Most Commonly Used Databases in Chinese Studies
Comprehensive Databases
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China Research Gateway (CRG) This link opens in a new window CRG is a centralized means for discovery and access to a breadth of Chinese resources, including scholarly journals, monographs, statistical publications, government documents, newspapers, dissertations, patents, and more.
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Duxiu (Chinese Google Scholar) This link opens in a new window Known as the Chinese Google Scholar, Duxiu provides access to a huge amount of full-text scholarly resources in all subjects and formats, such as books, theses & dissertations, journal & newspaper articles, conference papers, etc. For instructions about how to request full-text content from the database, paste this link in the browser https://libraries.usc.edu/sites/default/files/duxiu_instructions.pdf
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China Academic Digital Associative Library (CADAL) 大学数字图书馆国际合作计划 This link opens in a new window Includes over 2.5 million scanned books, newspapers, journals, video, audio books, etc. from all periods of Chinese history. The titles are not full-text searchable, but they provide tables of contents for easy navigation and virtual loan. Also provides access to some other resources, such as calligraphy, chronicle of Chinese literature, and Chinese medicine. Please note that you need to create an individual account using USC email address with the site in order to use their online reading and virtual borrowing functionalities for each title. Please refer to their FAQ section for more instructions.
Books
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Chinamaxx Digital Libraries 中文集献 This link opens in a new window Contains a growing collection of Chinese e-books published in mainland China. To access the e-book collection, please click the link “click to enter” on the homepage, and then click the subject areas listed under the “SuperStar Digital Library” section to browse and read titles acquired by USC libraries.
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CNKI eBooks This link opens in a new window CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) e-books are a collection of high-quality, academic, and historical e-books from China, offering researchers access to a vast selection of scholarly and historical content from China's leading publishers.
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iRead eBooks 華藝電子書 This link opens in a new window Includes a growing collection of e-books published in Taiwan and Hong Kong acquired by the USC libraries.
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HathiTrust This link opens in a new window Scans of public domain books across all subject areas which can be downloaded in their entirety. To enable downloads, please click the “Log In” button and select “University of Southern California” from the dropdown list. You will then be prompted for your USC NetID and password and validated via Shibboleth. You will also find records for works still in copyright, but these can only be searched, not viewed or downloaded.
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WorldCat (OCLC FirstSearch) This link opens in a new window Provides millions of bibliographic records describing items owned by libraries around the world. Item records provide information about individual library holdings. Types of materials include books, journals, musical scores, computer data files, magazines, newspapers, computer programs, sound recordings, films and slides, maps, videotapes, and manuscripts written as early as the 12th century. Updated daily.
Journals
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China Academic Journals This link opens in a new window The key source for searching scholarly journal literature published in mainland China, with many full-text articles dating back as early as 1915.
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Wanfang China Online Journals This link opens in a new window Includes thousands of Chinese journals in the humanities and social sciences from mainland China from 1997 on. Also includes select monographic series titles, such as 元史及民族与边疆研究集刊, 藏外佛教文献, etc.
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Airiti Library: Journals & Theses This link opens in a new window Provides full-text access to academic journals, theses and dissertations from Taiwan (mostly), mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and other countries in all disciplines.
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Pishu (China Economy, Public Policy, and Security Database) This link opens in a new window 'Pishu' (皮书, which literally means ‘cover-books’) are high-value analytical reports intended to guide policymaking in the People’s Republic of China. They are published by the prestigious Social Sciences Academic Press, a branch of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Covered topics include a variety of issues of importance to China's government and research community, including international relations, agricultural policy, and industry competitiveness. They may be considered somewhat analogous to United States Congressional Research Service reports and analysis reports published by the RAND Corporation.
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Late Qing/Republican Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window Developed by the Shanghai Library, Late Qing/Republican Periodicals Database provides full-text access to thousands of periodicals and magazines published in China from 1833 to 1949. Only 1 user is allowed to access the database at one time.
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Bibliography of Asian Studies (BAS) This link opens in a new window This bibliography is intended for students and scholars interested in any aspect, discipline or sub-region of Asia. Through its extensive bibliographical coverage, it is an excellent means for discovering citations and the full-text of Western-language journal articles, review articles, conference proceedings and chapters in edited volumes and Festschriften published anywhere in the world that deal with East, Southeast and South Asia and with the overseas Asian communities.. Provded by EBSCO.
Newspapers
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China Core Newspapers Database (CCND) This link opens in a new window Includes newspaper articles from nearly 1,000 newspaper titles published in mainland China since 2000.
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People's Daily (1946-Present) This link opens in a new window The authoritative newspaper and the official voice of the Chinese government and the Communist Party of China.
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Jiefangjun Bao (PLA Daily) This link opens in a new window The People's Liberation Army Daily, 解放军报, (PLA Daily) published since 1956, stands as a repository of military news and related information emanating from China's authoritative military establishment. As the official newspaper of the Central Military Commission, the PLA Daily not only chronicles the evolving narrative of China's military affairs but also extends into broader policy realms, mirroring and influencing public discourse in alignment with the Chinese Communist Party's ideological framework. Owned and operated by the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission, PLA Daily, with its collection of editorials, news stories, and military communications, presents an academic and analytical platform for scholars, policy analysts, and anyone keen on exploring the military narrative of China from its official military media outlet.
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Global Times (1993-Present) This link opens in a new window Global Times is a daily newspaper focusing on international relations and foreign affairs. It is an essential indicator of Chinese foreign policies. 2 users access.
Statistics
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China Statistical Yearbooks Database (CSYD) This link opens in a new window Provides access to statistical data published by the mainland Chinese government at all levels from 1949 to the present.
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China Yearbooks Full-text Database (CYFD) This link opens in a new window Provides access to facts and statistics of national and regional significance in mainland China from 1949 to present.
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National Population Census of China (NPCC) This link opens in a new window This database includes Chinese census data at national and local levels from 1982 to 2010.
Historical Sources
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Diaolong Full-text Database of Chinese & Japanese Ancient Books This link opens in a new window Diaolong Full-text Database of Chinese & Japanese Ancient Books is a project based on collaboration among scholars and experts from China, Japan, and Taiwan. It is one of the most comprehensive collections of Chinese and Japanese ancient books. It contains about 30,000 ancient books covering historical, political, economic, religious, philosophic, literary, ethnic and geographic documents.
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Scripta Sinica 漢籍全文資料庫 This link opens in a new window Developed by the Academia Sinica in Taiwan, the Scripta Sinica database 漢籍電子文獻資料庫 contains almost all of the important Chinese classics, especially those related to Chinese history. Click on "授權使用" button to access the database.
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Wenshi Ziliao (Literary and Historical Materials) Series I This link opens in a new window Includes 20,000+ volumes and 650,000+ articles of Chinese literary and historical materials compiled by the national and local government agencies mostly during the 1980s and 1990s. To access the database, please click the link “click to enter” on the homepage, then click “文史资料专题库 (第一期)" under “SuperStar specialty” section, and then you will then be able to browse and search the wenshi ziliao collection.
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Database of Chinese New Local Gazetteers 中国新方志 This link opens in a new window Local gazetteers are regarded by scholars and historians in the China field as one of the most important primary sources for the study of history of Chinese economy, politics, culture, military, and science and technology. This database includes a large collection of post-1949 local gazetteers covering all regions of mainland China and various subject areas.
Theses & Dissertations
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China Doctoral Dissertations/Masters' Theses Full-text Database (CDMD) This link opens in a new window Includes dissertations and theses in humanities and social sciences from major universities and institutions in mainland China.
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Wanfang Dissertations of China This link opens in a new window Contains full text and abstracts of theses and dissertations in the humanities and social sciences from key research institutions in mainland China.
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Airiti Library: Journals & Theses This link opens in a new window Provides full-text access to academic journals, theses and dissertations from Taiwan (mostly), mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and other countries in all disciplines.
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ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window Database of dissertations and theses, including more than 1 million available full-text (PDF).
Related Guides
Chinese Studies Librarian
Tang LI 李唐
Contact:
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions related to Chinese studies.
Office: Doheny Memorial Library, 109A
Office: Doheny Memorial Library, 109A
Phone: 213 740 8548
Website
Subjects: Asia