Note: To search this page for resources that are in Asian languages, use the Find function in your web browser (Control+F on a PC, Apple+F on a Mac) and search for Asian Language Resource.

In this guide:

• Finding Books
  • Strategies
  • Resources for Finding Books
  • Books
• Finding Articles
  • Journal Articles
  • Newspaper Articles
• Web Sites
• Going Abroad? Doing Qualitative Research?
  

Getting Help:

• Schedule a research consultation
• Email Iris
• Chat with Iris
  (Don't AIM? Try this instead.)

Finding Books

Strategies

There are many ways to locate books that are relevant to your research topic.

• One strategy for finding useful books is to do a simple keyword search in a library catalog and browse your results to find a few books that look relevant. Open up the record for these books and scroll down the page to look at the "Subjects." These are standardized terms which you can then use in an advanced search. Enter the terms into the search box and select "Subject contains" from the drop-down menu. This will gather together books that are about the same topic.
• A second strategy is to locate reference books in your area. Look up your topic to see what terms they use (these could make good keyword searches) and scan their bibliographies. Reference books on Asian Studies, Asian History, and Asian Literature are located in these call numbers:
  • DS 561-589 (Thai History and Culture)
  • DS 701-799.9 (Chinese History and Culture)
  • DS 801-897 (Japanese History and Culture)
  • DS 901-937 (Korean History and Culture)
  • PL 493-459 (East Asian Language and Literature)
  • PL 501-898 (Japanese Language and Literature)
  • PL 908-998 (Korean Language and Literature)
  • PL 1001-3397 (Chinese Language and Literature)

• Another way to find relevant books is to browse the shelves near the useful books you've already identified because books are arranged on the shelf in subject order.
• A fourth strategy is to look at the bibliography of books you have already identified as useful. Authors may cite other useful books on similar topics to yours.

Resources

• BRIDGE (English, Japanese, Chinese)
  Look here for books and other resources available from Carleton and St. Olaf. To look for Asian-language items, go to the Advanced Search page, scroll down to the "Language" option, and select the appropriate language. You will have to type your search terms in English or transliterated form. [Asian Language Resource]
• WorldCat (English, Japanese, Chinese)
  Look here for books and other resources available from many libraries in the United States and some libraries outside of the United States (including foreign language resources, just select the appropriate language from the "Language" option in the middle of the page). When you have identified an item you would like to use, first check Bridge to make sure we don't have access through St. Olaf. If the item does not appear in Bridge, you can order it through Illiad, our Inter-Library Loan system. [Asian Language Resource]
• Du Xiu Book Search (Chinese - Simplified)
  This catalog searches Chinese-language books. When you have identified an item you would like to use, check Bridge to see if we have it. [Asian Language Resource]
• WebCat Plus (Japanese)
  For Japanese-language books, look here. When you have identified an item you would like to use, check Bridge to see if we have it. [Asian Language Resource]
• National Diet Library (Japanese)
  National Diet Library (English)
  For more Japanese-language books, look here. If you would like to search in English, try the English mirror site. When you have identified an item you would like to use, check Bridge to see if we have it. [Asian Language Resource]

Reference Books

• Bibliography of Asian Studies
  (ref DS501 .B49)
  Use the bibliography and index of each volume to find out what was written on specific topics each year from 1960 to 1991. If you find relevant entries and want to find out what has been written recently, search one of the catalogs for one or more of the books in this bibliography, scan their subject headings, and search for more books having those subject headings. Alternatively, you can search the Web of Knowledge to see who has cited your example books recently.
  
• The Cambridge History of China
  (Ref DS735 .C3145)
  This history begins with the first imperial regimes and proceeds to the late 20th century. It's essays are quite lengthy and include copious bibliographical citations. It does not include such topics as the history of Chinese art and literature. Use the table of contents and index to navigate these volumes.
• Encyclopedia of Modern Asia
  (Ref DS4 .E53 2002)
  Without assuming Asian unity or uniformity, this six-volume encyclopedia covers a broad range of topics, including politics, economics, education, the arts, international relations, and the like. Articles are signed and include bibliographical references.
  
• The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Japanese Culture
  (Ref DS822.5 .E516 2002)
  The signed articles and bibliographic references focus on Japan since the end of World War II (with historical context). If you don't want to browse the alphabetical list of entries, use the thematic entry list at the beginning and the index at the end to navigate by subject.

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Finding Articles

Journal Articles

Some databases provide access to the full text of the journal article while others index the articles and provide access to the article citation. If you find a citation but not the full text, check Bridge and Find Electronic Journals to see if we subscribe to the journal and have the issue that contains the article.

To search for journals that deal with Asian Studies, try searching the Bridge for the subject "Asia -- Periodicals"

To search for articles, try one of the databases below.

English Language Databases

• Bibliography of Asian Studies (English)
  Indexes articles from 1971 to the present.
• Historical Abstracts
  Indexes and abstracts articles from 1955 to the present. To search for articles in Asian languages go to the Advanced Search page and type in the name of the appropriate language in the "Language" box. [Asian Language Resource]
  To find articles in Asian Languages:
  
  1. Select the appropriate language from the "Language" choice box near the bottom right-hand side of the main search screen.
     
  2. Enter your search terms in English.
• JSTOR (English)
  Covers 15 Asian Studies periodicals in full text from the first issues of the journals through 5 years ago.
• MLA International Bibliography
  Indexes articles from 1963 to the present. To search for articles in Asian languages type in the name of the appropriate language in the "Language" box. [Asian Language Resource]
  To find articles in Asian languages:
  1. Type the language name into one of the search boxes and select "Language, LA=" from the dropdown box that normally says "Anywhere."
  2. Enter search terms in English.
     
• PAIS International
  Indexes and abstracts articles of a political or sociological nature. Covers 1972 to the present. To search for articles in Asian languages type in the name of the appropriate language in the search box and then select "Language" from the drop-down menu. [Asian Language Resource]
  To find articles in Asian languages:
  1. Type the language name into one of the search boxes and select "Language, LA=" from the dropdown box that normally says "Anywhere."
  2. Enter search terms in English.
     
• Periodicals Archive Online
  Indexes over 100 journals in Asian Studies (including central and southern Asia).
• Project Muse (English)
  Covers 7 full text journals dealing with East Asian Studies.
• Humanities International Complete
  Includes several full text journals dealing with Asian Studies.
  
• Sociological Abstracts
  Indexes and abstracts articles from 1963 through the present. To search for articles in Asian languages type in the name of the appropriate language in the search box and then select "Language" from the drop-down menu. [Asian Language Resource]
  To find articles in Asian languages:
  1. Type the language name into one of the search boxes and select "Language, LA=" from the dropdown box that normally says "Anywhere."
  2. Enter search terms in English.
     

Chinese Language Databases

• Chinese Academic Journals (Chinese - Simplified)
  Click on "Visitor" button to search article citations in Chinese. [Asian Language Resource]
• Dragon Source (Chinese - Simplified)
  [Asian Language Resource]
  

Japanese Language Databases

• Zasshi Kiji Sakuin (Japanese)
  Zasshi Kiji Sakuin (English)
  Click on the link that says "Search the Japanese Periodical Index" to search this database. [Asian Language Resource]

Newspaper Articles

• LexisNexis Academic (English)
  Includes thousands of newspapers from around the world.
  
• ProQuest Newsstand Complete (English)
  This database includes many familiar news sources from East Asia. You can specify particular sources by clicking on "Publications" near the top of the screen and then searching for the publication by title, or by entering the title of the publication into the main search box and selecting "Publication Title" from the drop-down box to the right of the search box.
• CRL (Center for Research Libraries) Foreign Newspaper Search
  We are able to request microfilm sets from CRL. If you find something you want to see, simply fill out an interlibrary loan request. [Asian Language Resource]
  To find articles in Asian languages:
  
  1. Select a language from the "Language" drop-down box.
  2. Select "Newspapers" from the "Collection" drop-down box.
  3. Enter your search terms (in Roman characters) and click "Search."
     

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Web Sites

• Internet Guide for Chinese Studies
  Published by the Sinological Institute, Leiden University, Netherlands
  This gateway collects free web resources for Chinese Studies. It is maintained by the Sinological Institute, Leiden University, in the Netherlands.
• JGuide
  Published by Stanford University
  Stanford University maintains this site, collecting links to free web resources Japanese Studies.
• Chinese Pamphlets
  Digital collection of political pamphlets and mass education pamphlets (1947-1954). [Asian Language Resource]
• Digital South Asian Library
  Rich source of images, maps, statistics, books, journals, and more from colonial times to the present in several language. [Asian Language Resource]
  

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Going Abroad? Doing Qualitative Research?

Check out this book as you plan your research. Or, after you've done your research, use this book to help you determine how to use your information effectively.

• Designing Qualitative Research
  REF H62 .M277 2006
  There is a particularly helpful table (Table 4.1) on page 133 that summarizes the strengths and uses of different kinds of data collection methods.
  

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