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LGBTQ+ Studies: Get Started

Welcome! This guide shares library resources on LGBTQ+ Studies and related fields. It is intended for students and other researchers looking for resources and search strategies that address the interdisciplinary and intersectional nature of LGBTQ+ Studies, or Queer Studies. 

If you have questions about research in LGBTQ+ Studies, recommendations for this guide, or purchase suggestions for the collection, please contact Katerina Allmendinger, liaison librarian for Women & Gender Studies and LGBTQ+ Studies.  

The guide is primarily organized by type of resource, with additional information on primary sources and archival materials of multiple formats on the Primary Sources tab.

For more about the Pride Office and other CU Boulder resources by and for the LGBTQ+ community, see our LGBTQIA+ Pride Month Guide

Research Tips

Choosing Search Terms

LGBTQ+ Studies / Queer Studies materials are often described using outdated, inaccurate, and offensive terms.

  • This is especially true of historical research: older books may have been cataloged before accurate subject headings existed, and archival materials may be described using terms contemporary to the resource itself. 
  • Language currently used by LGBTQ+ scholars / scholars of LGBTQ+ Studies is often not reflected in libraries and archives descriptions due to the pace at which language evolves.
    • Homosaurus logo. A simple clip-art style black brontosaurus stands in front of a rainbow, with bright pink text below reading Homosaurus  The Homosaurus is one effort to create a vocabulary of terms that can be used to describe LGBTQ+ materials. It can be helpful to browse this thesaurus to understand connections between terms. 
  • Try using synonyms and variations of your keywords. 
  • You may need to use outdated terms in your searches in order to find all relevant materials. 
  • For more on choosing search terms, see the Journal Articles, Books and eBooks, and Primary Sources pages of this guide. 
  • Your librarian or archivist can help navigate the gap between current outdated terms as it applies to your area of research. 

 

Where to Search

Because LGBTQ+ Studies is interdisciplinary in methodology and research inquiry, there are many places to search. Below you'll see "Interdisciplinary Research Starters", some recommendations on where to start. Select a tab for book, database, and research guide suggestions.

 

Content in this section is adapted from the work of Gina Bastone at the University of Texas Libraries and Stacy Reardon and Jennifer Dorner at the UC Berkeley Libraries

Interdisciplinary Research Starters

Where To Search

These resources on the Overview tab offer a wide range of formats across multiple disciplines, including search of scholarly journal articles, books and ebooks, and newspapers and magazines, with OneSearch being the broadest and most interdisciplinary, and Gale OneFile: Gender Studies the most specific to LGBTQ+ Studies and related topics. 

Research Guide

Listed here are additional research guides focusing on particular collections or libraries.

Books and eBooks

Databases

Research Guides

eBooks

Databases

Research Guides

LGBTQIA+ Health Research Guide from UCSF Library - includes links to reports, data sets, and best practices and methodologies

Books and eBooks

Research Guides

Databases

Databases

eBooks

Research Guides

Research Guides

Databases

Books and eBooks

Research Guides

eBooks

Databases

Work with Your Librarian

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Katerina Allmendinger
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