Searching for information is a process! By trying many different combinations of search terms in different databases, you will identify which terms and databases work best for your topic.
Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) is a great resource for multi-subject and multidisciplinary research. From the advanced search screen, select "Choose Databases" to search within additional specialized collections.
JSTOR contains tons of sources in the humanities and social sciences. JSTOR has no filter for peer-reviewed articles, though many of the resources in it are peer-reviewed. It also contains historical and primary source materials.
SAGE Premier provides access to hundreds of peer-reviewed journals in the humanities, social sciences, and beyond.
Taylor & Francis Online contains hundreds of multi-subject peer-reviewed resources. You can conduct advanced searches in Taylor & Francis, but you have to do so manually; unlike other databases there are not multiple search boxes.
Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) are database commands that connect two or more search terms together. You can build complex searches by choosing the Advanced Search option within databases, and using Boolean operators.
Truncation allows you to search for multiple word endings. To truncate a word, replace one or more characters at the end with the truncation symbol. In most databases, this will be an asterisk (*), but some databases use a dollar sign ($) or an exclamation mark (!). For example, searching for cinema* would return results for cinema, cinematic, cinematographer, etc.
Wildcards allow you to search for words with multiple spellings. To use a wildcard, replace one or more characters within the word with the wildcard symbol. In most databases, this will be a question mark (?), but some databases use a hash (#) or a question mark (?). For example, searching for col*r will return results for color and colour.
Phrase searching allows you to search for an exact phrase, like the title of a film. To phrase search, enclose your phrase in quotation marks (" "). This tells the database to search for all the words enclosed in quotation marks exactly as you have written them, in that order. For example, a search for "Man with a Movie Camera" will search for the title of will return results for that phrase, rather than returning results that contain the words "man," "movie," and "camera" scattered throughout the resource.
Concept |
More Potential Search Terms |
Basics |
Film title |
Analysis |
Critique |
Aesthetic |
Classical |
Genre |
Fantasy |
Conventions |
Visual imagery |