• Multidisciplinary Sources
• Subject-Specific Sources
• Book Review Sources
• More Help
  

Some of the resources listed below give you links to the full text of the reviews. Others will only give you the citation for the book review and it's up to you to find the publication the review is in to locate the text of the review.

For more information, consult: Where is the Text?

Multidisciplinary Sources

Academic Search Premier (dates vary, many titles to date)

• Use author's name and/or book title as keyword (or default). Type "BOOKS -- Reviews" into a search box and change drop down for that box from "Select a Field" to "SU Subject Terms."
  
• Limit your search to "Peer Reviewed" publication if you only want reviews from academic journals

Lexis Nexis Academic (dates vary, most within last 5-10 years)

• Select "News" tab. Enter the name of the book in quotes. (Add the author's name to second search box if title is also a common phrase.)
• From the "Select Sources" drop down, check "Book, Movie, Music, Play, and Video."
• Also, repeat step one and add the term "book review" in another search box. Change drop-down from anywhere in document to "headline, lead paragraph."
  

Citation Indexes (Web of Knowledge) (1969 to date)

• Choose the index you need: Science, Social Sciences and/or Arts & Humanities.
• Start with a "Cited Ref Search," searching for the author and date of publication. Limit search to "Book Reviews" using "Publication Type" drop-down menu.

JSTOR (Most recent few years may not be included)

• Advanced Search: Search for title of book as "Exact Phrase." Limit search to "reviews" or "other items."

Periodical Archive Online (18thC-1995)

• Good for older titles.
• Use author's name and book title as keywords, click "Book Reviews Only" scope.

Subject Specific Sources

Many subject databases include citations to book reviews and let you search just for reviews. Below are several key resources. You should check the Subject Research Guides for additional ideas.

Arts, Humanities, and Literature

Humanities International Complete

• Type "BOOKS -- Reviews" into a search box and change drop down for that box from "Select a Field" to "SU Subject Terms."

Humanities Citation Index (Web of Knowledge) (1969 to date)

• See instructions above under multidisciplinary sources.

Art Index (1984 to date)

• Select "Book Reviews" from Document Type drop-down menu.

America:History and Life/Historical Abstracts

• Click "Reviews" option under the search boxes.

Iter

• Select the Advanced Search option, and choose "Review" or "Review" article from the Type drop down limit options underneath the search boxes.

For the following two databases, type author and title keywords into one or two search boxes. In the third box type "book review" and change the drop down menu for that box to "Publication Type (PT)"

Philosopher's Index

ATLA

Social Sciences

Social Sciences Index

• Search for some combination of the author's last name and title as keywords. Select "Book Review" from the "Publication Type" drop down menu below the search boxes.

Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Knowledge) (1969 to date)

• See instructions above under multidisciplinary sources

For the following three databases, select "Publication Type (PT)=" and type "book review."

EconLit

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts (1975 to date)

Sociological Abstracts

Book Review Sources

We have to book review sources in print. Search individual years for author's name. For some of the years covered, we have cumulative volumes that cover a longer time period, but for most, you'll have to search individual volumes.

Once you've found the citations for the reviews, you may need to consult the list of abbreviated titles

Book Review Index (1965-present)

Book Review Digest (1905-1975)

More Help

Contact a reference librarian. We're happy to help you with this.