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Jessie Ball duPont Library

American Studies

A guide to basic research sources in American Studies.

Finding Book Reviews

Welcome to "Finding Book Reviews"

This online guide will help you get started and lists some of the best sources to use.

Use the purple tabs above (next to the Home tab) to see the actual sources.

 

How to Begin:

To find a book review, you must have the following correct information.  Usually this is found in the first few pages of the book:

  • Year the book was first published--or year of important edition update you want.
  • Author's full name.
  • Complete title of book.

 

To Verify That This Information Is Correct:

If it is difficult to find the author's name, book title, or publication date, check these resources which should list this complete information.

  • Classic Catalog (Online listing of books & other materials at duPont Library).
  • Books In Print (Online database from duPont Library that gives current & out-of-print book information)
  • WorldCat (Online database, lists books from over 60,000 libraries worldwide.)

 

Best Search Strategy

Here are some helpful tips when searching for your book review:

Use the publication date of your book, then add 1-2 years, and consult sources that fall within these time periods.  For example, 1968:  search sources that have cover 1968-1970. 

Once you're in the proper source for the date of the book, then search by title or author.

Sources will usually give:  A summary of the review (a citation) or the entire review. If just a summary is given, the entire review can be found

Use the best general sources first, then go to specific sources for your subject area.

 

 

University of Missouri-Kansas City Guide Information 

Other Helpful Skills

Polish some of the research skills that will be necessary for research, writing, and presentation across multiple academic disciplines.