Arabic Studies Subject Guide

Getting Started

When you begin research in a new topic area it is useful to identify phrases, define words and find brief facts. The resources in this section list some reference sources for the discipline of Arabic Studies.  To find additional materials search the AUS library catalog (http://alberta.aus.edu/search).

Reference Resources

The Oxford Dictionary of Islam
Reference Collection - 1st Floor – REF BP40. O95 2003  

Political Islam: Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies      
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF BP176.7 .P65 2007

Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic Cultures (3 vols.)
Reference Collection - 1st Floor – REF HQ1170. E53 2003

Who’s Who in the Gulf 2006.
Reference Collection - 1st Floor – REF DS247. A136 W46 2006

Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East & North Africa (3 vols.)
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF DS43. E53 2004

The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Women’s Issues Worldwide.  The Middle East and North Africa
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF HQ1115. G74 2003 vol. 4    

Middle Eastern Literature and Their Times
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF PJ 307. M67 vol. 6

Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature (2 vols.)
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF PJ 7510. E53 1998

The Cambridge History of Arabic Literature (4 vols.)
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF PJ7500. C18 1992

An Arabic and English Literary Dictionary
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF PJ6640. C3 1998

Middle East. (Discovering World Culture Series, 5 vols.)
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF GN635. N42 D57 2004

Folklore and Folklife in The United Arab Emirates
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF GR268.A73 H87 2002

Select Electronic Books

Introduction to Arabic Literature/ edited by Allen Roger

Ideas, Images, and Methods of Portrayal: Insights into Arabic Literature and Islam/ by Sebastian Gunther

Interpreting the Self: Autobiography in the Arabic Literary Tradition/ by Dwight Reynolds

Finding Books and Other Materials in the AUS Library

The AUS Library uses the Library of Congress Classification system. To find books search in the AUS library catalog (http://alberta.aus.edu/search). To browse the shelves for books in Language and Literature, try the following call numbers:

Finding Journal Articles

In the field of literature the AUS library subscribes to hundreds of journals, most of which are found online.  To find all databases with literature information go to:

http://library.aus.edu/Databases/Databases-alpha.htm

Top Database Choices

JSTOR - Provides electronic access to the back-files of almost 200 core scholarly journals from 19 academic disciplines including the humanities, social sciences, and general sciences.

The Encyclopaedia of Islam – Encyclopedia of Islam Online: From E.J. Brill Publishers. The online version of the eleven volume Encyclopedia of Islam, second edition. Contains more than 13,000 entries covering Islamic history, religion and culture. Allows keyword, subject and index searches, and includes hyperlink references to related articles.

Modern Language Association Bibliography - The MLA International Bibliography provides access to more than 1.5 million bibliographic citations to journal articles, books, and dissertations from 1963 to the present in academic disciplines such as: language, literature, folklore, linguistics, literary theory and criticism, and the dramatic arts.

Other Databases

Academic Research Library - Search the full collection of journals and magazines for information on a broad range of general reference subjects including arts, business, humanities, social sciences, and the sciences.

Academic Search Premier (EbscoHost) - This multi-disciplinary database offers full text for more than 1,850 scholarly journals, including nearly 1,300 peer-reviewed titles. Covering virtually every area of academic study, Academic Search Elite offers full text information dating as far back as 1985.

Ebrary - Ebrary provides users with simultaneous, multi-user access to a growing collection of more than 23,000 full-text, digital books, reports, and other authoritative content from leading publishers. The user must first download the Ebrary reader, but this is simple and takes only moments.

Getting additional help with your research

The reference librarians at AUS are happy to help with your research. For specific search strategy assistance in Arabic Studies please contact:

Kathy Ray
Library Liaison for Arabic Studies
06-515-2266
kray@aus.edu