Book and Film Reviews

From Simmons Library Research Guides

We have selected these resources to help you find relevant information on your research topic. Please contact a librarian for help using the resources listed in this guide or for help with your research process.

Book Review Indexes

• Book Review Digest
  Level 1 Reference Z1035.A1 C96 1905-present (Online Access: GSLIS ONLY)
  Includes citations for and excerpts from book reviews of fiction and non-fiction books for both children and adults.
  To find reviews in the print index:

1. Select the volume for the year the book was published and 3-5 subsequent volumes. (If the book experienced renewed popularity some time after its publication, such as because of an authors death or the release of a movie adaptation, you may wish to check the volumes from those years, as well).
2. Search the index alphabetically for the books author/editor or title; you may be pointed from one to the other for full entries. Full entries include author, title and publication information, Library of Congress subject headings, ISBN and LC codes, summaries, review citations, and possibly review excerpts.
3. See the beginning of each volume for a list of periodical indexed to determine from which sources the indexed review are culled.
   
   

• Book Review Index
  Level 1 Reference Z1035.A1 B6
  Provides citations for reviews of books in all formats (print, electronic, and audio). Reviews indexed are for books for popular juvenile and adult, scholarly, and professional audiences. Coverage: 1965-present
  To find reviews in the print index:

1. Select the volume for the year the book was published and 3-5 subsequent volumes. (If the book experienced renewed popularity some time after its publication, such as because of an authors death or the release of a movie adaptation, you may wish to check the volumes from those years, as well)# Search the Title or Author/Editor Index alphabetically. Title Index comes after and points to main Author/Editor Index with full entries.
2. Full entries include author/editor, title, illustrator (if applicable), Age and Type codes, review citations, summaries, review citations, including approximate number of words in each review.
3. See the beginning of each volume for a list of publications indexed to determine from which sources the indexed review are culled.
   
   

• Books in Print with Review
  Simmons Eresource
  BIP with Reviews provides a record of all books in print in all markets. Many of the entries include reviews from select sources.
  To find reviews:

1. Select a field to search for a book--"Author," "Title (exact)," or "Keyword in Title."
   *Note that if a book's title is indexed at all differently than you enter it in "Title (exact)," you will not get results searching this way.
2. Enter the author or title in the search bar.
3. Select the book from the results list if it appears.
   *Note: multiple editions available in many countries may appear for the same title.
4. Review will appear at the bottom of the entry as displayed when you select a title from the results list.
   
   

• CHOICE Reviews
  Level 1 Periodicals Z1035.A1 C5 and Simmons Eresource
  CHOICE is a publication of reviews provided by subject experts on books and electronic resources of interest to those in higher education.
  Note: Choice reviews are also published in print in the monthly Choice magazine. Citations for these reviews are included in many databases. If you wish to view the choice reviews in this way, contact a librarian for help.
  To find reviews Choice Reviews Online:

1. Select a field to search for a book--"Keyword in Title" or "Author/Editor."
2. Enter the title or author/editor in the appropriate search bar.
3. Select the book from the results list if it appears to view the fulltext of the review.
   
   

RETURN TO TOP

Book Reviews in Biographical Sources

• Biography Resource Center
  Simmons Eresource
  Provides biographies of people from all fields. Biography Resource Center includes full-text articles from hundreds of periodicals and reference sources. Search for people based on one or more personal facts such as birth and death year, nationality, ethnicity, occupation or gender, or combine criteria to create a highly-targeted custom search.
  
  Some of the sources--like Authors and Artists for Young Adults, Contemporary Authors, and Contemporary Popular Writers--include citations for reviews of writers works.

To search for reviews:

1. Enter the author or editors name in the name search bar.
2. If you enter the author's full name, select "Name Contains." If you enter the author's last name only, select "Start of Last Name."
3. Select your author, if he or she appears, from the results list.
4. Citations for reviews are usually included under the "Narrative Biographies" and "Magazine Articles" sections.
   
   

• Contemporary Authors
  Simmons Eresource
  Provides complete biographical and bibliographical information and references on approximately 120,000 U.S. and international authors. Full entries include citations for select reviews of authors' major works.
  To find reviews:

1. Enter author's name or title of the work in the appropriate search line.
2. Select your author, if he or she appears, from the results list.
3. Citations for reviews appear under the "Further Readings About the Author" section.
   
   

• Contemporary Literary Criticism
  Simmons Eresource
  An extensive collection of critical essays on contemporary authors. Each CLC - Select entry contains a biographical/critical introduction, listing of principal works, and sources for further study.

While the focus of this source is on critical essays on contemporary authors, some entries include citations for and fulltext of book reviews.

To find reviews:

1. The default search, indicated on the left menu, is "Author." Enter the authors name, or select "Title" search and enter the name of a book.
2. Choose a citation from the list of results to view the article. *Note most are more critical essays then book reviews.

RETURN TO TOP

Film Review Indexes

• Film and Television Literature Index
  Simmons Eresource (1897 to present) and Free Online (1976-2001)
  The definitive index to film and television literature, drawing from over 600 publications. While the focus of the resource is film criticism and information about films, it also includes reviews.
  
  
• Film Review Annual
  Level 1 Reference PN1995 .F463 1982-2002
  Collected film reviews from 1982 to 1999 from film and general publications, gathered in annual volumes and arranged alphabetically. The appendix lists the recipients of the Annual Academy Awards.
  
  
• Media Review Digest
  Level 1 Reference LB1043.Z9 M4
  Index and digest of reviews of educational and entertainment media (films, videocassettes, DVDs, CD-ROMs, etc.) that appeared in education, film, music, and library periodicals between 1970 and 2004. Dates covered: 1970-1981, 1983-1986, 1989, 1991-
  
  
• Movie Review Query Engine (MRQE)
  Free Online
  A database of links to hundreds of thousands of film reviews from newspapers, journals, and other online sources. Searchable by film title; and browsable by lists of festivals, recent releases, and selections of the American Film Institute.
  
  
• Roger Ebert's Reviews
  Free Online
  Roger Ebert’s movie reviews from the Chicago Sun-Times are archived online from 1967 to the present.
  
  
• The New York Times Film Reviews
  Level 1 Reference PN1995 .N4 and Free Online
  An illustrated collection of film reviews originally published in the New York Times between 1913 and 1982, arranged chronologically. Best and award-winning films are noted. All reviews from 1960 to the present are also available for free online, with some selected earlier reviews.
  
  

RETURN TO TOP

Book and Film Reviews in Newspapers, Magazines, and Journals Indexes

• Lexis Nexis Academic
  Simmons Eresource
  Provides searchable access to a comprehensive spectrum of full-text information from over 5,600 sources--including non-English language sources--selected to meet academic research needs. Included are national and regional newspapers, wire services, broadcast transcripts, international news, U.S. Federal and state case law, codes, regulations, legal news, law reviews, and international legal information, Shepard's Citations for all U.S. Supreme Court cases back to 1789, business news journals, company financial information, SEC filings and reports, industry and market news, statistics, and medical information.

To find reviews:

1. Click the "Guided News Search" tab.
2. Under Step One, select the Category "Arts and Sports News."
3. Under Step Two, select "Book, music, movie, & play reviews."
4. Under Step Three, enter the name of your book in quotation marks in the first search line.
5. Select "Full Text" from the dropdown menu of searchable fields next to the search line.
6. Under Step Four, choose a date range that encompasses the publication date of your book.
7. Click "Search."
8. Choose the appropriate citations for reviews of your book if they appear in the results list

• Academic Onefile
  Simmons Eresource
  Academic Onefile contains 8,000 academic journals, the majority in full-text, available in HTML and PDF formats. In addition it contains hundreds of podcasts and transcripts from NPR, CNN, and the CBC.

To find reviews:

1. Select "Advanced Search."
2. Choose "Named Work (W0)" from the dropdown menu of searchable fields.
3. Enter the name of the book for which you need a review.
4. Leave "Keyword (ke)" in the next dropdown menu of searchable fields.
5. Enter "review" in the Keyword search box
6. Click "Search."
7. Choose the appropriate citations for reviews of your book if they appear in the results list.
   
   

• Academic Search Complete
  Simmons Eresource
  A great place to start your search for both popular and scholarly articles, no matter what your topic is! Academic Search Complete, designed specifically for academic institutions, provides more than 5,300 full-text periodicals, including 4,400 peer-reviewed journals. In addition to full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 9,300 journals and a total of 10,900 publications including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc. The database features PDF content going back as far as 1865.

To find reviews:

1. Enter the name of your book in quotation marks in the search line.
2. Select "PS Products and Reviews" from the dropdown menu of searchable fields next to the search box.
3. Click "Search."
4. Choose the appropriate citations for reviews of your book if they appear in the results list.
   
   

• AltPress-Watch
  Simmons Eresource
  Alt-PressWatch is a full text database of over 170 newspapers, magazines and journals of the alternative and independent press. It provides coverage, viewpoints and perspectives to complement and challenge the coverage of the mainstream media and serves a broad spectrum of subject areas including the arts, media and popular culture, business and labor studies, education, environmental studies and ecology, global studies, history, journalism, literary and critical studies, political science, government and public policy, social science and more.

To find reviews:

1. Enter "review" on the first search box.
2. Select "Document Type" from the dropdown menu of searchable fields next to the search box.
3. Enter the name of you book in quotation marks in the second search line.
4. Click "Search."
5. Choose the appropriate citations for reviews of your book if they appear in the results list.
   
   

• Alternative Press Index
  Simmons Eresource
  Provides international, interdisciplinary, and in-depth coverage of the humanities and social sciences from a non-mainstream point-of-view. Indexes nearly 300 alternative, radical and left periodicals, newspapers and magazines. Includes selected abstracts from research journals. Updated quarterly.

To find reviews:

1. Enter "book reviews" in the first search box.
2. Select "Article Type" from the dropdown menu of searchable fields next to the search box.
3. Enter the name of you book in quotation marks in the second search line.
4. Click "Search."
5. Choose the appropriate citations for reviews of your book if they appear in the results list.
   
   

RETURN TO TOP

Book and Film Reviews on the Web

Simmons librarians have created a customized search engine that allows you to find Book Reviews from select, quality free web sites at the same time:

• Use the advanced search function, which is available from most search engines:
  • Google - See also "Advanced Search Tips"
  • Ask - Click "Advanced." See also "Advanced Search Tips"
  • Live (MSN) - See also "Options"
  • Exalead - See also "Exalead FAQ"
  • Yahoo! Search
• Limit your search to .edu and .gov sites. These often provide quality research, statistics, and commentary. Sites ending in .org often have good information, too, but are likely to espouse a strong stance or bias on the issues they cover and may not be objective.
• Try Scandoo, which presents search results from Google, Yahoo! Search, or Live (MSN) with an evaluation about the objectivity, credibility, and overall reliability of the site.
• Consider using a directory of pre-screened, annotated sites:
  • Librarians' Internet Index (LII)
  • Infomine
  • Intute
    
    

RETURN TO TOP

Related Topics

Children's Literature

Film and Television Studies

Literature