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Foundation in Arts and Social Sciences

Detail from portrait of Thomas Cranmer by Gerlach Flicke

Scholarly literature

 

Library Search

You can use Library Search to search for general academic resources. It is particularly useful for finding books and journals but you can also use it to find individual journal articles.

Wills Library

Subject databases

The following academic databases are powerful tools which you can use to search across the literature for your subject area. The databases hold information about scholarly works, mostly journal articles and book chapters, and in many instances will link you through to a digital version of the full text. They will allow you to do a more in-depth and focused search compared to Library Search.

If you'd like to explore subject specific research resources in more depth, you can visit the Subject Support pages where you'll find guides to all subjects taught and researched at Bristol.

 

Key databases
Other useful databases

Library Search tutorial

Successful searching with Library Search

A self-help tutorial on using Library Search effectively to find books, articles and other resources.

Key databases

JSTOR logo

JSTOR

Major database of academic journals, books, and primary sources for humanities.

Project Muse logo

Project Muse

Humanities and social sciences journals from over 60 scholarly publishers.

Oxford Bibliographies

Oxford Bibliographies Online

Listings of the most important books and journals across a wide range of subjects. 

Tutorial: using databases

This interactive tutorial guides you through the process of using databases optimally to find information on your topic.

Special Collections

Special Collections image

The University's Special Collections encompass a wide range of material from different time periods and on numerous subjects.

Some material can be viewed online and you can consult physical items by appointment in the Special Collections Reading Room on the first floor of the Arts and Social Sciences Library.