This guide is a good starting place for most people doing research on various Comparative American Studies topics. Here is a good, basic formula for getting started with your research.
Next, search research databases to find articles. The Library has hundreds of databases available, but the ones listed below are good places to begin.
Finally, you may wish to use Google or Google Scholar to search the Internet. Take advantage of Google's advanced search features!
This is only a starting point. Feel free to contact me if you have questions. You may also schedule an appointment with a librarian for help with finding resources, planning a research strategy or getting to the next stage of your research.
Begin your search with a library catalog (OBIS, OhioLINK and/or WorldCat) to find books and reference sources. Why? They:
- provide Background and Context
- review and SUMMARIZE earlier work
- often have chapters or sections which help you FOCUS your topic
- provide CITATIONS to important books, journal articles, conference papers, interviews, etc.
Next, search research databases to find articles. The Library has hundreds of databases available, but the ones listed below are good places to begin.
Finally, you may wish to use Google or Google Scholar to search the Internet. Take advantage of Google's advanced search features!
This is only a starting point. Feel free to contact me if you have questions. You may also schedule an appointment with a librarian for help with finding resources, planning a research strategy or getting to the next stage of your research.
American FactFinder (U.S. Census Bureau) 
Great place to find population, housing, economic and geographic data. Also access data sets, maps, fact sheets, tools and other resources. There are video tutorials available for many of the AFF’s powerful features and functions, including different ways of searching, how to create a map, how to modify a table and more.
note: American FactFinder works with Mozilla Firefox 3.6 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 7. Other browsers may not perform as expected.
Great place to find population, housing, economic and geographic data. Also access data sets, maps, fact sheets, tools and other resources. There are video tutorials available for many of the AFF’s powerful features and functions, including different ways of searching, how to create a map, how to modify a table and more.
note: American FactFinder works with Mozilla Firefox 3.6 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 7. Other browsers may not perform as expected.
State & County QuickFacts (U.S. Census Bureau)
QuickFacts includes statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with more than 5,000 people.
QuickFacts includes statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with more than 5,000 people.
Academic Search Complete 
Covers scholarly journals and popular magazines on nearly every subject. Includes full text of many articles.
Alternative Press Index
Provides international and interdisciplinary coverage of social change from theoretical and practical perspectives. Covers more than 300 radical or left-leaning journals, magazines, and newspapers.
Dates of Coverage: 1991-
Provides international and interdisciplinary coverage of social change from theoretical and practical perspectives. Covers more than 300 radical or left-leaning journals, magazines, and newspapers.
Dates of Coverage: 1991-
America: History and Life
Covers the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present. Indexes articles and book reviews from more than 1,700 journals. Strong English-language journal coverage is balanced by an international perspective on topics and events, including abstracts in English of articles published in more than 40 languages.
Dates of Coverage: 1964-
American History in Video 
Includes documentaries, newsreels, archival footage, and public affairs videos.
Includes documentaries, newsreels, archival footage, and public affairs videos.
Bibliography of Native North Americans
Covers all aspects of native North American culture, history, and life, with references to books, essays, journal articles, and government documents from the U.S. and Canada.
Chicano Database
Chicano Database is a comprehensive bibliographic resource for information about Mexican-American, Chicano and the broader Latino experience. It indexes all types of material. Chicano Database incorporates the Spanish Speaking Mental Health Database, covering psychological, sociological, and educational literature.
Subjects: art; bilingual education; health; history; labor; language; literature; mental health; politics.
List of journals indexed.
Dates of Coverage: 1960's-
Early Encounters in North America 
Over 100,000 pages of letters, diaries, memoirs and accounts of early encounters between Native Americans and peoples from Europe, as well as Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
Over 100,000 pages of letters, diaries, memoirs and accounts of early encounters between Native Americans and peoples from Europe, as well as Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
Gender Studies Database
Gender Studies Database combines Women?s Studies International and Men?s Studies databases with the coverage of sexual diversity issues. GSD covers the full spectrum of gender-engaged scholarship inside and outside academia. Source documents include professional journals, conference papers, books, book chapters, government reports, discussion and working papers, theses & dissertations and other sources. Several thousand links to freely available and indexed full-text articles and documents on the Web are available, including carefully selected and important Websites.
Dates of Coverage: 1972-
JSTOR
- Search full-text articles in core scholarly journals throughout multiple fields.
- It's an archive: most titles lack entries from the past 2-5 years.
LexisNexis Academic
Provides access to a wide range of news, business, legal, medical, and reference information from nearly 5,000 sources, most of them available in full text. Includes newspapers, magazines, wire services, federal and state court opinions, federal and state statutes, federal regulations, and SEC filings. News information is updated daily and wire services several times daily.
LGBT Life
LGBT Life provides indexing and abstract coverage of the world's literature regarding Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender issues. LGBT Life with Full Text covers LGBT-specific core periodicals, core books and reference works, with full text of the most important and historically significant LGBT journals, magazines and regional newspapers. LGBT Life covers traditional academic, cultural, lifestyle, and regional publications plus data mined from additional periodicals. Other source-types are also represented, such as monographs and reference books, with dozens of full text monographs, as well as grey literature, including newsletters, case studies, speeches, etc.
Disciplines covered by LGBT Life include civil liberties, culture, employment, family, history, politics, psychology, religion, sociology and more. Documents are described using a specialized LGBT Thesaurus containing over 6,300 terms.
SocINDEX
Provides full text of some journal articles, and indexing and abstracts for journals, books and conference papers. Covers all sub-fields of sociology, including criminology, gender, marriage & family studies, social work, social psychology, addictions, violence, and more.
Provides full text of some journal articles, and indexing and abstracts for journals, books and conference papers. Covers all sub-fields of sociology, including criminology, gender, marriage & family studies, social work, social psychology, addictions, violence, and more.
Women's Studies International
Women's Studies International covers the core disciplines in Women's Studies to the latest scholarship in feminist research. Nearly 800 essential sources include: journals, newspapers, newsletters, bulletins, books, book chapters, proceedings, reports, theses, dissertations, NGO studies, Web sites & Web documents, and grey literature. Women's Studies International supports curriculum development in the areas of sociology, history, political science & economy, public policy, international relations, arts & humanities, business and education.
Dates of Coverage: 1972-
Women's Studies International covers the core disciplines in Women's Studies to the latest scholarship in feminist research. Nearly 800 essential sources include: journals, newspapers, newsletters, bulletins, books, book chapters, proceedings, reports, theses, dissertations, NGO studies, Web sites & Web documents, and grey literature. Women's Studies International supports curriculum development in the areas of sociology, history, political science & economy, public policy, international relations, arts & humanities, business and education.
Dates of Coverage: 1972-
Encyclopedia of American Studies
Print Location: Main Reference E169.1 .E625 2001 vols 1-4
OBIS record
Print Location: Main Reference E169.1 .E625 2001 vols 1-4
OBIS record
American quarterly
American Quarterly reflects the evolving landscape of American studies, and not only publishes traditional scholarship, but welcomes innovative approaches to critical writing through forums, event and book reviews, and “Currents” – timely pieces about topics of current importance to the world of American studies.
note: Full text available 1949 - present
American Quarterly reflects the evolving landscape of American studies, and not only publishes traditional scholarship, but welcomes innovative approaches to critical writing through forums, event and book reviews, and “Currents” – timely pieces about topics of current importance to the world of American studies.
note: Full text available 1949 - present
Comparative American Studies: An International Journal
Covers literature, film, popular culture, photography and the visual arts. Attention is also given to history, the social sciences and politics, particularly insofar as these fields impact on cultural texts.
note: Full text available 3/1/2007 - . (Due to publisher restrictions, the most recent 12 months are not available.)
Covers literature, film, popular culture, photography and the visual arts. Attention is also given to history, the social sciences and politics, particularly insofar as these fields impact on cultural texts.
note: Full text available 3/1/2007 - . (Due to publisher restrictions, the most recent 12 months are not available.)
Journal of American Studies
Journal of American Studies seeks to critique and interrogate the notion of "America", pursuing this through international perspectives on the history, literature, politics and culture of the United States.
note: Full text available 1967 - present
Journal of American Studies seeks to critique and interrogate the notion of "America", pursuing this through international perspectives on the history, literature, politics and culture of the United States.
note: Full text available 1967 - present
American Memory 
American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity. These materials, from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America, serving the public as a resource for education and lifelong learning.
American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity. These materials, from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America, serving the public as a resource for education and lifelong learning.
Ethnic NewsWatch
Ethnic NewsWatch includes journals, magazines, and newspapers from ethnic and minority presses, providing researchers access to essential, often overlooked perspectives. The complete Ethnic NewsWatch provides a full-text collection of more than 2.5 million articles from over 330 titles. Ethnicities include: African American/Caribbean/African; Arab/Middle Eastern; Asian/Pacific Islander; European/Eastern European; Hispanic; Jewish; Native People.
Dates of Coverage: 1959-
Ethnic NewsWatch includes journals, magazines, and newspapers from ethnic and minority presses, providing researchers access to essential, often overlooked perspectives. The complete Ethnic NewsWatch provides a full-text collection of more than 2.5 million articles from over 330 titles. Ethnicities include: African American/Caribbean/African; Arab/Middle Eastern; Asian/Pacific Islander; European/Eastern European; Hispanic; Jewish; Native People.
Dates of Coverage: 1959-
ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the U.S.
The Statistical Abstract of the U.S. is a comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. Use the Abstract as a convenient volume for statistical reference, and as a guide to sources of more information both in print and on the Web.
The Statistical Abstract of the U.S. is a comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. Use the Abstract as a convenient volume for statistical reference, and as a guide to sources of more information both in print and on the Web.
American Studies Association
The American Studies Association is the nation’s oldest and largest association devoted to the interdisciplinary study of American culture and history.
The American Studies Association is the nation’s oldest and largest association devoted to the interdisciplinary study of American culture and history.
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