Introduction: Library Databases for Music and Interdisciplinary Research
This page contains information about the major databases for music literature, as well as other interdisciplinary and subject-specific databases that may be useful for your research. For more database options, please see the instructions provided in this guide for using the libraries' A-Z Databases tool.
Scout
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ScoutScout is a powerful search tool that can be used to find both print and electronic resources. Scout simultaneously searches the libraries' catalog, databases, electronic collections, streaming media, and much more.
Music Databases
- RILM Abstracts of Music Literature This link opens in a new windowRILM (Repertoire International de Litterature Musicale) Abstracts provides citations and abstracts of articles in music periodicals, conference proceedings, books, bibliographies, catalogs, dissertations, Festschriften, and iconographies. Thousands of journals in hundreds of languages are indexed.
- Music Index Online This link opens in a new windowPublished since 1949, The Music Index: A Subject-Author Guide to Music Periodical Literature indexes international periodicals about music. A broad range of subjects is covered including: composers and performers, the history of music, forms and types of music, and music instruments. Book reviews, music reviews, and reviews of performances are indexed, and first performances and obituaries are noted. This online version provides coverage from 1979.
- Music Periodicals Database This link opens in a new windowThis database provides indexing and abstracts for international music periodicals from multiple countries, plus some full text. The majority of the included records are from the most recent ten years of publication. Covers the full spectrum of subjects and all aspects of music, including music education, performance, ethnomusicology, musical theatre, theory, popular music forms and composition.
General Databases
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowImages of the full text of many scholarly titles in a range of subject areas, including literature, biological sciences, economics, finance, and statistics. Search the archive or pull up a specific article.
- Project MUSE This link opens in a new windowProject MUSE provides full-text access scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences. The database is a collaboration between Johns Hopkins University and other university presses and not-for-profit publishers. Also included are the UPCC collections in Asian and Pacific Studies, and Poetry, Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction.
- Arts & Humanities Citation Index This link opens in a new windowArts & Humanities Citation Index is a multidisciplinary database covering the journal literature of the arts and humanities. It indexes many of the world's leading arts and humanities journals, as well as covering individually selected, relevant items from major science and social science journals. Coverage: 1985-present
A-Z Databases
Looking for another database?
The libraries' A-Z Database list is an excellent resource for identifying appropriate databases for your research. This tool gives you the option to view the libraries' databases by subject, database type, and publisher. If you have a specific database or keyword in mind, you can enter this information in the search bar. To find databases on a specific subject, click the arrows next to "All Subjects" to view the options.
InterLibrary Loan (ILL)
If an item is not available at the University of Alabama libraries, you may request it through ILLiad, our InterLibrary Loan system. Visit the libraries' ILLiad page and login with your myBama username and password to make a request.