The information sciences and information management are by nature disciplines that draws from many other fields of study, and for any topic you research you will likely need to look in databases from other disciplines in addition to the central IS databases. This guide helps you consider where you should look for common subdisciplines of IS. It is not comprehensive, but each section does try to cover the various subject areas you may want to consider for further research.
For a more complete guide to all databases licensed by the library for all disciplines, see the University Library’s Databases by Subject list. Choose a subject area from the drop-down menu. The “Best Bets” for each subject have been selected by the appropriate subject librarian to highlight the core databases for that field.
All Topics (General IS Databases)
- Library and Information Science Source (LISS) — Indexes over 1000 periodical titles and some IS books. The most comprehensive IS database where you will want to start all your research across IS topics.
- INSPEC — Starting point for most topics in information management, and essential to search in addition to LISS for topics in the information sciences that are technologically intensive including digital libraries, metadata, digital preservation, data curation, and more. INSPEC is part of a set of databases offered in Engineering Village, and after you follow the link you will want to deselect the non-INSPEC databases unless you feel they are also relevant to your search. INSPEC includes all ACM and IEEE content.
History of the Book, Readers and Reading, and Libraries
- MLA International Bibliography — Primarily represents perspectives of literary scholars.
- Historical Abstracts — Primarily represents perspectives of historians.
Information Literacy, School Libraries, Children’s Literature, and Other Education-Related Topics
- ERIC — Key government database for education.
- Education Full Text — General education database.
- For Children’s Literature, see also the S-Collection page at the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library as well as the Resources page at the Center for Children’s Books.
Information Policy and Legal Issues
- Worldwide Political Science Abstracts — Scholarly sources in political science, international relations, law, public administration and policy, and political economy.
- PAIS – Public Affairs Information Service — Political, social, and public policy issue coverage.
- For legal research including case law, administrative law, statutory law, and foreign and international law see the guide Legal Research for UIUC Students.
Information Technology, Digital Libraries, Digital Humanities, and Data Science
- Compendex — Covers scientific and technical engineering research. Note that Compendex is part of a set of databases offered in Engineering Village, and after you follow the link you will want to deselect the non-Compendex databases unless you feel they are also relevant to your search.
- Scopus — Scholarly sources in engineering, computer science, and the social sciences.
Publishing Industry, Management of LIS Institutions, and Knowledge Management
- ProQuest One Business — Use for publishing company information, advertising, marketing, economics, human resources, and more.
- Business Source Ultimate — Includes financial data, books, monographs, major reference works, book digests, conference proceedings, case studies, investment research reports, industry reports, market research reports, country reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses and more.
- Communication Source — Use for scholarly analyses of publishing practices and communications issues in management.
- For specialized data and statistics related to businesses and industries, search the type of information you want (like “industry forecast” or “consumer demographics”) in our Business Information Service’s FAQs.
Race, Gender, and Sexuality in LIS Institutions and Information Sciences Research
- Ethnic NewsWatch — Newspapers and journals from ethnic, minority, and native presses. Both English and Spanish-language items.
- GenderWatch — The impact of gender on various areas. Includes archival material back to 1970.
- LGBTQ+ Source — Indexes journals, newspapers, and books.
- SocINDEX — Sociological approaches to questions of identity and diversity.
- Women’s Studies International — Sources on women’s studies and feminism from 1972 to the present, including a great deal of grey literature.
Storytelling
- Anthropology Plus — Storytelling as cultural practice, including studies of folklore.
- Business Source Ultimate — Storytelling as a marketing tool to promote services.
- Communication Source — Storytelling from the perspective of communications scholars.
- ERIC — Storytelling to children and as a classroom activity or teaching method.