Image courtesy of Dvortygirl on Flickr.com. Used under Creative Commons License.
Criteria to keep in mind when choosing and using sources:
• Accuracy - What is the purpose of the document and why was it produced? Does the author cite her/his sources and are they legitimate?
• Authority - Who wrote the source? Is the author credible? What are the author's credentials (educational background, past writing, experience) in this area? Have you seen the author's name cited in other sources or bibliographies? Respected authors are cited frequently by other scholars. For this reason, always note names that appear in many different sources. Who published the source? Check the domain of the document - what institution publishes this document?
• Objectivity - Does the author have a bias, political or commercial or persuasive?
• Currency - Is this information new or based on outdated sources? Can you tell how current it is? How up-to-date are the links (if any)?
These databases contain a mix of citations & full text for scholarly articles (and some books and book chapters) in a variety of fields. Depending on the focus of your research, you may want to consult other databases listed on our full Databases list. Use the Subject filter there to browse the databases by discipline.
Full-text scholarly articles in all disciplines.
Scholarly articles on literature, languages, linguistics, film, folklore, and rhetoric, from all cultures.
Scholarly journal articles and books in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Does not include the most recent 3-5 years of many journals.
Books and journal articles in the humanities, arts, and social sciences.
Scholarly articles on topics in archaeology, art, architecture, Asian studies, classics, dance, folklore, history, language, linguistics, literary reviews, literature, music, philosophy, poetry, radio, television, & film, religion and theatre, published from 1975 to present.
Search multiple reference sources at once
Annotated bibliographies for a variety of subject areas.
Current, peer-reviewed research, across 25 encyclopedias.
Trial access through December 20, 2024. Please send your feedback to Laura O'Brien at lobrien@wellesley.edu
Can't find what you're looking for at Wellesley?
Use WorldCat Discovery to search and request directly from libraries worldwide via Interlibrary Loan.
Questions? Interlibrary Loan Guide