Search & Reference Tools

Below is a listing of helpful bibliographic guides and article indexes that are useful for conducting research with historical periodicals, especially when it comes to locating specific articles.

Subscription databases marked with a padlock are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.

Free databases and e-resources are freely accessible online. While this list is not exhaustive of all free resources, it highlights the breadth and depth of what is available today.

Databases and e-resources for searching periodicals

CiNii Research External

CiNii Research is a simple interface that allows you to easily cross-search articles from a variety of publications. While the focus is on scholarly journals, many non-scholarly general- and special-interest magazines are included, including those from the early 20th century. The CiNii platform is maintained by Japan's National Institute of Informatics (NII).

Koseisha Zasshi Kiji Sakuin Shusei Database External This link opens in a new window
The Koseisha Database provides indexing to journal/periodical articles published in Japanese from the early Meiji period (1868-1912) to the present, including academic journals and popular (general interest) magazines. The database merges data from CiNii (Citation Information by the National Institute of Informatics), a database of journal articles and research bulletins by academic institutions and societies. It also covers Zasshi Kiji Sakuin-Japanese Periodicals Index by the National Diet Library, Japan.
MagazinePlus External This link opens in a new window
MagazinePlus, also known as ZassakuPlus, is the largest multi-disciplinary indexing database of academic periodicals and articles in Japan. It covers 35,000 periodical titles in scholarly and general interest fields and provides bibliographical references to more than 20 million articles. It also includes bibliographic information for 6,000 reports, theses, and articles in the areas of humanities and social science published by Japanese academic institutions.

Japanese Historical Periodicals at the Library of Congress

Asian Studies: Ask a Librarian

Search & Reference Tools

Databases and e-resources for searching periodicals