Finding Books, Articles, and More! - CLAS 1111 - Ancient Epic: Heroism - Moseley

Dealing with Abbreviations

Journal names are often abbreviated in bibliographies, and deciphering them can be quite a chore.

Below is an online abbreviation lists from the American Journal of Archaeology as well as a more comprehensive print resource in our reference collection.

American Journal of Archaeology - Abbreviations List

Dictionary of Bibliographic Abbreviations Found in the Scholarship of Classical Studies and Related Disciplines
Call Number: Central Reference 6th-flr Payne: PA99 .W44 2003
ISBN: 0313321418

Books, Articles and More!

Vanderbilt University Library Search

Selecting the best search scope for your research needs:

Everything vs. Library Catalog vs. Articles

Search Scope	What is included?	When should I use it?
Everything	Broadest search scope Results will include books and ebooks, articles, and media like DVDs	A great option when you are just beginning your research process. Use Everything when you want to survey the research landscape for your topic
Library Catalog	Focuses on VU owned items, physical and digital Results will include books and ebooks, and media like DVDs Digital collections like the TV News Archive will also be included in your results	You have defined your information needs Use Library Catalog when you are ready to create a tailored search for your topic
Articles	Content from selected VU databases Popular and scholarly articles	Use Articles to find popular and scholarly articles on your topic. The Articles scope does not search across all databases accessible to the Vanderbilt community. Not finding the articles you need or want more database options? Consult the Database A-Z

For a more detailed explanation of your search scope options consult What am I searching?

Keyword vs. Subject Searching

Step 1: Start your search process by brainstorming a list of keywords that describe the main concepts of your topic or question.

Step 2: Use these keywords for your initial searches.

Step 3: Use the Subject Heading links in the Library Catalog record to refine your search.

Screen shot of catalog record for Singers, Heroes, and Gods in the "Odyssey" by Charles Segal. Subject headings highlighted.

A Selection of Useful Subject Headings

Try a SUBJECT search using one of the Library of Congress Subject Headings listed below:




Heroes in literature
Epic poetry, Greek History and criticism	Odysseus, King of Ithaca (Mythological character)

The following databases will help you find articles on your topic:

Subject Specific Databases

Année Philologique This link opens in a new window
lndex for research in Classics. Entries cover articles, books, book reviews, Festschrifte, and other collections dealing with the ancient Greek and Roman world, from the second millennium BCE to approximately 800 CE.
Coverage: 1969 to present. User Limit: Unlimited. Vendor Tutorials: http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/central/classics/APhGuide.html
ATLA (American Theological Library Association) Religion Database with ATLA Serials PLUS This link opens in a new window
Index to journal articles, book reviews, and collections of essays in all fields of religion. Some full text.
Coverage: 19th century to present.
MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
Subject indexing of journals, books, proceedings, and dissertations in the areas of literature, language and linguistics, folklore, film, literary theory & criticism, dramatic arts, and the historical aspects of printing and publishing.
Coverage: 1926 to present.

General Databases

JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Large and important archive for academic journals, books, and primary sources in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Many journals do not have current issues.
Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
Digital humanities and social science scholarly journals from university presses and scholarly societies.
ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Search all ProQuest databases simultaneously. Includes arts, humanities, social sciences, news, and science and technology.

What is ?

FindIt@VU provides direct links from a database citation to the fulltext of the article (if available) and other supporting resources.

An FAQ for FindIt@VU is also available.

Specialized Ebook Collections

Loeb Classical Library This link opens in a new window
Greek and Latin literature. Epic and lyric poetry, tragedy and comedy, history, travel, philosophy, oratory, medical writers and mathematicians; and Church Fathers who made particular use of pagan culture. Latin, Greek, and English texts.
Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
Articles and books on Archaeology, Classical Studies, Criminology and Criminal Justice, History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology. Some content in Business & Management, Economics & Finance, Literature, Psychology, and Religion.
Wiley Online Library This link opens in a new window
Journals, books, reference works, laboratory protocols and databases covering life, health and physical sciences, social science, and the humanities.
All current Vanderbilt University students, faculty, and staff have access, both on and off campus.
Cambridge Companions Online This link opens in a new window
Collection of Cambridge titles covering literature, classics, philosophy, religion and cultural studies.

General Ebook Collections

Ebook Central (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Ebooks from publishers in all academic subject areas.
eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
Large collection of ebooks in many subjects.
Access Note: Titles restricted to 1 user at a time and become available to other users after 30 minutes of inactivity. Create a user account (click "Sign In" at the top and then "Create a New Account") for many more options, such as saving, folders, and alerts.