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5/24/2013
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Book Reviews Research Guide

Sections

Top-pick indicates Top-pick Full Text indicates some full text
Note: Off-campus access to most online sources is restricted to current UCF students, faculty, and staff via Pegasus or Proxy connection.

Book reviews are descriptive evaluations that usually appear in magazines, journals, or newspapers soon after or up to a few years after a book's publication. A book review is an evaluation of a book, but it should not be confused with literary criticism. A book review discusses the contents of a book; literary criticism examines aspects of a literary work such as themes, symbolism, or characterization. Book reviews may be found in a number of places depending upon the subject matter of the book. Reviews of books for the general reader, or popular books may be found in sources which index general interest periodicals, while reviews of books written on specific subjects may be found in sources which indicate more scholarly, or research, publications.

  • It is useful when looking for book reviews to know:
    • The author's full name.
    • The book's complete title.
    • The publication year of the book. Determine the publication date (or copyright date) of the book's first edition and any subsequent editions. The date usually is on the back of the title page or may be found by searching the UCF Library Catalog or the WorldCat database.
  • If searching a print index, select the volume that corresponds to the publication date of the book. Also check two to three years subsequent to the publication date as reviews may be published several years after the book after the book is published.
  • If searching a database, search on the book title. Many databases now offer "publication type" limiters, so that you can limit the search to book reviews. In other cases, it may be helpful to use the word "review" or the phrase "book review" in the search. Be sure that the database includes the year the book was published; for example, the online version of Book Review Index only covers the years from 1984 to current. Some databases listed below are full text. Others require you to locate the periodical in the UCF Libraries. Search the UCF Library Catalog for the journal/magazine title to obtain the location of the journal.
  • It is important that you choose appropriately the index(es) or database(s) for finding the reviews. For instance, it probably would not be very useful to seek a review of a book about American history in an index or database devoted to medical journals.

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General Sources

Please note: The following general sources also cover many subject-specific fields.
Full TextAcademic Search Premier(coverage varies)
An interdisciplinary database offering both citations and full text of articles in a variety of publications in nearly every area of academic study including: social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, language and linguistics, arts, medical sciences, ethnic studies, etc. To search for book reviews, select the phrase "Book review" as a Document Type.
Full TextAlternative Press Index
Online version (1991+)
Index AI 3 .A27 (1969+)
Provides an index to liberal, radical, alternative lifestyle, and "underground" periodicals, most of which are not indexed elsewhere. To find book review citations in the online version: In the Article Type Phrase box, limit to "Book Reviews." In the print version, book review citations were originally listed under that heading in the main body of the index, but now are listed in a separate section.
Full Text American Periodicals Series (APS) Online
A growing full-text collection of American magazines and journals published between 1741-1940. APS Online features over 1,100 periodicals, including scholarly, scientific, and popular magazines and journals. Derived from the American Periodicals Series microform collection, the database is a work in progress and does not yet include all the APS content; nonetheless, the database is useful for finding citations to the various journals covered, which the UCF Libraries own on microfilm. To search for book reviews in the database, use the word "Books" with quotation marks.
Top-pick Book Review Digest
Online version (1983+)
Index Z 1219 .C95 (1905+)
Useful for identifying reviews of popular fiction and nonfiction rather than scholarly works. Provides citations to and excerpts of reviews of current juvenile and adult fiction and nonfiction in the English language. To qualify for inclusion, the book must meet several criteria: published or distributed in the U.S. or Canada; a nonfiction book must receive reviews in two or more periodicals on the Digest selection list; a work of fiction must receive reviews from at least three of the periodicals on the list; reviews must appear within 18 months after the book was published. Generally no more than three or four reviews are excerpted, though a more complete list of review citations is included. The print edition has a subject-title index, which is cumulated annually and in five year cumulations.
Top-pickBook Review Index
Index Z 1035 .A1 B6 (1965+)
Provides access to reviews of books, periodicals, and books-on-tape appearing in more than 600 publications. Arranged alphabetically by author, with a supplementary title index. Helpful in locating reviews of scholarly books.
Full TextBooks in Print
The online version of Books in Print contains full-text reviews from several publications, including Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, School Library Journal, CHOICE, Kirkus, Reference & Research Book News, Sci-Tech Book News, University Press Book News, Horn Book, Boston Book Review, and Quill and Quire.
Full Text Expanded Academic ASAP(1980+)
An interdisciplinary database of journals, national news magazines, and the New York Times (indexing for the Times is the last six months only). Provides numerous book reviews; in a Keyword search, add the phrase "Book review."
Index to Book Reviews in the Humanities
Index CB 3 .I53 (1960-90)
Formerly a quarterly and later continued as an annual publication, this work indexed about 600 primarily English-language general and scholarly periodicals in the broad field of the "humanities," except for archaeology, religion, and theology. An asterisk before a citation indicates that earlier volumes also reviewed the title. Provides helpful access to publications not generally indexed elsewhere, including some non-English titles. The term "humanities" was originally defined to include history and some social science but beginning with the 1970 volume, the term was restricted to art, biography, personal narratives and memoirs, drama and dance, folklore, language, literature, music, philosophy, travel and adventure.
Full Text LexisNexis Academic(coverage varies)
A full-text database providing access to a broad geographic range of newspapers and journals, mostly published since the 1980s.
To find book reviews: select "Guided News Search," then "General News" (major English-language periodicals) or "U.S. News" (American English-language periodicals) or "World News" (international news sources) or "Foreign Language News" (sources in non-English languages); type "book review" in the Headline, Lead Paragraph(s), Terms box. Especially useful for finding the full text of reviews from the New York Times Book Review.
Full Text Readers' Guide Full Text (1983+)
Provides access to the contents of over 300 popular English-language magazines and journals. To find book reviews, select "Book Review" in the Document Type box. Preceded by the print version, Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature (1900+).
Readers Guide to Periodical Literature readers' guide to periodical literature
Index AI 3 .R48 (1900+)
Currently indexes over 300 popular English-language periodicals. Citations to book reviews are listed in a separate section at the back of each volume. The online version is Readers' Guide Full Text (1983+).

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Subject-Specific Sources

Arts and Humanities

Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (ABELL)
Microfiche PE 71 .M6 (1920-58)
Reference PE 71 .M6 (1964+)
Cites reviews for some books listed, unlike the MLA International Bibliography, which does not include reviews.
Art Full Text (1983+)
In the Document Type box, limit to "Book Reviews."
Art Index Retrospective (1929-84)
In the Document Type box, limit to "Book Reviews."
Arts and Humanities Citation Index(1975+)
The advanced search mode allows limiting to book reviews.
ATLA Religion Database(1949+)
Click on the Browse Indexes button, then in the "IN:" drop-down box, select "Publication Type Index," click on the Display button, then choose "Review"; then click on the Search button.
Humanities Full Text(1983+)
In the Document Type box, limit to "Book Reviews." Preceded by the print version, Humanities Index (1974+)
Humanities Index
Index AI 3 .R493 (1974+)
Separate book review section, with entry under the author of the book reviewed. The online version is Humanities Full Text (1983+).
Iter: Gateway to the Middle Ages and Renaissance (1943+)
The advanced search, under "Type," allows limiting to reviews.
Music Index
Index ML 118 .M84 (1949+)
Citations to book reviews are listed under that heading in the body of the index.
Music Index Online (1979+)
The Expert search mode allows limiting to "Printed Material Review" under Document Type.
Philosopher's Index(1940+)
Select "Index," then "Document Type," and then "Book Review"; you must then combine that descriptor with an Anyword, Author, or Subject search.
RILM Abstracts of Music Literature(1969+)
Limit Document Type to "Review of book."

Business and Law

ABI/Inform(1970+)
The guided search mode allows limiting by "Article Type" to book reviews.
Business Periodicals Index
Index HF 5001 .B86 (1958/59+)
Separate book review section, with entry under the author of the book reviewed.
Business Source Premier(1984+)
Limit Document Type to "Book Review."
EconLit(1969+)
Allows limiting to "Book Review" under Publication Type.
Index to Legal Periodicals and Books
Index K 9 .N75 (1926+)
Separate book review section, with entry under the author of the book reviewed. Continued by the online version, Index to Legal Periodicals Full Text(1981+).
Index to Legal Periodicals Full Text (1981+)
In the Document Type box, limit to "Book Reviews." Preceded by the print Index to Legal Periodicals and Books(1926-1993/94). version,
LegalTrac(1980+)
Use the phrase "book reviews."

Education

Education Full Text(1983+)
In the Document Type box, limit to "Book Reviews." Preceded by the print version, Education Index (1929/32+).
Education Index
Index L 11 .E39 (1929/32+)Separate book review section, with entry under the author of the book reviewed. The online version is Education Full Text (1983+).
ERIC(1966+)
In the Publication Type box on the Advanced Search screen, select "Information Analyses-Book/Product Reviews."
Professional Development Collection(1965+)
In the Document Type box on the Advanced Search screen, select "Book Review."

Science and Engineering

Applied Science Full Text(1983+)
In the Document Type box, limit to "Book Reviews." Preceded by the print version, Applied Science and Technology Index (1958+).
Applied Science and Technology Index
Index T 1 .I54 (1958+)
Separate book review section, with entry under the author of the book reviewed. The online version is Applied Science Full Text (1983+)
Biological and Agricultural Index
Online version (1983+)
Index QH 301 .B378 (1964/65+)
In the online version: To find book reviews, select "Book Reviews" in the Document Type box; in the print version, book reviews are cited in a separate section, with entry under the author of the book reviewed.
General Science Full Text(1983+)
In the Document Type Phrase box, limit to "Book Reviews." Preceded by the print version, General Science Index (1978/79-1998/99, 1001/02+).
General Science Index
Index Q 1 .G46 (1978/79-1998/99, 2001/02+)
Separate book review section, with entry under the author of the book reviewed. The online version is General Science Full Text (1983+)
Science Citation Index(1965+)
The advanced search mode allows limiting to book reviews.

Social Sciences

America: History and Life(1964+)
Allows limiting to book reviews under Publication Type.
Contemporary Women's Issues(1992+)
In the Article Type box, select "Book Review."
Criminal Justice Periodicals Index
Online version (1981+)
Index HV 6001 .C754 (1975+)
In the online version: The guided search mode allows limiting by "Article Type" to book reviews. In the print version: book reviews are listed under that heading in the Subject Index.
Historical Abstracts(1955+)
Use the phrase "review article" as a keyword search to limit to book reviews.
Reviews in American History
Online version (1973+)
Online version (1995+)
General Collection E 178 .R49 (1973+)
Each issue presents in-depth reviews of over thirty of the newest books in American history.
Social Sciences Full Text(1983+)
In the Document Type box, limit to "Book Reviews." Preceded by the print version, Social Sciences Index (1974+).
Social Sciences Index
Index AI 3 .R492 (1974+)
Separate book review section, with entry under the author of the book reviewed. The online version is Social Sciences Full Text (1983+).
Sociological Abstracts (1963+)
Online version (1963+)
Index HM 1 .S67(1953+)
In the online version: Click on the Browse Indexes button, then in the "IN:" drop-down box, select "Publication Type Index," click on the Display button, then choose "Book Review"; then click on the Search button. In the print version: citations to book reviews are listed in a separate section "International Review of Publications in Sociology."
Women Studies Abstracts
Index HQ 1180 .W65 (1972+)
Book review citations are listed in a separate chapter in each issue.

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Internet Sources

Books in Depth
http://www.booksindepth.com
A metasite that provides direct links to book reviews in a variety of newspapers and journals.

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Ask a Librarian

If you have questions or need additional assistance, Ask a Librarian, call the Reference Department at (407) 823-2562, or e-mail the Department at askalibrarian@mail.ucf.edu.

Last Updated:July 19, 2010