ARCHIVED-Searching for Book Reviews: Recommended Databases

Research Databases for locating Book Reviews

The publication date of the book you choose will determine the best source to use in locating book reviews for your title.  If you have chosen a title with a copyright date between 1980 and the Present, you may be able to locate a review of the book using one of Bush Library’s Online Databases.  These databases include:

Sources for Popular Titles or Best Sellers

Literature Resource Center (Full Text)
This database provides literary analysis, literary criticism, biographies, topic and work overviews.  You can obtain information on literary figures from all time periods writing in such genres as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, history, journalism, and more. 

Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts (LISTA)  (Full Text is available on most articles)
When you search this database, you can type in the title of the Book for which you are seeking a review, then limit your results under Document Type by designating "Book Review".

MasterFILE Premier (Full Text available)

From the Advanced Search page...

• If you know the title, type in the Title of the Book in the first search line and change the search approach to TI Title.
  (e.g. Devil in the White City)
• In the left hand column, you can narrow your results by clicking on BOOKS -- Reviews.
• You also can search by the author's name. Keep the Search approach as Select a Fieldand be sure to designate under
  Document Type:  Book Review
  (e.g. Select a Field = erik larson AND Document Type = Book Review = 58 hits.)

NOTE:  Whenever you are searching an EBSCO Database (i.e. MasterFILE Premier, LISTA), you can expand your search by clicking on the link, entitled Choose Databases by Subject.  Then click on the selection: Literature Databases.  This will increase the number of databases you are searching, thus possibly increasing the number of articles you obtain that mentions or reviews the book you are searching.

Sources for Academic or Scholarly Works

You can search the Journal, American Literature: A Journal of Literary History, Criticism & Bibliography

This Journal is available through JSTOR

• In the first search line, from the drop down menu, select Author.
• type in the Author's name. (e.g. Stephen Ambrose).
• Limit to:
  Type: Article Review Editorial Pamphlet
•  Scroll down and Select the appropriate set of Journals you would like to search. 
  (You can select which Journals to search by general Subject area.)
• The selection of the Journal categories will depend on your author's name. (i.e.: For the Author Stephen Ambrose, you would select the following subject areas:History, Language and Literature, and Political Science Journals.)

Academic Search Premier (Full Text available)

From the Advanced Search screen...

• If you know the title, type in the Title of the Book in the first search line and change the search approach to TI Title.
  (e.g. Lady and the Unicorn)
• Scroll down the screen until you see the box titled, "Document Type" in the left hand column.
• Scroll through the list of choices and select "Book Review", highlight that selection and then click on the Search button.
  (e.g. TI Title = Lady and the Unicorn AND Document Type = Book Review = 10 hits)
• You can also search by the author's name. Keep the Search approach as Select a Field.
  (e.g. Select a field = tracy chevalier AND Document Type = Book Review = 57 hits)

NOTE: These databases will provide you with some full text options.

Project Muse (Full Text)

• Click on orange Article Search tab just underneath the Project Muse logo.
• At the Advanced Article Search screen, click on the drop down Menu and select either "Author Reviewed" or "Title Reviewed".  For example:  an Author Review search for Rowling J. K., pulls up 3 results. 
• Project Muse is a full text database.

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