LibGuides: English: effective library research for dissertations: Find: research databases

Finding resources using the A- Z Databases list

You can scroll through the A-Z list and choose a database if you know exactly what you are looking for.

You can select your subject from the drop down subject menu to see a subset of resources in that category.

The subject listings will highlight the 'core resources'; these are key databases that are likely to be of interest to anyone studying and researching in that area.

Your Subject LibGuide will also highlight recommended databases for you to explore.

You can select a database type from the drop down type menu to see a subset of resources in that category.

For example, you may want to focus on news, official publications or reference works databases.

Databases provide access to scholarly research, including journal articles, conference proceedings and books.

These are some of the key research databases for English:

Proquest One Literature

JSTOR

MLA International Bibliography

Gale Research Complete (Gale Literature)

About Databases

What is a database?

Research databases enable you to see what has been published in the area you are researching. They contain detailed records of thousands of journal articles, book references and conference proceedings. These records usually include the article title, authors, abstract (a brief summary), keywords (to enable your search to find it) and more.

Why should I use a database?

They are a valuable way of searching for published scholarly research across a wide number of sources
You can build complex searches using sophisticated search interfaces. There will be plenty of options to refine your searches, ensuring that the results are likely to be relevant to your needs
They contain huge numbers of records, and thus provide comprehensive subject coverage
They also provide frequent (often daily) indexing, and so are very up to date

There are many different databases. Their interfaces will all vary, and they may use different terminology.

However, they all have similar features. Once you are familiar with these, you'll be able to find your way around different databases. You can see the main features in the examples below.

This is what a standard database interface looks like:

Once you click the Search button, the results page appears:

It is important to note:

Some databases provide full text access to the articles themselves.
Some databases are primarily indexes or bibliographic databases, and although they provide information about the content of a journal article, they may not provide full-text access to the actual article itself.
Some databases are a mixture of full-text and indexed/bibliographic access.

So, when searching databases, be prepared for an extra step.

After finding a relevant article or book you need to check whether you have access to that item, either in print or in full-text online. Many of the databases will have a Check for this at Exeter button; clicking on this link will check whether we have access to the item.

In some cases, material you want to consult may not be available to you at Exeter.

You will be using vast literature databases which feature many millions of resources from around the world. There are a number of options that may be of assistance to connect you with the information you need.

D ocument Delivery Service

This service can be used to request books/journal articles from other libraries.

Student Book Suggestion Scheme

Students can make book suggestions to the Library. Submit requests online and they will be reviewed by the library. If the book is unlikely to be used by others after your dissertation work, then you may be directed to the Document Delivery scheme instead, for short term access to material.

Library Hub Discover

Use this service to search across the book and journal collections of the UK research and specialist libraries.

You can search to see if copies of books/journals are available in other libraries that you could visit whilst at home over the vacation, or by a special trip. Always check the access requirements before you travel, if you wish to visit another library. Find out more about visiting other libraries.

Which resources do I use?

As well as these research databases, there is a vast collection of other resources that you may want to consider in your research.

To help you identify which resources will be useful to you, take a look at the following tabs. You can find out more information about how to search the resources by visiting the English: which resources do I use? guide.

Early English Books Online (EEBO) This link opens in a new window Full text digital versions of nearly every work printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and British North America, spanning from 1473 to 1700, plus works in English printed elsewhere. The collection includes pamphlets, books, broadsheets, manuscripts and periodicals.
Literature Online - Now part of ProQuest One Literature This link opens in a new window Collection of 20th Century English Poetry, 20th Century Drama, 20th Century American Poetry literature, literary criticism, and reference works.
Parker Library On the Web This link opens in a new window Digitised images of rare Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and early printed books from the historic Parker Library collection at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
English Poetry 2nd Edition This link opens in a new window Archive of English verse, including works produced in former colonial countries and lesser known poets. Use for textual and historical analysis of English poetry.
Early European Books: Collections1-4 This link opens in a new window Digitised images of most of the early printed books in Europe from before 1701. Content is in the original language.

Oxford Scholarly Editions Online This link opens in a new window Full text major works of poetry, prose and drama. Classical Latin and Greek literature, plus literature from the 15th to the 19th centuries are included. Read major works of literature online alongside explanatory notes and details of variations in the text.
Early English Books Online (EEBO) This link opens in a new window Full text digital versions of nearly every work printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and British North America, spanning from 1473 to 1700, plus works in English printed elsewhere. The collection includes pamphlets, books, broadsheets, manuscripts and periodicals.
Literature Online - Now part of ProQuest One Literature This link opens in a new window Collection of 20th Century English Poetry, 20th Century Drama, 20th Century American Poetry literature, literary criticism, and reference works.
Cambridge Edition of the Works of Ben Jonson Online This link opens in a new window Fully searchable version of the complete works of Ben Jonson, with accompanying textual and contextual materials.
Early English Prose Fiction This link opens in a new window English prose fiction from 1500 to 1700, including works by John Bunyan, Sir Philip Sidney, Thomas Nashe and Aphra Behn.
Parker Library On the Web This link opens in a new window Digitised images of rare Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and early printed books from the historic Parker Library collection at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
Cecil Papers‎ This link opens in a new window The Cecil Papers is a major collection of early-modern historical documents from the reigns of Elizabethan I and James I/VI. More than 150,000 pages have been digitised in full colour to create a definitive online archive of almost 30,000 manuscript documents written by some of the most significant figures of Elizabethan and Jacobean history. These are accompanied by the complete Calendar of the Cecil Papers, featuring summaries and/or transcripts of many documents and two eighteenth-century volumes of selected transcriptions.
State Papers Online This link opens in a new window Digitised manuscripts of British government papers from 1509 to 1782. Content includes correspondence, reports, memoranda, and parliamentary drafts. Parts I-IV Early Modern and Parts I-IV 18th Century available: Parts I & II: The Tudors, 1509-1603 Henry VIII-Elizabeth I . Parts III & IV: The Stuarts and Commonwealth, James I - Anne I, 1603-1714 . C18 Parts I-IV: 1714-1782, papers domestic and foreign Stuart and Cumberland papers from the Royal Archives
Enhanced access: Parts I-IV Early Modern, Parts I-IV 18th Century, Stuart and Cumberland papers now available.

Take a look at the Shakespeare resources guide for information in this area.

Oxford Scholarly Editions Online This link opens in a new window Full text major works of poetry, prose and drama. Classical Latin and Greek literature, plus literature from the 15th to the 19th centuries are included. Read major works of literature online alongside explanatory notes and details of variations in the text.
Literature Online - Now part of ProQuest One Literature This link opens in a new window Collection of 20th Century English Poetry, 20th Century Drama, 20th Century American Poetry literature, literary criticism, and reference works.
19th Century Pamphlets Collection This link opens in a new window A selection of 19th Century British pamphlets providing insight into the politics and culture of Victorian Britain.
19th Century UK Periodicals Online, Series 1 This link opens in a new window A selection of 19th Century British magazines providing insight into the emergence of modern British magazine publishing in the 19th century.
Victorian Popular Culture This link opens in a new window Primary source material relating to popular entertainment in America, Britain and Europe in the period from 1779 to 1930.
Eighteenth Century Fiction This link opens in a new window English fiction from 1700 to 1780. Including works by Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding, Eliza Haywood, Samuel Richardson, Tobias Smollett, Laurence Sterne and Jonathan Swift.
Nineteenth - Century Fiction This link opens in a new window A collection of British and Irish novels from the period 1782 to 1903. Useful for researching different genres of fiction literature.
British Theatre, Music, and Literature: High and Popular Culture - Nineteenth Century Collections Online This link opens in a new window 19th Century arts ephemera including playbills, scripts and music scores providing details of the cultural history of Britain during this period.
British Periodicals I, II, III and IV. This link opens in a new window Searchable facsimile reproductions of British periodicals published from the 17th through the early 20th centuries.
Jane Austen Manuscripts Online This link opens in a new window Online access to the collective works of Jane Austen’s fiction manuscripts.
Defining Gender This link opens in a new window UK primary source materials from 1450 to 1910 relating to the study of history, literature, sociology and education from a gendered perspective. Documents include ephemera, pamphlets & periodicals, education documents, books, personal writings, business records, government papers, ballads and literature.

Twentieth-Century English Poetry This link opens in a new window Full text database of modern and contemporary English poetry.
Faber Poetry Library This link opens in a new window Collection of poetry from influential poets of the 20th Century including Thom Gunn, Siegfried Sassoon, T.S Eliot, Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Wendy Cope and Seamus Heaney.
Literature Online - Now part of ProQuest One Literature This link opens in a new window Collection of 20th Century English Poetry, 20th Century Drama, 20th Century American Poetry literature, literary criticism, and reference works.
British Periodicals I, II, III and IV. This link opens in a new window Searchable facsimile reproductions of British periodicals published from the 17th through the early 20th centuries.
Trench Journals and Unit Magazines of the First World War This link opens in a new window Digital archive of rare magazine by and for servicemen and women of all nations during the First World War.
Women's Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window Archive of leading women’s interest consumer magazines from the late-19th century to 2005. Mainly US titles, but now expanded to include major UK titles as well. Subject coverage includes gender studies, social history, economics/marketing, media, fashion, politics, and popular culture. Collections I, II and III available.
Defining Gender This link opens in a new window UK primary source materials from 1450 to 1910 relating to the study of history, literature, sociology and education from a gendered perspective. Documents include ephemera, pamphlets & periodicals, education documents, books, personal writings, business records, government papers, ballads and literature.
Archives of Sexuality and Gender This link opens in a new window Full text archive including material on LGBTQ experiences in the 20th century, as well as rare book content focused on all sexualities. The LGBTQ collections are drawn from hundreds of international institutions and organizations, including individuals of different races, ethnicities, ages, religions & political orientations. The books cover content from the 16th to 20th centuries and are drawn from previously restricted collections and cover sex, sexuality and gender issues.
New content added: Sex and Sexuality, Sixteenth to Twentieth Century
Vogue Archive This link opens in a new window Archive of the magazine American Vogue. Includes all editions from 1892 to the present. The collection provides an insight into US fashion, culture and society.

Visit the Film Studies: effective research for dissertations libguide for further help with key resources in this area.

American Drama, 1714-1915 This link opens in a new window American dramatic works from 1714-1915.
Early American Fiction 1789 - 1875 This link opens in a new window Collection of full text first editions of American novels and short stories. Includes those by Louisa May Alcott, Herman Melville, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain, and others. Supports textual analysis of Early American fiction.
Twentieth-Century American Poetry This link opens in a new window Full text database of modern and contemporary American poetry.
Literature Online - Now part of ProQuest One Literature This link opens in a new window Collection of 20th Century English Poetry, 20th Century Drama, 20th Century American Poetry literature, literary criticism, and reference works.
American Periodicals This link opens in a new window This database contains periodicals published between 1740 and 1940, including special interest and general magazines, literary and professional journals, children's and women's magazines and many other historically-significant periodicals.

Oxford Scholarly Editions Online This link opens in a new window Full text major works of poetry, prose and drama. Classical Latin and Greek literature, plus literature from the 15th to the 19th centuries are included. Read major works of literature online alongside explanatory notes and details of variations in the text.
Literature Online - Now part of ProQuest One Literature This link opens in a new window Collection of 20th Century English Poetry, 20th Century Drama, 20th Century American Poetry literature, literary criticism, and reference works.
English Poetry 2nd Edition This link opens in a new window Archive of English verse, including works produced in former colonial countries and lesser known poets. Use for textual and historical analysis of English poetry.
African American Poetry This link opens in a new window African American poetry from 18th & 19th centuries.
Canadian Poetry This link opens in a new window Canadian poetry from the 18th to the early 20th century.
Faber Poetry Library This link opens in a new window Collection of poetry from influential poets of the 20th Century including Thom Gunn, Siegfried Sassoon, T.S Eliot, Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Wendy Cope and Seamus Heaney.
Twentieth-Century African American Poetry This link opens in a new window Full text database of modern and contemporary African American poetry.
Twentieth-Century American Poetry This link opens in a new window Full text database of modern and contemporary American poetry.
Twentieth-Century English Poetry This link opens in a new window Full text database of modern and contemporary English poetry.

African American Poetry This link opens in a new window African American poetry from 18th & 19th centuries.
Twentieth-Century African American Poetry This link opens in a new window Full text database of modern and contemporary African American poetry.
Literature Online - Now part of ProQuest One Literature This link opens in a new window Collection of 20th Century English Poetry, 20th Century Drama, 20th Century American Poetry literature, literary criticism, and reference works.
Empire Online This link opens in a new window Manuscripts, maps, essays, printed and visual historical sources on colonialism and Empire from the 16th to 20th Centuries.

See the Creative Writing subject guide for some useful resources on writing fiction, prose and poetry, and for finding literary reviews.

Artstor This link opens in a new window Digital images of arts and architecture. Use it to view artwork images and build and share image collections.
BBC Shakespeare Archive Resource This link opens in a new window Audiovisual resource. Play over 900 programmes from the BBC’s archive of Shakespeare’s plays, poems and sonnets. UK Usage Only
You will need to register for an ERA account using your @exeter.ac.uk email address. You will also need a free personal BBC account to access some materials. Follow the onscreen prompts to set up accounts.
BFI Player This link opens in a new window On demand service streaming acclaimed, landmark and archive films from across Britain and the world. The collection focuses on British and European independent films, as well as international releases. First time users need to sign up to access all subscription content for free. Returning users need to sign-in. See More.
To sign up
1. Go to https://player.bfi.org.uk/students and create an account OR sign in if you already have one by selecting 'Already have an account? Sign in'
2. Select university from the dropdown list
3. Authenticate subscription using your university log-in

Once you've set up your subscription, you can simply login on BFI Player for the remainder of this academic year.
BFI Screenonline This link opens in a new window Video, images, interviews and commentary on British film and television
Please note the Screenonline platform was maintained until 2014, but is no longer active. There is no access to any of the video clips, only the editorial text content.

On Campus access only due to licence restrictions..
Box of Broadcasts This link opens in a new window An online service for off-air recording, media streaming and archiving of TV and radio programmes from all scheduled free to air broadcast channels. BoB provides a facility for recording, creating clips and playlists of programmes.
British Council Film Collection This link opens in a new window Short documentary films made by the British Council during the 1940s, designed to show the world how Britain lived, worked and played.
British Library Sounds This link opens in a new window Sound recordings from the British Library collections. Recordings include music, drama and literature, oral history, wildlife and environmental sounds as well as an interactive sound map of regional accents and dialect.
British Pathe This link opens in a new window Archive of vintage film footage covering 20th century UK domestic and worldwide themes, events and news. Date coverage: 1897-1970
Digital Theatre Plus This link opens in a new window Filmed productions, documentaries, interviews and criticism.
Globe on Screen (Collection 1 and 2) This link opens in a new window A collection of Shakespeare’s Globe Stage productions recorded live at the Globe in high definition and surround sound. Use it to access critically acclaimed performances from leading actors, providing performance and production insights into Shakespeare’s works.