Linguistics Research Guide
Getting Started
Consulting subject-specific encyclopedias,
handbooks and dictionaries can
be the most efficient approach to beginning a research project.
Articles in these reference books are usually scholarly in
nature and can provide a convenient overview; they also often
contain select bibliographies which can be great time-savers.
Here are two major (and voluminous) encylopedias that cover
a wide range of topics in linguistics.
- The Encyclopedia of language and linguistics.
Ed. R.E. Asher, et al. Oxford ; New York : Pergamon Press,
1994.
Location: Baker/Berry Reference P 29 E48 1994
Library has v.1-10
- International encyclopedia of linguistics. Ed.
William Bright, et al. New York : Oxford University Press,
1992.
Location: Baker/Berry Reference P 29 I58 1992
Also of interest:
- MIT Cognet
(Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
A very good website which provides access to several electronic
journals, but in particular to MITECS
-- The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences.
(The encyclopedia is also available in paper in Baker/Berry
Reference : BF311 .M556 1999).
Finding Articles in Periodicals
Periodical articles are often more current and more focused
than books. The following are important indexes which lead
to the scholarly literature in linguistics.
- MLA
International Bibliography
Coverage: 1963 to the present.
- LLBA:
Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts
Coverage: 1973-present.
MLAIB and LLBA are the two major databases for linguistics
research. There is considerable overlap between the two.
In addition to periodical articles, both cover
books, dissertations, conference proceedings,
and articles in books. MLAIB does not contain book
reviews. LLBA's focus and its abstracts make it the primary
database for linguistics research, but for a comprehensive
search MLAIB needs to be consulted as well.
Hint: When searching for items in these two
databases make sure to take a look at the full (long) record
to find additional and often more precise subject
descriptors.
Hint: Book titles found in
the MLAIB need to be looked up as a second step in the
library catalog. Both MLAIB and LLBA now feature the option of going directly to the Dartmouth library catalog or even to
the full text of the article.
Also of interest, for research in psycholinguistics
and sociolinguistics:
- PsycInfo
- Sociological
Abstracts
ERIC
(Education, etc.)
These online indexes (along with MLAIB and LLBA) can also
be found on the eResources
Using the Library Catalog
- Use the library catalog to find books (author or
title search) and journals (title search)
identified via the handbooks and databases above.
- Use the subject or keyword search to find
books on a given topic. Library of Congress subject headings
add precision to your search. Examples:
Basque
language -- Grammar
Romance
languages -- History
Language
obsolescence
Code
switching (Linguistics)
The Library of Congress Subject Headings books in the reference
area contain a comprehensive listing of these subject terms.
You can also do a keyword search and refine it by looking
at (and clicking on) the subject headings for relevant books
you find that way.
Additional Resources
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