Using Article Databases
Finding scholarly articles in article databases is a multi-step process:
1. Decide which one to use. There is no database devoted exclusively to articles on science fiction and speculative fiction, but the ones listed below should give you plenty of results. You can also browse a list of the Library's databases organized by subject or alphabetically if you want to branch out into disciplines like religion, film, gender studies, and so on.
2. Always use the Advanced Search option.
3. Databases don't like full sentences! Build your search using a few words that best describe the main concepts of your topic. These are your "keywords." See box at right for some keyword ideas.
4. Select whichever filters are appropriate but do not click "full text" as one of the filters because this will severely limit your results. See #5 below.
5. If the full text of an article is not available in the database itself, use the 
link. This will take you to the online article on another platform or, if we don't have access to the online version, it will offer you an option to order it through Interlibrary Loan (ILL).
4. Most article databases allow you to save, email, cite, download, or export citations or full articles.
Recommended Databases for ENGL 192 SC
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowCovers all disciplines with an impressive depth. Includes non-scholarly sources like magazines, which may be appropriate depending on your topic; if not, use the filters to limit to academic journals.
- America: History and Life This link opens in a new window
Contains citations to articles on the history of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Covers over 2,000 journals published worldwide. Includes selected historical journals from major countries, state and local history journals, and a targeted selection of hundreds of journals in the social sciences and humanities.
- Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new windowIndexes ethnic, minority, and native press, so in addition to articles you'll find magazine and newspaper pieces.. Be sure to click "scholarly journals" if that's what you are looking for.
- FIAF International Index to Film Periodicals This link opens in a new window
Contains citations from academic and popular film journals.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Includes full text of journals and books in a wide range of subject areas. Also includes high-quality primary sources and images from around the world, including artworks, maps, photographs, and more (including those from Artstor).
- Literature Online (LION) This link opens in a new windowArticles in this database are sourced from ABELL, an index that is widely regarded as one of the most important bibliographical sources for literary studies. It includes quite a bit of material that is not indexed in MLA, including book reviews, so it's worth exploring both.
To limit your search to scholarly articles, use the Advanced Search and scroll to the bottom of the page to choose "criticism" under Content Type. - MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new windowMLAIB has long been the gold standard for research in literary studies; however, it is by no means the only index you should use, especially if your topic is multi-disciplinary.
- Periodicals Index Online This link opens in a new windowExcellent source for historical and international perspectives on your topic. PIO indexes articles published worldwide in the humanities, arts, social sciences, psychology, and geography. Coverage is from 1665-1995.
- Project Muse This link opens in a new window
Provides access to essential humanities and social science research. Hosts journals and books from leading university presses, scholarly societies, and related publishers. Note that UCSB does not subscribe to all of the journals or books on the Project Muse platform; items whose full text is accessible are denoted by a green check mark.
- Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new windowCovers the latest research in sociology and related disciplines.
Keyword Suggestions
afrofuturism
afrocentrism
alternate history
alternative history
cyberfiction
cyberpunk
heroic fantasy
horror fiction
occult fiction
paranormal romance
planetary romance
science fantasy
scientific romance
scientifiction
slipstream
space opera
speculative fiction
steampunk
supernatural fiction
sword and sorcery
transrealism
uchronia
weird fiction