Music Research Tips Subject Guide

Overview

This is a guide to help you do a research paper or project in music. It gives tips on finding background information, books, articles, and other information about a topic or person.

Basic Facts and Background Information

Resources such as encyclopedias, bibliographies, and study guides provide essential facts and background information about a person or topic. Often they list books, articles, and other sources of information, saving you time and effort. Some websites also provide such information or link to it. The three online guides listed below include many reference and information resources in the library and on the Web to help you start your research or complete an assignment.

Guide to Music Resources: General A general guide to library and internet resources useful for course assignments and research in music. Details

Guide to Music Resources: by Subject A guide, by subject category, to library and internet resources useful for course assignments and research in music. Details

World Music Research Tips A guide to WMU library resources and websites with information about world music and musical instruments.

Books, Scores, Recordings, Videos

Use the library catalog to find books, periodicals, scores, sound recordings, and videos in the WMU Libraries. The catalog does not include articles from journals and magazines. Use WorldCat to identify materials in other libraries.

Classic Library Catalog WMU's Classic online catalog (also known as WestCat), is used to identify books (including electronic books), government documents, journals, audio and video, slides, music scores, and other items in the University Libraries' collections. The catalog can be searched by title, author, subject heading, keyword, call number, and more.
For books about a person, first try a Basic Search using the last name first, followed by the first letters of the first name. In the "Search by" box, select "Subject Heading." For books on a topic, it is usually best to combine two or three terms related to the topic (names, words from a title, subject terms) in an Advanced Search. Remember that even if you do not find a book that is devoted entirely to your topic, there is often useful information in general histories of music and books about various types or styles of music.

New Library Catalog In 2009 we added a new interface to our catalog. It still identifies books (including online books), journal titles, government documents, music, videos, maps, and other items in the University Libraries. It can still be searched by title, author, subject, but now you can choose the format and location in your first search. There are easy ways of narrowing your search in the left column, it offers "did you mean" spelling, favorite lists, and lets you tag items with your own labels.

WorldCat Comprehensive catalog of books and other materials in libraries around the world. Contains millions of records in hundreds of languages. Nonbook materials include (among other publication formats) the titles of journals and magazines, manuscripts, maps, electronic resources, websites, computer programs, music scores, films, slides, sound recordings, conference proceedings, and videotapes. Items located through WorldCat must be requested through Interlibrary Loan unless they are also listed in the WMU Libraries catalog.

Article Databases

International Index to Music Periodicals Full Text Indexes and abstracts articles, reviews and other features from more than 430 music periodicals from 20+ countries, with full text coverage of 125 journals and magazines. Articles cover the full spectrum of subjects within the field of music. All aspects and types of music are represented.

RILM Abstracts of Music Literature Indexes and abstracts over 475 music journals as well as dissertations, Festschriften, yearbooks, symposia, and other publications and electronic resrouces. Coverage is from 1967. Updated monthly.

Music Index Online A comprehensive index covering 800+ U.S. and international music periodicals. Includes articles, book reviews, dissertations, and obituaries. Links to full-text journals in JSTOR. Coverage from 1973.

Music Index Ref ML 118 .M84
The print version of Music Index provides citations for articles in 700+ U.S. and international music periodicals beginning in 1949. Includes book and recording reviews, dissertations, and obituaries. Look up articles by subject or author. Details

Finding Journals and Magazines in the Library

When you have identified an article you wish to see, use these sources to find out if it is available in the WMU Libraries (if there is no link to full text in the database you used).

If you cannot find the journal (or other source) at WMU, you may be able to get the article through interlibrary loan.

Journal Finder (Find It @ WMU)
Find electronic and print journals available at WMU. Search for a journal title, browse journals by subject or collection, or look for a specific article if you have a citation (CitationLinker).

Classic Library Catalog WMU's Classic library catalog (also known as WestCat), is used to identify books (including online books), government documents, journals, audio and video, slides and other items in the University Libraries' collections. The catalog can be searched by title, author, subject heading, keyword, call number, and more.

If You Need More Help

Explore the Subject Guides listed in the Basic Facts and Information section of this research guide.

The tutorial below will also help you understand the research process and become more familiar with the WMU Libraries.

Questions? Contact us in person, by phone, or email.

Searchpath Tutorial
This interactive library skills tutorial covers the research process from start (broadening or narrowing a topic) to finish (citation styles) and includes practice searching on our new library catalog, an article index, and the Web.
Searchpath is divided into six modules, each of which takes 10-15 minutes to complete. Each ends with a quiz, and the quiz results may be emailed to your professor or saved within Searchpath as proof of completion. Check with your instructor if the class and instructor's name is not listed.

Citing Your Sources

These sources show how to cite print and online sources and format your bibliography and footnotes. Be sure to use the style required or preferred by your instructor.

Citing Music Sources in Your Essay and Bibliography Excellent guide to citing music sources (scores, recordings, videos and more) using Turabian style (based upon Chicago Manual of Style). Also: correct format of musical terms and titles for your essay and bibliography. Details

Guide to Writing Styles Contains links to many practical examples for formatting citations in APA, Chicago, MLA, Turabian, and other writing styles. Examples include citations to both online or print materials. Call numbers for printed manuals are also given. Ask your instructor which writing style is required for your class assignment.

Online! Citation Styles How to cite Internet sources using MLA, APA, Chicago, CBE and other styles.

RefWorks This citation management software allows you to import citations directly from electronic indexes and create and manage your own bibliographies. Use with word processing software to cite and format references easily in a variety of writing styles. You will have to set up an individualized account the first time you use RefWorks. An excellent tutorial is available in RefWorks under Help. Tutorial

Ask A Librarian

Greg Fitzgerald
gregory.fitzgerald@wmich.edu
269-387-5236
Last updated: November 2009