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Key Resources
Focuses only on sources relating to language and linguistics. The thesaurus (advanced search screen) points to useful keywords. Many ways to filter results.
Wide-ranging, multidisciplinary database. Easy to find other articles that cite the article(s) you are interested in
Linking to Google Scholar through our proxy server should ensure that you get the pdf for all articles from the journals the library buys.
Great for overviews of topics and provides lists & descriptions of sources for each topic.
If you're not sure where to start your research this guide will point you to some of the best starting points. Don't forget, you can always get in touch directly with any questions you may have.
Subject specific dictionaries and encyclopedias are useful for helping you figure out the jargon of a discipline and can give quick overviews of a topic to get you started. You can often pick up keywords to use in your search strategies from these sources.
- Concise Oxford dictionary of linguistics, 3rd edition
- Dictionary Plus Linguistics (Oxford Reference)
- Dictionary of linguistics and phonetics, 5th edition<print only, older editions also available>
- Dictionary of historical and comparative linguistics <print only>
- Encyclopedia of language & linguistics
- International encyclopedia of linguistics
- Oxford bibliographies online - Linguistics - Great sources for exploring a new subject area. Each article is written by academic experts, peer reviewed, and kept up to date.
Start with:
- Omni : the one-search box on the Library's home page. Look for a specific title, or use keywords to find books and articles on a topic.
Use the filters on the results page to refine your search results. For example you can limit to just books or just journal articles.
Also try:
Our subject or discipline specific databases may allow you to find sources you can't find through Omni. They also often include other features (search, sort, result display, download...) that Omni does not have. All will let you find journal articles. Some will include books or book chapters.
- Proquest databases: can search each individually or can combine and search across all at the same time
- LLBA: Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts: all areas of language and linguistics
- PsycINFO: covers areas such as psycho-, neuro-, cognitive linguistics
- MLA International Bibliography Covers literature as well as languages and linguistics
- MITCogNet: particularly good for cognitive linguistics topics but covers other areas of linguistics. Includes full text of books, journals, reference works. Use their browse by Topic or search by keyword
- Oxford Bibliographies Online: Linguistics
- Scopus Multidisciplinary for sciences and social sciences with times cited info and links to citing articles plus lots of ways to analyze your results
- Web of Science Core Collection Multidisciplinary for all subject areas with tmes cited info and links to citing articles plus lots of ways to analyze your results
- Scholars Portal Journals Completely full-text collection of the journals from a number of publishers including Elsevier, Wiley, OUP, CUP, Springer, Taylor & Francis, APA, MUSE, JSTOR... So, anything you find searching this database you WILL definitely get in full-text, but it may not cover all the important journals in any given subject area
The following is a brief selection of books (both e-book and print) that provide more introductory material for each topic. Search Omni for more.
Linguistics in general:
- Contemporary linguistic analysis: an introduction, 8th edition
- Contemporary linguistic analysis: an introduction, 8th edition older editions also available
- An introduction to language description
- An introduction to linguistics and language studies <print only>
- Language files : materials for an introduction to language and linguistics, 12th edition <publisher providing free online access during COVID closure>
- Linguistics: an introduction to language and communication, 5th ed
- Linguistics: an introduction to language and communication, 5th ed 6th edition also available in print
- The linguistics student's handbook
- The linguistics student's handbook also available in print
- Oxford handbook of linguistic analysis <print only>
Grammars
To find comprehensive grammars of a language in the Library:
- Do a Keyword search in Omni using the name of the language plus the phrase "reference grammar" or "comprehensive grammar"
example: Turkish "comprehensive grammar"
- If these do not turn up anything, try a more general search in the form of "XXXXX Language" Grammar (where XXXXX is the name of the language)
example: "Arabic langauge" grammar
- for purposes of assignments in Morphology, Syntax, etc. classes, if you are not sure if the grammar is appropriate, please check with your professor
Phonetics & Phonology
- The Blackwell companion to phonology
- The Cambridge handbook of phonology
- A course in phonetics , 6th edition
- A course in phonetics , 6th edition older editions also available
- A critical introduction to phonetics
- Handbook of the International Phonetic Association: A guide to the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet.<print only>
Accompanying audio files are also available - Introductory phonology
- Oxford handbook of laboratory phonology <print only>
- Sociophonetics: a student's guide. <print only>
Morphology & Syntax
- The grammar of words: an introduction to linguistic morphology, 1st edition
- The grammar of words: an introduction to linguistic morphology, 1st edition 2nd edition available in print
- The Routledge handbook of syntax
- The Oxford handbook of comparative syntax
- The Oxford handbook of comparative syntax also available in print
- Oxford handbook of derivational morphology <print only>
- Oxford handbook of inflection <print only>
- Syntax: A generative introduction
- Syntax: A generative introduction older editions also available
- The world atlas of language structures
- The world atlas of language structures also available in print
Semantics
- Analyzing meaning an introduction to semantics and pragmatics
- An introduction to English semantics and pragmatics
- The handbook of contemporary semantic theory <print only>
- Introduction to semantics an essential guide to the composition of meaning
- Meaning in language: an introduction to semantics and pragmatics, 2nd edition
- Semantic analysis: a practical introduction, 2nd edition <print only>
Cognitive Linguistics & Psycholinguistics
- Cambridge handbook of psycholinguistics
- Cambridge handbook of psycholinguistics <also available in print>
- Cognitive linguistics: Basic readings <print only>
- Introducing psycholinguistics
- Introducing psycholinguistics <also available in print >
- Introduction to psycholinguistics: understanding language science
- Introduction to psycholinguistics: understanding language science <also available in print>
- The Oxford handbook of cognitive linguistics <print only>
- Psycholinguistics: Introduction and applications, 2nd edition
- The psychology of language: from data to theory, 4th edition <print only>
- Talking heads: the neuroscience of language
- Talking heads: the neuroscience of language <also available in print>
Maps & Atlases
- Aboriginal Maps & Mapping: Language Maps
- Atlas linguisticos en internet : in Spanish, but links to atlases for a large number of countries
- Atlas of Canada - Language: maps dealing with mother tongue, aboriginal languages and official languages
- Atlas of the world's languages, 2nd edition <print only>
- Atlas of the world's languages in danger
- Atlas of the world's languages in danger <complements the version available in print>
- Ethnologue
- MLA Language Map : uses data from the US Census 2000 to display the locations and numbers of speakers of thirty languages and three groups of less commonly spoken languages in the United States
- World Language Mapping System: A geographic dataset of the point and area (polygon) locations of the world's nearly 7,100 living language groups. To be used with GIS software (you can consult with our GIS specialists on how you can use this data)
Research Methods
- Sage Research Methods Database : A great resource for overall help with both quantitative & qualitative research : the research process, designing your research, help with methodology, collecting data,etc
- Field Linguistics: A beginner's guide
- Handbook of descriptive linguistic fieldwork
- How to do linguistics with R: data exploration and statistical analysis
- Methodologies in semantic fieldwork
- Research methods in psycholinguistics and the neurobiology of language: practical guide
- Oxford handbook of linguistic fieldwork <print only>
- Projects in linguistics and language studies: a practical guide to researching language, 3rd edition <print only>
- Quantitative research in linguistics : an introduction, 2nd edition <print only>
- Research methods in linguistics <print only>
- Research methods in psycholinguistics and the neurobiology of language : a practical guide <print only>
- Statistics for linguistics with R a practical introduction, 2nd edition
Conference Proceedings
- Berkeley Linguistics Society. Proceedings of the annual meeting
1975-2014;
2015-- - CLA (Canadian Linguistics Association) Conference Proceedings:
2002-current - CLS (Chicago Linguistic Society)
2008-- - CLS (Chicago Linguistic Society)
In Print: 1996-- 3rd Floor, Call Number P21.A1C522 [older years P21.A1C52 & P21.A1C5 ]
Online: 2008-- - Proceedings of NELS (North Eastern Linguistic Society): 2006-- 3rd Floor, Call Number P21 .N65
- Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of America
2016-- - West Coast Conference on Formal Linguistics
2005-- via Cascadilla Proceedings Project - West Coast Conference on Formal Linguistics
In Print: 1990; 1994-2013 3rd FLoor, Call Number: P21 .W472 + the year
Online: 2005-- via Cascadilla Proceedings Project - Cascadilla Proceedings Project: full text proceedings for a number of conferences including: Annual conference on African linguistics & Hispanic linguistics symposium
The following is just a selection of some of the major journals in linguistics that the Library subscribes to.
To see if the Library subscribes to a particular journal, use our Journals search
To search across a number of journals to find articles on a particular topic, do a Keyword search in Omni, OR use the databases recommended under the Search for Books and Journal Articles section
- Brain and Language
- Computational Linguistics
- Corpus linguistics and linguistic theory
- Folia Linguistica older issues are in print
- International Journal of Lexicography
- Journal of Linguistics
- Journal of Neurolinguistics
- Journal of Phonetics
- Journal of Psycholinguistic Research
- Journal of Psycholinguistic Research <also some years available in print>
- Journal of Quantitative Linguistics
- Journal of Semantics
- Journal of the International Phonetic Association
- Language, cognition, and neuroscience <up to 2013 under former title: Language and cognitive processes>
- Language documentation and conservation
- Language documentation and description
- Linguistic Inquiry
- Linguistics
- Mind and Language
- Phonology
- Syntax : a journal of theoretical, experimental, and interdisciplinary research
- Theoretical Linguistics
- Theoretical Linguistics <also some years available in print>
APA Style
The School of Linguistics and Language Studies (SLALS) uses APA Style as their default style. If you're not sure what style to use, check with your professor or T.A.
| The 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2020) is now available. There are some significant changes from APA 6th edition. Ask your professor which version they'd like you to use this semester. |
- Purdue Online Writing Lab: APA Formatting & Style Guide. They give examples of all kinds of references, both how to cite within your text as well as how to format the bibliography. Also includes a sample paper
- APA Style see their Quick Answers section or search their site. They are the publisher of the full Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition, which we have in print, see availability
- You can also just google: "how do I cite xxxx in apa", which often turns up the official apa.org answer and other reputable (look for.edu or other university web sites). Example: "how do I cite a video in APA"
General Writing Help:
Carleton's Writing Services:
- During the COVID-19 closure, see the Writing Services section of the CSAS Online Resources page
| Want some one-on-one help with your writing? Need some help with your draft? You may want to make an appointment with Writing Services, located on Floor 4 of the MacOdrum Library |
For Graduate Students:
- Surviving linguistics: a guide for graduate students <print only>
- A Survival Kit for Doctoral Students and Their Supervisors: Traveling the Landscape of Research
For everyone:
- The curious researcher: a guide to writing research papers, 7th ed. <print only>
- Essay writing: a student's guide <print only>
- Making sense : a student's guide to research and writing, 5th ed. <print only>
- Making sense : a student's guide to research and writing : social sciences, 7th edition.<print only>
- Academic writing: A practical guide for students
- Student research and report writing : from topic selection to the complete paper
- Writing effective course assignments : a guide to non-degree and undergraduate students
- Writing successful reports and dissertations
- They say / I say": the moves that matter in academic writing, 3rd edition <print only, older edition also available>
- Using sources effectively: Strengthening your writing and avoiding plagiarism, 5th edition <print only>
