Subject Guides
Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Guide Contents
Your Subject Librarian
Citation Help
- Citation Help & Academic HonestyHow to cite using MLA, APA, & Chicago, plus links to other citation styles. Information on how to avoid problems with plagiarism.
Research Resources
These databases contain content focused on women's and queer studies. For more information on searching the databases and other library resources, visit the Search Strategies guide.
Key Resources
- AM ExplorerAccess millions of pages of primary source collections across the entire portfolio of Adam Matthew Digital, spanning content from the 15th-21st centuries.
Collections of particular interest for WGSS include:
Defining Gender
Gender: Identity and Social Change
Sex & Sexuality
Women in the National Archives - Archives of Sexuality & Gender: LGBTQ History and CulturePrimary sources for the historical study of sex, sexuality, and gender. With material dating back to the sixteenth century,you can examine how sexual norms have changed over time, health and hygiene, the development of sex education, the rise of sexology, changing gender roles, social movements and activism, erotica, and many other interesting topical areas.
- GenderWatchFull-text database that focuses on the impact of gender across a broad spectrum of subject areas. Coverage: mid-1970s - present.
- LGBT Source+Provides abstracting and indexing for more than 130 LGBT-specific core periodicals and over 290 LGBT-specific core books and reference works.
- Women Studies InternationalCovers the core disciplines in Women’s Studies to the latest scholarship in feminist research. Covers 1972 - present.
- Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender IndexCovers journal articles, book reviews, and essays in books about women, sexuality, and gender during the Middle Ages. Books written by a single author are not indexed; for these, check library catalogs that have strong collections in medieval studies.
- More Women's Studies databasesFor a full list of databases relevant to Women's Studies, please see the Women's Studies database page.
Find books on women's and queer studies in the Libraries' collections or requestable from other places. For more information on searching the databases and other library resources, visit the Search Strategies guide.
Find additional search tips for finding books in the Libraries on our guide to Finding Books.
- WorldCatLocate items in libraries worldwide.
Reference Books
Reference books can be helpful for finding background or general information on a topic.
Gender and Sexuality Studies
- The SAGE Encyclopedia of Trans Studies byISBN: 9781544393810Publication Date: 2021-04-09Transgender studies, broadly defined, has become increasingly prominent as a field of study over the past several decades, particularly in the last ten years. The experiences and rights of trans people have also increasingly become the subject of news coverage, such as the ability of trans people to access restrooms, their participation in the military, the issuing of driver's licenses that allow a third gender option, the growing visibility of nonbinary trans teens, the denial of gender-affirming health care to trans youth, and the media's misgendering of trans actors. Having an authoritative, academic resource like. This encyclopedia, featuring more than 300 well-researched articles, takes an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to trans studies. Entries address a wide range of topics, from broad concepts (e.g., the criminal justice system, activism, mental health), to specific subjects (e.g., the trans pride flag, the Informed Consent Model, voice therapy), to key historical figures, events, and organizations (e.g., Lili Elbe, the Stonewall Riots, Black Lives Matter).
- The Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History byISBN: 9780684325545Publication Date: 2019-02-08A three-volume set, The Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History (Charles Scribner's Sons) will provide a global view of the history of LGBTQ, covering significant figures and events worldwide. Wide-ranging in scope, this encyclopedia complements courses in a variety of disciplines, including history, literature, psychology, sociology and others. This title is being created under an international editorial board, led by Howard Chiang (University of California, Davis).
- The Oxford Encyclopedia of Queer Studies and Communication byISBN: 9780190099671Publication Date: 2024-01-11Queer communication studies is not a new field of study, although the uneven and hesitant embrace of queer topics and perspectives across the subfields of communication studies is evident to anyone who browses book series or journals in the field. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Queer Studies and Communication gathers the world's expertise on these topics in one resource allows readers to appreciate the work of the scholars who have persevered at this intellectual intersection to demonstrate how the central questions of these two seemingly disparate disciplines share common concerns about bodies, modes of relationality, representation, and cultural norms. Articles in this resource address the international flows of queer identities, practices, and representation.
- Women in America byISBN: 9781410325631Publication Date: 2018-10-12Information Plus: Women provides users with up-to-date statistics and information from numerous authoritative resources all in one volume. The text provides clear and comprehensive summary of the data, which is also vividly illustrated through tables, charts, and graphs.
- Routledge International Handbook of Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health byISBN: 9781351035613Publication Date: 2019-09-23The Routledge International Handbook of Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health is the authoritative reference work on important, leading-edge developments in the domains of women's sexual and reproductive health. The handbook adopts a life-cycle approach to examine key milestones and events in women's sexual and reproductive health. Contributors drawn from a range of disciplines, including psychology, medicine, nursing and midwifery, sociology, public health, women's studies, and indigenous studies, explore issues through three main lenses: the biopsychosocial model feminist perspectives international, multidisciplinary perspectives that acknowledge the intersection of identities in women's lives. The handbook presents an authoritative review of the field, with a focus on state-of-the-art work, encouraging future research and policy development in women's sexual and reproductive health.
- Encyclopedia of Women in American History byISBN: 9780765680389Publication Date: 2015This illustrated encyclopedia examines the unique influence and contributions of women in every era of American history, from the colonial period to the present. It not only covers the issues that have had an impact on women, but also traces the influence of women's achievements on society as a whole. Divided into three chronologically arranged volumes, the set includes historical surveys and thematic essays on central issues and political changes affecting women's lives during each period.
Open Access Journals & Research
Open Access means free access to information and unrestricted use of electronic resources for all. Students, staff, faculty, and community users have access to this content without logging in or paying.
- Feminist PeriodicalsAn open access repository of digitized contents pages of 150 academic journals and pop culture magazines in the fields of Feminism, Gender and Women's Studies, Sexuality Studies, and LGBTQIA+ studies.
- The Journal of International Women’s StudiesAn online, open-access, peer-reviewed feminist journal that provides a forum for scholars, activists, and students to explore the relationships among theories of gender and sexuality and various forms of organizing and critical practice.
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies CommonsOpen access academic research from top universities on the subject of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies.
- Open Access Online Feminist JournalsA list of open access online feminist journals curated by the Association of College and Research Libraries Women and Gender Studies Section. Titles are categorized by currency.
- Open Access Sexuality and Gender JournalsA list of open access sexuality and gender journals curated by the Center for Positive Sexuality.
- Digital Transgender ArchiveThe purpose of the Digital Transgender Archive (DTA) is to increase the accessibility of transgender history by providing an online hub for digitized historical materials, born-digital materials, and information on archival holdings throughout the world. The DTA virtually merges disparate archival collections, digital materials, and independent projects with a single search engine.
LGBTQ+ Resources
- Q Center ResourcesCompiled by the university's LGBTQ+ center, resources include on campus, off campus, online, and crisis hotlines.
- Queer Liberation LibraryA digital library that makes queer literature, information, and resources available to library members.
Membership is free to anyone with a United States mailing address!