Research Guides: Literature Reviews in the Social Sciences: Select Databases

Essential Databases

Essential Databases

EBSCO Discovery Service This link opens in a new window
This is a tool that searches almost all of our databases at once. The only problem is that you sometimes get too many results! You can try limiting your search by adding more keywords, limiting to scholarly sources, or limiting by date.
Note: NYU Libraries is retiring EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) in June 2025. The Catalog Search replaces EDS as the tool for searching across multiple publishers’ databases and platforms. You can also use EBSCOhost to search across the full set of EBSCO-only databases.

Google Scholar
Very handy, although not as comprehensive as Web of Science & SCOPUS. Make sure you have your settings adjusted to see NYU holdings. Email me if you don't know how to do that.

Web of Science (formerly Web of Science Plus) This link opens in a new window
Find articles in the sciences & social sciences and the articles that cite them.
Scopus This link opens in a new window
Similar to Web of Science, but with more European sources.
International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS) This link opens in a new window
The International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS) covers a broad range of interdisciplinary social sciences literature in over 100 languages and countries, with a focus on international research. It provides bibliographic references to journal articles and select books, book chapters, and book reviews dating back to 1951.
ProQuest Central This link opens in a new window
ProQuest Central is a large, multidisciplinary database with over 11,000 titles, with over 8,000 titles in full-text. It serves as the central resource for researchers at all levels in all markets. Over 160 subjects areas are covered extensively in this product including business and economics, health and medical, news and world affairs, technology, social sciences and more.

Worldcat
WorldCat connects you to the collections and services of more than 10,000 libraries worldwide. Find books and request to have them sent to Abu Dhabi.

Subject Specific Databases

View lists of databases with content in the following disciplines:

Word of advice

There is no 'silver bullet' database that is going to work for every student, every time. It hasn't been invented yet! Over the course of your literature review you are going to need to use at least a few databases, and many, many different keywords and search terms.

The 'Essential Databases' should be of use to all students in the Social Sciences, but obviously your projects will vary. I recommend starting with the essential databases and then moving on to the subject specific databases once you really know your subject backwards and forwards.