary Criticism books found in the HJF Library's reference collection, such as: Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism, Contemporary Literary Criticism, Shakespearean Criticism, and Poetry Criticism.
Literature (Gale)
"An integrated research experience, Gale Literature brings together Gale's premier literary databases in a new digital environment that allows researchers, faculty and students to search across these resources to discover and analyze content in entirely new ways. No other publisher offers this unmatched combination of uniquely rich literary content, dependable metadata, and intuitive subject indexing - all enriched by features and design that breathes new life into the study of literature. As Gale makes additional Literary Resources available through Gale Literature, and if your library has access to these products, they will be automatically added to the Gale Literature experience upon release" (Gale 2020).
LitFinder (Gale)
“Gale Literature: LitFinder provides access to literary works and authors throughout history and includes more than 130,000 full-text poems and 650,000+ poetry citations, as well as short stories, speeches, and plays. The database also includes secondary materials like biographies, images, and more” (Gale 2023).
Military & Intelligence (Gale OneFile)
"Provide military personnel with access to scholarly journals, magazines, and reports covering all aspects of the past and present military affairs. Updated annually, this library resource contains hand-selected content supporting key subject areas such as governmental policies, the socioeconomic effects of war, the structure of the armed forces, and more" (Gale 2019).
MLA International Bibliography (EBSCO)
“Produced by the Modern Language Association (MLA), the electronic version of the bibliography dates back to the 1920s and contains millions of citations from journals and series, as well as book publishers. MLA International Bibliography covers literature, language and linguistics, folklore, film, literary theory and criticism, dramatic arts, as well as the historical aspects of printing and publishing. Listings on rhetoric and composition and the history, theory and practice of teaching language and literature are also included. In addition to the bibliography, the database includes the MLA Directory of Periodicals, the association's proprietary thesaurus used to assign descriptors to each record in the bibliography" (EBSCOhost 2019).
Music Index (EBSCO)
Invaluable for both novices and scholars, Music Index database provides cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts covering every aspect of classical and popular music. Music Index includes 862 indexed and abstracted journals and 366 peer-reviewed indexed and abstracted journals (EBSCOhost 2022).
Nebraska Public Documents
"This project provides free public access to digitized historic annual reports of state agencies in Nebraska for the use of students, scholars, and the general public. Through this digitization project, we provide keyword searching options never before available. Eventually, the intent of the project is to provide access to state government agency reports from 1891 through 1956, with metadata enhancements as funds become available. Earlier reports will be provided as they are located and digitized. This site is made possible through the funding and support of the Nebraska Library Commission, the Nebraska State Historical Society, the Nebraska State Records Board, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln" (Nebraska Public Documents 2021).
Government Resource; Contains Primary Sources
Government Resource; Contains Primary Sources
New Oxford Shakespeare (OUP)
"The New Oxford Shakespeare presents an entirely new consideration of all of Shakespeare's works, edited from first principles from the base-texts themselves, and drawing on the latest textual and theatrical scholarship" (Oxford University Press 2017). This resource includes: Modern Critical Edition, Critical Reference Edition, and the Authorship Companion.
Contains Primary Sources
Contains Primary Sources
New York Times
The HJF Library provides full access to the New York Times online including PDFs of the most recent print issues, full online access to the website and blogs, and full access to the mobile apps. This link takes you to the FAQ on how to sign up for your individual account through the library.
Current Events & News; Includes Mobile Application
Current Events & News; Includes Mobile Application
Oxford Academic Library (OUP)
"The home of 500 peer-reviewed journals published by Oxford University Press and learned societies from around the world." The HJF Library has access to all of the Oxford journals with various coverage ranges specific to each journal. A full list can be found at this link, with the ability to search individual journals. They are also indexed in the Full Text Finder.
Oxford English Dictionary (OUP)
“The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words— past and present—from across the English-speaking world.
As a historical dictionary, the OED is very different from Dictionaries of current English, in which the focus is on present-day meanings. You’ll still find present-day meanings in the OED, but you’ll also find the history of individual words, and of the language—traced through 3 million quotations, from classic literature and specialist periodicals to film scripts and cookery books.
The OED started life more than 150 years ago. Today, the dictionary is in the process of its first major revision. Updates revise and extend the OED at regular intervals, each time subtly adjusting our image of the English language" (OED 2019).
Tertiary Source
As a historical dictionary, the OED is very different from Dictionaries of current English, in which the focus is on present-day meanings. You’ll still find present-day meanings in the OED, but you’ll also find the history of individual words, and of the language—traced through 3 million quotations, from classic literature and specialist periodicals to film scripts and cookery books.
The OED started life more than 150 years ago. Today, the dictionary is in the process of its first major revision. Updates revise and extend the OED at regular intervals, each time subtly adjusting our image of the English language" (OED 2019).
Tertiary Source
Oxford Music Online (OUP)
Alternative Name: Grove Music Online
"Oxford Music Online, home of Grove Music Online, the world’s premier online music encyclopedia, offering comprehensive coverage of music, musicians, music-making, and music scholarship. Updated frequently, Grove Music Online is an essential tool for anyone interested in researching, teaching, or just learning more about music. Written and edited by nearly 9,000 subject experts, Grove’s 51,000 articles offer clear overviews of topics from a scholarly perspective and include extensive bibliographies, which are curated to guide users through existing scholarship. Grove’s 33,000 biographical articles provide life information and detailed works lists for composers, performers, and other important musical figures. Grove Music Online also features more than 5,000 images, musical examples, and links to audio and video examples. It is the perfect starting point for scholarly research, but with a clear and engaging writing style, Grove is easily accessible to amateur music-lovers as well" (Oxford University Press 2021).
"Oxford Music Online, home of Grove Music Online, the world’s premier online music encyclopedia, offering comprehensive coverage of music, musicians, music-making, and music scholarship. Updated frequently, Grove Music Online is an essential tool for anyone interested in researching, teaching, or just learning more about music. Written and edited by nearly 9,000 subject experts, Grove’s 51,000 articles offer clear overviews of topics from a scholarly perspective and include extensive bibliographies, which are curated to guide users through existing scholarship. Grove’s 33,000 biographical articles provide life information and detailed works lists for composers, performers, and other important musical figures. Grove Music Online also features more than 5,000 images, musical examples, and links to audio and video examples. It is the perfect starting point for scholarly research, but with a clear and engaging writing style, Grove is easily accessible to amateur music-lovers as well" (Oxford University Press 2021).
PhilPapers
"PhilPapers is a comprehensive index and bibliography of philosophy maintained by the community of philosophers. We monitor all sources of research content in philosophy, including journals, books, open access archives, and personal pages maintained by academics. We also host the largest open access archive in philosophy. Our index currently contains 2,570,837 entries categorized in 5,674 categories. PhilPapers has over 280,000 registered users" (PhilPapers 2021).
Open Access
Open Access
Pop Culture Studies (Gale OneFile)
“Access scholarly journals and magazines that both analyze and contribute to popular culture” (Gale 2023).
Religion & Philosophy (Gale OneFile)
"Discover a comprehensive collection of periodical content covering topics across a wide range of philosophies and religions. Researchers will gain valuable insight about the impact religion has had on culture throughout history, including literature, arts, and language. Updated daily, this library resource supports a broad range of topics from theological approaches to social issues" (Gale 2017).
Revolutionary War Era Orderly Books from the New York Historical Society (EBSCO)
"Orderly Books were the controlling document of day-to-day life in the military, most notably during the Revolutionary War. This one-of-a-kind collection – developed in conjunction with the New-York Historical Society – offers access to Orderly Books found nowhere else and contains handwritten volumes documenting military orders, movements and engagements by brigade, regiment, company and other specific military units between 1748 and 1817" (EBSCO 2016).
Contains Primary Sources
Contains Primary Sources
U.S. History (Gale OneFile)
"Provides access to scholarly journals and magazines useful to both novice historians as well as advanced academic researchers. Updated daily, this library resource offers balanced coverage of events in U.S. history and scholarly work being established in the field" (Gale 2019).
Wall Street Journal (Dow Jones)
The HJF Library provides full access to the Wall Street Journal online including PDFs of the current print editions, all WSJ blogs, and the WSJ mobile apps. This link will take you to the FAQ page on how to set up your individual WSJ account.
Current Events & News; Includes Mobile Application
Current Events & News; Includes Mobile Application
War & Terrorism (Gale OneFile)
"Researchers accessing the more than 1.7 million articles in Gale OneFile: War and Terrorism will gain valuable insight into conflicts and their causes, impact, and perception on a global scale. This definitive collection for analysts, risk management professionals, and students of military science, history, and social science comprises more than 200 subject-appropriate, full-text periodicals that are updated daily" (Gale 2019).
Wiley Online Library
Wiley Online Library provides full text access to all of Wiley's 1600+ journals going as far back as 1997, and includes access to architecture, art, business, economics, finance, accounting, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, humanities, law, life sciences, medicine, nursing, physical sciences, psychology and social sciences.
World History (Gale OneFile)
"Gale OneFile: World History provides access to scholarly journals and magazines useful to both novice historians as well as advanced academic researchers. The database offers balanced coverage of events in world history and scholarly work being established in the field" (Gale 2019).