Research Guides: Music: Subject Guide: Journals & Articles

Where to Find Scholarly Sources

The library has subscriptions to databases containing scholarly articles in many subject areas, and articles from popular magazines and newspapers. Databases featured in this box are particularly useful for finding information in the field of Music. Should you need help finding sources, please consult a librarian.

Databases A-Z

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
A great starting point for research. Scholarly, multi-discipline, full-text journal database designed specifically for academic institutions. Covers the social sciences, education, computer sciences, engineering, language & linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies. Includes full-page images & color-embedded images. Contains over 13,690 indexed and abstracted journals, nearly 9,100 full-text journals, and full-text for more than 7,900 peer-reviewed journals.

Artstor NEW LINK This link opens in a new window
Online resource of more than one million high-quality images in the arts, humanities, and sciences. Also includes a set of software tools to view, present, and manage images for research and teaching purposes. Provides over 1.6 million digital images.

JSTOR: Journals, primary sources, and books This link opens in a new window
JSTOR provides electronic access to back runs of more than 2,000 important scholarly journals, more than 60,000 e-books, and over 2 million primary sources. Search by subject or browse full text of scholarly journals in the arts and humanities, social science and life sciences, to their earliest issues. Many titles extend as far back as late 19th or early 20th centuries; most recent 3-5 years not included.

Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
Full-text of hundreds of journals in the humanities, arts, and social sciences from scholarly publishers, mostly university presses. Some books also included. Provides 17 research areas ranging from Area and Ethnic Studies to Women's Studies, Gender and Sexuality.

RILM Abstracts of Music Literature This link opens in a new window
A music bibliography featuring citations, abstracts, and indexes. Covers traditional music, popular music, and classical music. Coverage of all document types begins in 1967 and Conference Proceedings goes back to 1835. Includes over 620,00 records.

Worldcat@SU has the ability to search for books, audiovisual materials, and journals as well as for articles in our most popular, multi-disciplinary databases (Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, and Project Muse).

WorldCat@SU This link opens in a new window

Video Tutorial: Worldcat Basic Search

Google Scholar - Pros & Cons

Google Scholar is an easy way to search for scholarly literature available online. Librarians encourage you to wear your 'Critical Thinking Hat' when using Google and Google Scholar.

Why? Because Google and Bing only index around 4% of the information on the web!

Sometimes, you'll hit a pay wall, asking you to buy access to articles. Don't do this. The Library can get you the articles at no cost, either through our database subscriptions or Get It! (interlibrary loan).

Gaps in content exist. The library may have access to certain volumes or articles that Google Scholar does not.

It is best to go directly to the library databases when you want to find something scholarly. Or ask a librarian for help.