Remote Research
What to do when your access to print materials is extremely limited?
Review Harvard Middle East Division Library Guides for online materials:
- E-Books and E-Collections
- On-line Journals
- Judaica Digital Collections
- Databases and Indexes
- Encyclopedia
- Film Streaming
- Art and Architecture
- Islamic Law
- Ethnomusicology Research
Triangulate, Search in Three Places:
1) HOLLIS: Read the catalog record for ebook version as some items may lack a "View Online" button and yet still be available online. And note there may be more than one record.
2) Databases with Full Text Platforms: Add some of the major full-text platforms to your list of go-to resources as many of these vendors are expanding access for Harvard Key holders.
3) Internet Search of the Publisher's Website, Try a general web search ( via Google, Duckduckgo, etc.) as there is a growing list of publishers and vendors that are removing paywalls and donating temporarily access to collections.
Ask us for suggestions and ideas!
- emily_coolidgetoker@harvard.edu
- sarah_demott@harvard.edu
- asklib@fas.harvard.edu
Can't access something? Learn *about* it
- Book reviews:
- In HOLLIS, put the book title (subtitle optional) in quotes to search it as an exact phrase: "the well-wrought urn" or "the well-wrought urn: studies in the structure of poetry". The "reviews" filter sometimes helps.
- Additional book reviews might be available via LION (Literature Online) Criticism
- Mentions: performing a cited reference search is a good way to find these. Start with Google Books and Google Scholar.
- Encyclopedia entries and scholarly companions: the Find Background page lists the major online platforms
Don't forget to browse!
Most experts recommend browsing (walking the library shelves, flipping through an entire volume) as the best method to gain a sense of the "landscape" and to find overlooked or unexpected material
- Starts with/browse option in HOLLIS - call number is especially helpful. (See the HOLLIS User Guide for tips.)
- Most platforms offer ways to explore serendipitously. Look for:
- "collections"
- "browse"
- "publications"
- "about"
- When you find good content, look at the top of the web page and on side menus for links back to the larger container so you can explore that---the specific issue an article appeared in, the journal, the book or book series, the themed collection, etc.
Need primary sources? Try these:
- digitalcollections.harvard.edu - items digitized from Harvard's collections
- dp.la and europeana.eu - major digital collection aggregators
- Harvard-licensed databases of archives OR manuscripts
- Harvard-licensed databases of magazine OR newspapers
- Harvard-licensed databases of diaries OR letters OR correspondence OR maps, etc.