Research Guides: Linguistics: Getting Started

English Librarian

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Subjects: Film, Linguistics, Literature

Getting Started

Welcome to the Linguistics research guide! On the homepage you will find reference sources, search tips, citation help, and library information. Explore the navigation links on the left hand side to find books and articles. If the OSU Libraries does not have a book or article you need, no problem! Use Article Express to request an electronic scan of articles held in OSU Library collections and the collections of other libraries around the world. Visit Interlibrary Services to request books and other materials not available in either the OSU or OhioLINK catalogs.

There are several ways to locate the information you need:

Search the catalogs to find books, journals (but not articles within journals--use the databases to find articles), microforms, multimedia, and links to online sources (databases and online journals) owned or licensed by a library. If you're new to the catalog, I suggest searching by keyword or trying the linked subject searches (using the controlled vocabulary of the Library of Congress) included on the "Find Books" page of this guide. For search tips and tutorials, click here.

OSU Catalog - Search for books, e-books, and other materials owned by OSU Libraries, Columbus and regional campuses. Borrow Materials online. You can also search with a special mobile version of the OSU Catalog.

OhioLINK Catalog - Combined catalog of a consortium of 88 Ohio university and college libraries, the State Library of Ohio, and more. Have materials delivered to OSU.

WorldCat Local@OSU - Searches materials at OSU, OhioLINK (the Ohio libraries shared catalog), and libraries worldwide.

Search the Research Databases list by title or subject to find journal articles, many of which may be available as full text.

Search the OSUL's Online Journals list by title or subject to locate a specific online journal title, browse a list of online journal titles, or identify online journal titles by subject.

If your instructor put material on hold for your course, click here.

Better Searching (Video--8:32) Demonstrates search strategies in Google, the OSUL Catalog, and research databases
Tutorial: Developing Research Questions This tutorial will help you complete better research projects faster. Consequently: If your research is for academic purposes, you’ll save time and get better grades on those projects. If your research is for your own personal use, you’ll save time and will be more confident of the decisions you make as a result of that research.
Tutorial: Smart Research Strategies After completing this tutorial you will be able to: - Describe the steps of a research process for finding the best materials and in the most efficient way - Make decisions on content level (from basic to advanced), currency, and depth in order to find the right materials for your needs - Locate data to support your statements
Tutorial: Searching Specialized Databases Specialized databases contain some of the most scholarly information available - resources valuable for research and in assignments. Find material not available for free on the open web (OSU Libraries pays for it so you can use it). Search for information only in a format you need. Search for information within a specific subject area.
Keyword vs. Subject Searching (U of Illinois) This chart outlines the key differences between keyword searching and subject searching.

Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue Univ.
Help with APA citations and paper format; search site for other formats (MLA, Chicago, etc.)
Citation Management Software
Learn how to use RefWorks, Endnote, and other tools to keep track of your citations
FAQ about APA Style

Need more help?

Visit related subject guides created by OSU librarians:

English Literature and Culture

General Reference Sources

Oxford Bibliographies - Linguistics This link opens in a new window This resource offers annotated bibliographies and research guides on the subject of linguistics. It addresses the multidisciplinary nature of the study of language, touching upon the humanities, the social and behavioral sciences, biology, physics, engineering, and medicine.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window Credo Reference is an online reference library that provides access to over 500 highly-regarded, scholarly reference books for all subject areas. Credo Reference also has the tools to find sources for further research and access thousands of images, charts, graphs and more.

Oxford English Dictionary [Selected Articles in Full Text] This link opens in a new window This electronic text contains definitions for most English words, information on their origins, and quotations exemplifying their use over time. It provides access to the 2nd Edition (1989), its supplements, and draft entries from the New (Third) Edition currently in progress. Every entry is labeled according to the edition from which it has come.
Electronic Book Center (OhioLINK) [Full Text] This link opens in a new window Electronic Book Center included ebooks on all subjects, including many encyclopedias, handbooks, biographical collections, and guides.
International Bibliography of Book Reviews of Scholarly Literature on the Humanities and Social Sciences (IBR) This link opens in a new window The IBR contains over 990,000 entries about book reviews from 1985 to the present. Over 6,200 academic journals are represented, with book reviews which are both international and interdisciplinary in scope, and are mainly in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The database is updated monthly, with approximately 50,000 added annually. The database is produced by K.G.Saur, a part of the Thomson company.
Roget's II: the New Thesaurus This link opens in a new window Containing 35,000 synonyms and over 250,000 cross-references in an easy-to-use format, this thesaurus features succinct word definitions and an innovative hyperlinked category index.

Encyclopedia of Ancient Greek Language and Linguistics Online This link opens in a new window The Encyclopedia of Ancient Greek Language and Linguistics (EAGLL) is a unique work that brings together the latest research from across a range of disciplines which contribute to our knowledge of Ancient Greek. It is an indispensable research tool for scholars and students of Greek, of linguistics, and of other Indo-European languages, as well as of Biblical literature.
Indo-European Etymological Dictionaries Online This link opens in a new window The Indo-European Etymological Dictionaries Online (IEDO) reconstructs the lexicon for the most important languages and language branches of Indo-European. Dictionaries can be cross-searched, with an advanced search for each individual dictionary. Each entry is accompanied by grammatical information, meaning(s), etymological commentary, reconstructions, cognates, and bibliographical information.
Lexicons of Early Modern English This link opens in a new window Lexicons of Early Modern English (LEME) is a historical database of monolingual, bilingual, and polyglot dictionaries, lexical encyclopedias, hard-word glossaries, spelling lists, and lexically-valuable treatises surviving in print or manuscript from the Tudor, Stuart, Caroline, Commonwealth, and Restoration periods.