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English and Comparative Literary Studies: Databases

A subject guide to the Library for students, researchers and staff in English and Comparative Literary Studies

Why use databases?

Databases are the best way of finding peer-reviewed articles, scholarly books, conferences, theses and other academic information on your topic. They help you to avoid non-scholarly sources that could be inappropriate for your assignments Some databases enable you to search across disciplines while others are tailored to help researchers in your specific subject. 

Use our database list to explore databases for your subject or to find databases by material type (e.g. newspapers). 

Key Primary Source Databases

Gale Primary Sources

 Provides access to over 2 centuries of unique and rare newspapers, books, manuscripts, maps and photographs.

Digital Theatre +

 Provides access to high-definition films of British theatre productions from companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Old Vic.

Key Secondary Source Databases

MLA International Bibliography

One of the best databases for indexing secondary literature from books, journals, theses etc in English studies.

ProQuest one literatureProQuest One Literature

A very comprehensive database for literary studies, containing  scholarly articles from over 1,200 journals, book reviews, chapters and books.

Library Search

Library Search

Database Spotlight

ProQuest One Literature

A huge database for English studies, with 500,000 primary works and millions of works of secondary literature from journals, monographs, and dissertations. Use for critical works, reference works, book reviews and out of copyright primary texts. It also includes:

  • the World Literature Collection, with texts by authors of over 65 nationalities
  • the Black Writing Collection on the African, Caribbean and African Diasporic experience from the 18th century to the present day.

                                                                            ProQuest one literature

Newspaper Databases

Nexis Uni

Contains full-text access to current newspapers (1980s to present) from across the world, as well as UK national and local newspapers.

ProQuest one literatureProQuest Historical Newspapers

Access to scanned images of newspapers, including: The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Times of India and Le Monde.

Gale Primary Sources

 Includes the archives of national UK newspapers, such as the Times, the Financial Times,  the Daily Mail and the London Illustrated News

Don't use Google!

Here from some Warwick students, with their tips on effective research!

Library Online Courses

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Library online courses

Find out about the online courses we offer for all students to help develop both your wider academic skills and skills in using the Library for your research.