LibGuides: English Subject Guide: Databases

Specific Databases

Academic Search Complete
Our largest interdisciplinary database, containing full text and bibliographic content from a wide range of academic disciplines. This database makes up the core of Central Search.
Humanities Source
A valuable full-text database covering literary, scholarly and creative thought. It provides full text, indexing and abstracts for the most noted scholarly sources in the humanities.
JSTOR
One of the largest databases in the world, JSTOR includes a collection of full-text scholarly journals across multiple disciplines, multimedia including images and audio, and primary sources.
Magill's Literary Annuals
Collections of book reviews and supplemental materials organized by year.
New Play Exchange
Over 45,000 new drama by over 10,000 living playwrights-- the world's largest! Please contact Library staff for username and password to access.
Oxford English Dictionary
The OED is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words - past and present - from across the English-speaking world.

Search Guides

JSTOR Language and Literature Guide
This guide created by JSTOR provides more information about searching for language and literature sources in the JSTOR database.

Walt Whitman, half-length portrait, seated, facing left, wearing hat and sweater, holding butterfly

Walt Whitman holding a butterfly | Library of Congress | Free to Use and Reuse Collection

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(Start banner image courtesy of brgfx on Freepik)

Searching Skills - Central Search Quick Reference Guide This two-page handout introduces database search structure and acts as a quick reference guide to the limiters, links, and tools embedded in Central Search

What is Central Search?

Central Search is CMU's general-use database that compiles results from the library catalog and most of the subject-specific databases to which Smiley Memorial Library subscribes. In the massive Central Search collection, you can find academic peer-reviewed journals, eBooks, books, trade journals, newspaper articles, magazines, online resources, and more. It is your one-stop shop for most of your research needs! Please see Frequently Asked Questions about Library Databases for more information on Central Search and other library databases.

Database Help

Need Tips on How to Search Library Databases?

Are you not sure where or how to start searching library databases? Check out our Introduction to Research Skills guide's Form a Search Strategy and Search Tips pages. As always, you can also reach out to a librarian for assistance.

Documentaries, Videos, and Clips

Films on Demand

Films on Demand
Outstanding content from Films for the Humanities & Sciences, ABC News, NBC News, PBS, BBC, National Geographic, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, Bill Moyers, Shopware, The Open University, A&E, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Fred Friendly Seminars, Cambridge Educational, and many more. Programs from more than 700 producers are included.

English Subject Guide: Databases

Specific Databases

Specific Databases

Search Guides

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Central Search by EBSCO

What is Central Search?

Database Help

Need Tips on How to Search Library Databases?

Documentaries, Videos, and Clips

Films on Demand

Browse Films on Demand Videos by Subject

Smiley Memorial Library