HIST 431: Histories of the Apocalyse

Scanning the Literature

Initial use of search engines designed to access a large volume of materials can be helpful in scanning the literature about a particular research problem and obtaining an initial understanding of how scholars, journalists, and others have studied your topic of interest. The USC Libraries' search engine only accesses materials owned by the library, but it can be a good place to obtain background information from a variety of scholarly and non-scholarly sources. Google Scholar covers a much broader array of [mostly] scholarly resources but not everything you find may be accessible.

USC Libraries Search Option

The search option on the USC Libraries main web page provides a single search box with comprehensive access to print and online books, selected digital resources, and full-text journal, magazine, and newspaper articles owned by the USC Libraries or accessible online through subscriptions. Information about using the Libraries' search engine can be found here.

Google Scholar

Google Scholar provides access to mostly scholarly [i.e., peer-reviewed, academic] sources, including scholarly titles from Google Book Search. The search engine has a "Cited by" feature that allows you to track where a particular source has been subsequently cited after publication. Link to Google Scholar from USC Libraries' main web page by scrolling down under list of database "Quick Links." Information about linking into USC Libraries subscription database content so you can search for and access content in Google Scholar without having to go directly to the libraries' website can be found here.

JSTOR

An archive of core, full-text journals in the social sciences, humanities, and sciences. All journals are covered from the first issue to within approximately fours years before the present. Good source to search for locating research studies published in the past about a topic.

ProQuest

A comprehensive database that simultaneously searches hundreds of subject areas, indexes thousands of scholarly journal articles, as well as the content of major newspapers and news magazines. Contents are updated daily. A good starting point for any topic.

Descriptions of resources are adapted or quoted from vendor websites.

Specialized Databases

The databases listed below enable you to search the contents of dictionaries, handbooks, encyclopedias, and other reference books in a variety of subject areas or to find scholarly summaries of topics. These databases can be a good place to locate definitive, unbiased explanations of key concepts and topics as well as detailed descriptions of historic events.

• CQ Researcher -- provides access to original, comprehensive, single-themed analytical reports on topics in the news. The reports offer unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, the economy, and many other subject areas.
• Credo Reference -- comprehensive collection of highly-specialized reference works, primarily dictionaries and encyclopedias, across all subject areas. Good place to go for succinct definitions of concepts, theories, or topics. Very good place to begin your search for background information.
• Encyclopedia of American Studies – this resource brings together a wide range of disciplines related to the history and cultures of the United States, from pre-colonial days to the present. With over 660 online, searchable articles and biographies and accompanying bibliographies, the Encyclopedia supports research and study in a wide range of topics.
• Oxford Research Encyclopedias – contains comprehensive articles written, peer-reviewed, and edited by leading scholars. USC provides access to the ORE Encyclopedia of Social Work, Oxford Classical Dictionary, American History, Communication, Latin American History, Literature, Religion, Climate Science, Environmental Science, International Studies, Linguistics and Politics.
• Reference Universe -- database that facilitates searching the tables-of-contents and indexes in several thousand reference works and subject encyclopedias. The database can help locate specialized sources that will provide background information on a specific topic.

Descriptions of resources are adapted or quoted from vendor websites.