Research Guides: Arabic Language, Culture, &amp; Literature: Getting Started in Arabic Language, Culture, & Literature Research

Start Your Research

If you are new to conducting research:
Consider reviewing the Starting Your Research tutorial to learn the phases and processes of doing research.

Use the recommended sources below as a starting point for research in Arabic Language, Literature and Culture. For a greater selection of databases, including primary source databases, please consult the other guides listed below. And do not hesitate to contact me or make an appointment.

Main Databases for Finding Sources

For Literature & Language Studies

MLA International Bibliography with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Why search here? The main database of critical scholarship on all modern literatures and languages, also covering linguistics, folklore, film and media studies.
Content type: Scholarly articles, books, dissertations
Coverage dates: 1963-present
Language: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, etc.
Keywords: Modern Language Association
Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts (LLBA) This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Find scholarly sources on the study of language, including phonetics, morphology, syntax and semantics, and anthropological linguistics.
Content type: Abstracts of scholarly articles, books, book chapters, dissertations
Coverage dates: 1973-present
Language: English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, etc.

For History & Political Science

Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Why search here? The main index for scholarship in early modern to present day World History, excluding United States and Canadian history.
Content type: Abstracts of scholarly articles, magazine articles, dissertations and theses, books
Coverage dates: 1953-present
Language: English, French, German, Spanish, etc.
America: History and Life This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Useful for anthropological and historical research concerning the United States and Canada from pre-history to the present.
Content type: Scholarly articles, magazine articles, dissertations, conference proceedings, books
Coverage dates: 1914-present
Language: English, French, Russian, German, Spanish, etc.
Worldwide Political Science Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Discover abstracts and citations from leading political science journals.
Content type: Abstracts and citations for scholarly articles, monographs, magazine articles, dissertations, theses
Coverage dates: 1975-present
Worldwide Political Science Abstracts is the electronic counterpart and continuation of the print publication Political Science Abstracts.
Language: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German
Early Arabic Printed Books from the British Library This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Good for in-depth exploration of a wide range of early printed materials from the Arabic speaking world in this full-text searchable database.
Content type: Primary sources, books
Coverage dates: 1470-1900
Digitized historical sources in Arabic and other languages that range from religion and law, to science, history and geography. Full text searching is available for works in Arabic, English, French, German, and Latin. All texts include both English and Arabic subject keywords, and a keyboard for searching in Arabic is included.
Language: Arabic, English, Latin, French, Indic Languages, Persian, German, Hebrew, etc.

For Religious Studies

ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials PLUS This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Main database for scholarship on the subjects of religious studies, theology, and philosophy.
Content type: Scholarly articles, book reviews, abstracts
Coverage dates: 1949-present
Language: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Korean, etc.
Keywords: American Theological Library Association Collection
Index Islamicus This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Find scholarly articles and books on Islam and the Muslim World.
Content type: Abstracts of scholarly articles, books
Coverage dates: 1906-present
Language: English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, etc.

For Current Events & Popular Articles

Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Search here for comprehensive coverage of news and current events, government, business, medical, and legal topics, as well as general reference information.
Content type: Newspaper articles, trade journal articles, broadcast transcripts, financial reports, federal and state case law, medical abstracts, corporate profiles
Coverage dates: 1980-present
Language: English, Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Portuguese
Keywords: Lexis Nexis
Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Good starting point when researching topics that intersect with multiple disciplines.
Content type: Scholarly articles, newspaper articles, magazine articles, trade journal articles
Coverage dates: 1887-present; varies by title
Language: English, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish, French, Chinese, Arabic etc.
Keywords: ASP

Browsing the Stacks

Library Search!
Provides access to resources owned by the Claremont Colleges Library, and to millions of resources from other libraries worldwide. In addition to physical materials housed in the library, Library Search also provides access to online sources (eBooks, articles, dissertations, and streaming video and audio).
Advanced Library Search
The Library Search can also be used to find literature and historical sources in Italian or in translation. Use the "Language" and "Location" drop-down menus to limit to language or to a specific location such as Special Collections.

You can also browse for books in the Multi-Tier Stacks following these call number ranges:

PJ6001- PJ7976

PJ6001-8517 (Arabic)

PJ6073-7144 (Arabic Language)

PJ6690-6697 (Ancient Arabic)

PJ6701-6901 (Modern Arabic dialects)

PJ6950-7144 (South Arabian)

PJ6950-6981 (Ancient South Arabian)

PJ7051-7144 (Modern South Arabian)

PJ7501-8517 (Arabic literature)

PJ7695.8-7976 (Individual authors or works)

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Arts and Humanities Librarian

Adam Rosenkranz

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