Research Guides: Cultural Studies: Finding Sources

Background sources

Dictionary of Critical Theory (2nd ed.) by Ian Buchanan
ISBN: 9780191836305
Publication Date: 2018
The most authoritative and up-to-date dictionary of critical theory available, covering the Frankfurt school, cultural materialism, cultural studies, gender studies, film studies, literary theory, hermeneutics, historical materialism, Internet studies, and sociopolitical critical theory.
Culture and Society: an introduction to cultural studies by David Oswell
ISBN: 9781847877536
Publication Date: 2006-01-01
Through a series of well-judged and historically nuanced readings of cultural, social theory and critical philosophy, this book provides just the bridge between cultural studies and wider debates that we need.

International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences This link opens in a new window
Includes general entries and bibliographies by subjects.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
Contains encyclopedia entries on topics such as art & architecture, classics, food & drink, history, literature, performing arts, religion and philosophy.

Ulrichsweb This link opens in a new window
Information about serials of all types from around the world; records include ISSN, title, publisher, online availability, language, subject area, abstracting & indexing coverage, searchable tables of contents, and full-text reviews.

America: History and Life This link opens in a new window
This is a unique database that includes articles, books, and dissertations on the culture and history of the United States.
Art Full Text This link opens in a new window
The main database for Art and Art History Research. Covers all time periods and all geographies. Articles from 1929-present
Social Sciences Full Text This link opens in a new window
A great database for beginning research on topics in anthropology, sociology, psychology, political science and many other disciplines in the social sciences.
Black Studies Center This link opens in a new window
The primary database for black studies, including scholarly essays, recent periodicals, and historical newspaper articles.
Chicano Database This link opens in a new window
Major database for identifying research literature in the social sciences and humanities about Chicanos/Latinos.
GenderWatch This link opens in a new window
The primary database for scholarship in gender and women's studies.

Primary sources are sources that were published during the time period you're studying. They can be:

Newspapers and magazines:

Los Angeles Times (current) This link opens in a new window
Complete full-text content of local and regional news (1985-present). Does not include ads.
America's News This link opens in a new window
Complete full-text content of local and regional news. Includes Los Angeles Times. Paid advertisements are excluded.
Women's Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
Includes full text of: Better Homes & Gardens (1922 to 2005), Chatelaine (1928 to 2005), Cosmopolitan (1965-1993), Essence (1970-1977), Good Housekeeping (1885 to 2005), Ladies’ Home Journal (1883 to 2005), Parents (1926 to 2005), Redbook (1903 to 2005), Seventeen (1970-2003), Women’s Day (1937-2001)
Ethnic Newswatch This link opens in a new window
Full text articles from newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic and minority press.

Non-fiction writing and personal accounts:

Black Thought and Culture This link opens in a new window
Includes approximately 100,000 pages of non-fiction writings such as monographs, letters, speeches, interviews, etc. by major figures in Black America, covering 250 years of history.

Art and images:

ARTstor This link opens in a new window
Digital library of over 1 million art images; includes architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, and design.
Associated Press Images Collection This link opens in a new window
Contains more than 500,000 images from the Associated Press current collections and archives. Photographs include those of historical figures, political leaders, sports greats, and celebrities. There are also images from significant news and features events of the 20th century, such as World War II, civil rights, the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, and space exploration.

Graduate dissertations and theses are excellent sources for scholarship in cultural studies. Be advised, though, that they are not peer-reviewed.

Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window
Dissertations and theses from 1861 - present from US, UK and Irish academic institutions. Many are full text.
Theses and dissertations from the Claremont Colleges This link opens in a new window
Theses and dissertations from the Claremont Colleges. Some are open access, some have embargoed access to the full text, some are available only on campus IP range.