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Philosophy: Databases

Open book

Databases provide access to high-quality peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, book chapters, dissertations and many other resources. 

These databases have been especially selected for this subject area. When carrying out your research for a piece of work, you will need to search more than one database to find all of the journal articles relevant to your topic, as each database covers different journal titles.

Database Spotlight

Routledge Encyclopaedia of Philosophy Online Logo

Routledge Encyclopaedia of Philosophy Online (REP)

The Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy Online (REP Online) is the largest and most comprehensive resource available for all those involved in the study of philosophy. It is a trusted source of quality information, providing access to over 2,800 articles that have been edited for level and consistency by a team of renowned subject experts. 

Regularly updated with new and revised articles it is the ideal entry point for further discovery and research, clearly organised and with over 25,000 cross-references linking themes, concepts and philosophers. It is also an ideal reference source for those in subjects related to philosophy, such as politics, psychology, economics, anthropology, religion and literature (Provided by Publisher).

Essential databases

The following are important databases for this subject area, however if you don't see what you're looking for, please go to the Database Directory for Philosophy to browse a wider selection.

 

  • Philosopher's Index Essential
    The Philosopher's Index is the premiere bibliographic database covering worldwide research in all subject areas of philosophy. It contains works on philosophy from both philosophy and interdisciplinary sources. There are author-written abstracts for most records. The global database contains more than 680,000 records with source publications from 139 countries in 37 languages. The primary languages are English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Primary coverage spans from 1940 to present with additional records dating back to 1893.Source document types are from both print and electronic publications and include anthologies, books/monographs, book reviews, dissertations, contributions to anthologies, and journal articles. Extensive indexing includes personal and proper names along with subject terms; there is also the capability to search for the authors of book reviews. Major areas of coverage include: Aesthetics; Axiology; Epistemology; Ethics; Logic; Metaphilosophy; Metaphysics; Philosophical Anthropology; Philosophy of Education; Philosophy of History; Philosophy of Language; Philosophy of Religion; Philosophy of Science; Political Philosophy; Social Philosophy.
  • PhilPapers Essential
    PhilPapers is a comprehensive index and bibliography of philosophy maintained by the community of philosophers. We monitor all sources of research content in philosophy, including journals, books, and open access archives. We also host the largest open access archive in philosophy. Our index currently contains 2,797,726 entries categorized in 5,858 categories. PhilPapers has over 330,000 registered users. The PhilPapers Foundation is a Canadian non-profit organization supporting the development of online services to advance research and further education in philosophy and other disciplines. Together with the Centre for Digital Philosophy at Western University, the Foundation supports PhilPapers, PhilPeople, PhilEvents, PhilJobs, and other projects currently under development. The Foundation is jointly directed by David Bourget (Western) and David Chalmers (NYU, ANU).
  • Cambridge Companions Complete Collection Essential
    Cambridge Companions are a series of authoritative guides, written by leading experts, offering lively, accessible introductions to major writers, artists, philosophers, topics, and periods. The first two titles in the Companions series were the Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare and the Cambridge Companion to Chaucer, which were both published in 1986 and have since been updated with new editions. Now, over 600 titles have been published with the intention not only to offer a comprehensive overview of their chosen topic, but to display and provoke lively and controversial debate. Cambridge Core hosts the online version of the printed series and includes over 600 Companion titles, over 4,000 essays, as well as bibliographies and further reading. It is fully searchable by author, title, topic, or theme. Content is available as a complete collection or in subsets for institutional purchase and lease.
  • Oxford Bibliographies: Philosophy Essential
    Philosophy is one of the oldest areas of study with a long history of critical literature, and it remains a highly active field for new research and publishing. The number of books and articles published seems to increase every year. Much of the most recent work has moved online in one form or another, and older material that was once out of print or difficult to find is being made more easily available. The result being that today’s students and researchers have ready access to overwhelming array of potentially useful primary texts, journal articles, reference works, and a wide range of other resources. Oxford Bibliographies in Philosophy is designed to provide authoritative guidance. In contrast to print bibliographies and electronic indexes that simply list citations, this innovative online reference tool will combine the best features of a high-level encyclopedia and the best features of a traditional bibliography put together in a style that responds to the way people do research online.
  • Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Essential
    The Encyclopedia of Philosophy is a free dynamic reference work in which each entry is maintained and kept up to date by an expert or group of experts in the field.

Key database categories

Database Directory

You can use our Database Directory to browse a broader range of databases that are relevant to Philosophy as well as other subjects. The directory also allows you to identify databases that provide access to specific types of resources (e.g. Full Text Articles, Streaming Video, Patents, Theses and Dissertations, and much more).

Database Directory Philosophy

Research at the University of Manchester

The University of Manchester's research is internationally recognised. Go to Research Explorer, Manchester's research database, to discover the breadth of research produced by staff across the University.

Browse research publications from the Department of Philosophy (please note: whilst many of the publications listed are available to access/Open Access, some records are for forthcoming titles awaiting publication).

 

Research Explorer Search Interface

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