Scoping reviews and other forms of knowledge synthesis typically do not include books or book chapters. However, when conducting a comprehensive review to learn about the prevailing theories and ongoing conversations within a social science field, it is important to include these sources. Monographs provide in-depth analysis and detailed discussions that are essential to gain a thorough and nuanced perspective.
Monographs contain detailed written studies on a specific subject that includes a more comprehensive coverage and analysis than found published in research articles. These books can be written by a single author or a group of authors who each contribute a chapter to the publication. To locate other works by the same author, conduct an Author/Creator search in LibrarySearch or use the Browse By Author feature.
Be sure to consult a book's bibliography to locate the works the author(s) used or other sources by the same author(s). Using these Citation Trails assists with situating the work within the larger scholarly conversation.
To assist with determining the relevancy and research quality of a book, search for book reviews written by scholars within academic journals.
Travel time can be a factor when submitting requests for hold pickups or interlibrary loans. Learn more about access considerations for physical resources:
The University of Toronto Libraries provide several resources for researchers to locate books and book chapters. For more information, please click on the following options:
link to vendor and distributor websites (e.g., university presses, professional associations, academic publishers) with details on recent and upcoming titles, however the filter options tend to be limited in comparison to LibrarySearch and research databases. If you are unable to access a book on a vendor's website, be sure to search for the title in LibrarySearch or ask for help, as the book might be available through a different source.
LibrarySearch is the first step to locate relevant books and essays in print and digital form. A comprehensive search requires the use of the Advanced Search within LibrarySearch.
Tailor your search to UTL’s LibrarySearch by using the steps outlined in LibrarySearch Tips: Advanced Search to get the best results.
Use the Facet menu to limit the search results to print & online books and book chapters. The Book Chapters filter will display chapters, essays, introductions, and other parts within edited works that are available electronically. Remember to click Apply Filters to apply the limiters to the search results.
More about using LibrarySearch effectively:
Database collections at U of T Libraries:
UofT Libraries has subscriptions to hundreds of research databases across an extensive range of topics and contain various formats, including books, book chapters, articles, and more. LibrarySearch typically redirects users to items in these databases, but there can be benefits to searching books directly in interdisciplinary and subject specific databases:
It is important to know that LibrarySearch does not display all available ebooks. It will be required to search through each publisher's ebook website or platform.
To access and learn more about each individual ebook website or platform, select the chevron next to the provider's name.
A dropdown box will provide the Connect link to the collection.
In addition, it will provide information on how to access the ebooks once connected to the platform, if downloading or printing is permitted, and special features of the platform.
To expand the comprehensive search to beyond the physical and digital holdings available at the University of Toronto, be sure to search WorldCat:
the largest bibliographic database and contains item records from thousands of libraries and archives around the world. Place an Interlibrary Loan request for materials located within WorldCat that are not at the University of Toronto.
