Philosophy
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.
Contents |
Reference and Background Information
Search for Reference sources that contain information about your specific research topic here:
You may also consult the resources below for overviews of the topic that you have chosen to research. Use these resources to help you to put your topic in context and give you the big picture of what information exists about your topic. These resources may have bibliographies at the end of each entry that can help further your research.
- Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy
Level 1 Reference B41 .C35 1999
With a collection of entries from hundreds of contributers, this dictionary provides a comprehensive coverage of Western and international philosophy from Abderites to Zoroastrianism. Entries vary in length and concern key topics, terms, theories and philosophers.
- Dictionary of American Philosophy
Level 1 Reference B851 .N3
This dictionary covers the key thinkers and theories that have contributed to the field of philosophy throughout United States history. Most entries are brief but informative, and emphasize historic context. Several key philosophers, like Benjamin Franklin, have long and thorough biographical entries.
- Dictionary of Philosophy and Psychology
Level 1 Reference B41 .B3 1940
This 8 volume set provides definitions and descriptions of most philosophy terms and ideas. An older work, this does not include more recent material, but is a useful resource for locating information and explanations for nearly every aspect of philosophy and psychology, from Schadenfreude to exogamy.
- Dictionary of the History of Ideas
Level 1 Reference CB5 .D52 and Free Online
This four volume work is concerned with the origin and evolution of different ideas. There is an analytical table of contents that explains how the histories of ideas are grouped together. There is also an article list for finding a specific topic alphabetically. This work was updated in 2004 as the New Dictionary of the History of Ideas. The updated set has more of a global focus and includes more than twice as many articles as the Dictionary of the History of Ideas.
- Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Level 1 Reference B51 .E53 2006
This ten volume set of encyclopedias contains long, in-depth treatments of various theories and philosophers. Each entry includes bibliographies and guides for further research. An index is included at the end of the last volume for ease of searching.
- Greek Philosophical Terms: A Historical Lexicon
Level 1 Reference B49 .P4
This short volume offers in-depth definitions of key terms used and popularized by Greek philosophers. The terms are organized alphabetically in Greek for ease of searching, and an English to Greek index is included in the back as well.
- Handbook of Western Philosophy
Level 1 Reference B804 .H17 1988
Intended for general readers and beginners in the field, this work is a collection of surveys by various authors providing a comprehensive coverage of contemporary Western philosophic thought. Entries are organized by topic, but an index in the back allows for more targeted reading.
- Oxford Companion to Philosophy
Level 1 Reference B51 .O94 2005 and Simmons Eresource
Look up philosophers, movements, difficult terminology, and other information related to philosophy. All entries are listed alphabetically and list sources for further information.
- Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Simmons Eresource
This online resource provides a comprehensive collection of articles, and includes bibliographies, suggestions for further readings, links to related articles and internet resources. Articles can be searched or accessed through keyword searches or through alphabetical lists through the provided subject guides.
Finding Articles
Below are suggested databases and indexes for articles on the topic that you have chosen to research. These databases include articles from newspapers, magazines and scholarly journals. Articles are shorter and more narrowly focused than books or reference materials so you should use them after you have narrowed your topic.
- Philosopher's Index
Simmons Eresource and Level 1 Reference B72 .P4
The Philosopher's Index provides access to articles published in the major Western philosophic journals.
- JSTOR
Simmons Eresource
JSTOR offers both multidisciplinary and discipline-specific collections. Provides full-text backfiles of many core scholarly journals, some dating back to the 1800s. However, JSTOR is not the database for current issues as it focuses on older journals.
- Project MUSE
Simmons Eresource
Offers nearly 250 quality journal titles from 40 scholarly publishers. As one of the academic community's primary electronic periodicals resources, Project MUSE covers the fields of literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, economics, and many others. Project MUSE is setting the standard for scholarly electronic journals in the humanities and social science.
- Humanities Fulltext
Simmons Eresource
A database of article citations on topics in the Humanities, some available full-text. Includes content from more than 300 key humanities publications, including feature articles, book reviews, interviews, obituaries, bibliographies, original works of fiction (including dramas and poems), and reviews of plays, operas, ballets, dance, musicals, movies, and television and radio programs.
- Paideia Project: Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy
Free Online
This website presents fulltext editions of papers given at the Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy. More than 900 papers are available. The papers archive has a subject index as well as a search function.
- Academic Search Complete
Simmons Eresource
Academic Search Complete is a great place to start your search for both popular and scholarly articles, no matter what your topic is! It contains journals from almost every topic and is designed specifically for academic institutions. It provides more than 5,300 full-text periodicals, 4,400 of which are peer-reviewed journals. This resource also features content as far back as 1865.
- 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.
- Expanded Academic ASAP
Simmons Eresource
From arts and the humanities to social sciences, science and technology, this database meets research needs across all academic disciplines. Access scholarly journals, news magazines, and newspapers - many with full text and images. Updated daily.
TIP: Use the Advanced Search for a more precise search!
Searching the Web
Simmons librarians have created a customized search engine that allows you
to find Philosophy information on the free web.
Use this Philosophy Google Custom Search Engine box to search all select, quality free web sites at the
same time:
You may also wish to go directly to, or bookmark, the Philosophy Google Custom Search Engine
Tips for Searching the Internet:
- 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:
Writing Style and Citation
For more information on style and citation for this discipline, please contact the Simmons College Writing Center
You may also consider consulting these resources:
- Writing Resources
Free Online
The Writing Center provides online resources for citing your research. If you are unsure of which citation style to use, consult your professor and consider the following:- Use APA (American Psychological Association) when your topic is in the Social Sciences
- Use ASA (American Sociological Association) when your topic is in Sociology
- Use MLA (Modern Language Association) when your topic is in the Humanities
- Use Chicago/Turabian when your topic is in Literature, History or the Arts
- Use CSE (Council of Science Editors) when your topic is in the Sciences
- RefWorks
Simmons Eresource
RefWorks is a great program for organizing articles, books, and other materials you need for research. You can also use RefWorks to create bibliographies, create in text citations in your paper (Write-N-Cite), and share your research with others. Access RefWorks from the A-Z list of resources on the library's web page, and then follow the instructions to create your own username and password. We hold RefWorks Clinics throughout the semester. For more information, ask a reference librarian
