Electronic+Database+Resources


 * Women in the Performing Arts**
 * Electronic Database Resources**

While overall these resources are appropriate for general audiences, several of the resources have additional features that will assist undergraduate, graduate, and subject-specific scholars in conducting more in-depth research.

=**General Free Websites--A Great Place to Start!**= **InfoPlease Almanac- Biography**: Free website that features an easy to browse interface based on a variety of categories. Includes over 30,000 biographies of notable individuals across various fields. Provides short biographical information of most noteworthy accomplishments and helpful links with cross-referenced terms, places, or individuals. Reference editors as well as various reference works generate the content. This resource is great for general audiences just beginning biographical research. It is updated routinely based on the type of content.



=Major Databases Created from Print Sources--Subscription Needed=

**Marquis Who's Who On the Web:** Provides online access to more than 1.4 million biographical entries across 20 of the Who’s Who publications.This includes individuals from the past and present across a variety of subject areas. The Marquis publications are major and popular reference works in the area of biographical reference works. The database has a useful search function that allows users to appropriately narrow these search on up to 15 criteria. This database is updated daily.


 * Oxford Dictionary of National Biography*:**This database provides online access to biographical entries and illustrations of over 57,00 men and women who have contributed to the history of Britain, all entrants are deceased.These noteworthy individuals must have some connection to the British Isles or British history worldwide.Search functions provide various filters such as gender, fields of interest, life dates, and religious affiliation. The database is updated 3 times a year. This resource is also available in print. [[image:oxford.png width="800" height="405"]]


 * American National Biography Online:** This online database provides biographical portraits of over 18,700 men and women who have helped shape the American history.The print version one ALA’s Dartmouth Medal for best reference work of the year 1999.The online version is updated semi-annually and provides images, hyperlinked cross-references and links to select websites for additional information.The database was highly functioning browse and search functions. This resource is also available in print.Both print and online database is published and maintained by Oxford University Press under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies.


 * Britannica Academic Edition***: Provides access to information contained within the printed full-text of the 32-volume Encyclopedia Britannica in addition to a variety of other articles and images not available in print.The database also contains references to reputable websites that contain additional information.This database is usually a good place to start to get basic biographical information and to begin a more in-depth research process. The articles are short and summarize the major accomplishments in individual’s lives.


 * Current Biography Illustrated: Online ** version of the print resource Current Biography which provides biographical information on over 20,000 people in the news from fields such as the arts, film, television, and a variety of others. It provides easy to read information with a photograph and bibliography for additional resources. This resource would serve general audiences just beginning their biographical research by providing pertinent information along with listing of resources for more in-depth searching. This is a H.W. Wilson product.

=Major Biographical Index Databases--Subscription Needed= **World Who's Who:** A Routledge product this database provides access to over 60,000 biographical records of noteworthy individuals across the world in a variety of fields, including music and film. Creators claim it brings together “current and hard-to-find biographical information”. Variety of ways to search the database including by name, date of birth, nationality, or profession. Information is comprehensive and current, even includes contact information for contemporary individuals. This resource may be most appropriate for more subject-specific specialist searching for obscure and/or non-popular reference materials.


 * Biography and Genealogy Master Index (BGMI)*:**One of the major indexes that provide biographical information. This index covers about 5 million current and historical figures from around the world across all fields. It provides a listing of over 1,600 reputable references sources. This index is an excellent place to begin a biographical reference search in order to be given a wide variety of sources. It is updated bi-annually.


 * Biography Index:** A second major biographical index The H.W. Wilson Company, is a bibliographic database that cites biographical material appearing in periodicals indexed in other Wilson Company databases and additional selected periodicals, current books of individual and collective biography, and incidental biographical material in otherwise non-biographical books. Periodicals indexed are selected from all subject areas represented by other Wilson Company databases. Biographical subjects indexed range from antiquity to the present and represent all fields and nationalities. This index claims to provide biographical information sources on contemporary individuals that may be more difficult to find in other databases. This resource is also indexed in the BGMI.


 * Credo Reference*: **This reference database is a useful tool to begin research on any biographical topic. It provides access to content from over 70 trustworthy publishers; to a variety of research tools such as concept mapping to help expand search capability; as well as topic pages to provide a starting place to begin more in-depth research project. Each entry has includes brief summary, citation style guidelines, links to additional journal articles, books, news headlines, image, videos, and other suggested resources.

=Performing Arts-Specific--Subscription Needed= **International Bibliography of Theatre and Dance*:** This is a critical resource for those doing research on dance and theater performing arts. This EBSCO powered database provides access to listings of over 60,000 journal articles, books, and newspapers covering topics from ballet, opera, film, and puppetry, and so many more. It also provides access to over 170 full text articles and over 360 full books and monographs. It covers a number of major reference works in the field.


 * North American Theatre Online*:** This is a comprehensive database providing information across a variety of reference works about theatre across America and Canada from 1300 to present day. It provides articles from major theatrical reference materials about major playwrights, actors, production companies, and theater venues. It also provides images to playbills, scrapbooks and other theatrical materials. [[image:northamericantheat.png]]


 * Oxford Music Online*:** This database provides search access across a variety of music reference sources including, //The Oxford Companion to Music// (2002) and //The Oxford Dictionary of Music//, 2nd edition (revised 2006) and also the //Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 4th edition// (2006). These works provide over 8,000 informative articles about composers, performers, and works across a range of musical genres. This includes rock, pop, jazz, and classical to name a few. It has a robust search and browse options that allow the user to narrow their query to the appropriate time period, genre, or other subject or content area. It is very user-friendly with excellent help features.


 * These databases are available through University of Maryland Research Port.