Use the Library website to find journal articles

Begin your search at the library homepage. From the LibrarySearch box, you can find books, journals, and other resources in our library catalogue in addition to searching for articles across multiple databases.

In the LibrarySearch box, type in the keywords relevant to your research topic. 

For example, if your topic is about Gay Rights in Canada, you can enter the keywords

Gay Rights Canada

You will get a list of results such as Articles, Books, Reviews, and more! To find scholarly articles, underneath Filter your results select "Peer-reviewed articles" under Show Only and select "APPLY FILTERS" when prompted.

Narrow down your list to get better articles

Sometimes you will get hundreds of results. Use the filters in the left hand sidebar to narrow down your list of sources. You can filter your search results by Subject, Publication Date, and Language

Use the Library website to find books

In the library homepage search box, type in the keywords relevant to your research topic. When searching for books, remember to use simple, broad keywords.

From the list of results, underneath Filter your results on the left sidebar select "Books" under Format and select "APPLY FILTERS" when prompted to see the the library catalogue search results.

Narrow down your list of books

You can refine your search with various filters on the left sidebar, such as Library, Subject, Publication Date, and Language.

For ebooks, you can also click on the Online checkbox at the top of the page underneath show only.

Use the Library website to find biographies

To find biographical dictionaries in the library catalogue, do a keyword search, as follows:

Enter the 'name of the country' and 'biography' and 'dictionary'

Example: Mexico biography dictionary

To find biographical monographs in the library catalogue, enter the name of the person and the keyword 'biography.' To focus, once you are in the catalogue, choose biography under subjects on the side menu.

Example: Marsha P. Johnson biography

• Biography & Autobiography Research Guide

A guide identifying national and international biographical databases and dictionaries

• Gay & lesbian biography

Excellent, one-stop resource for information on notable gays and lesbians from a range of cultures and time periods. Includes comprehensive profiles on 275 individuals.

Recommended Resources

• Who's who in Gay and Lesbian History

Also available in print at HQ75.2.W562 2001

• Who's who in Lesbian and Gay Writing

Contains almost 450 biographical entries. Also available in print at PN451.G75 2002

Use the Library website to find encyclopedias and dictionaries 

Exploring your topic means finding introductory information to help you broaden or narrow your topic, while also providing keywords and terms needed to conduct further research.

Encyclopedias and dictionaries can be a useful tool to find introductory information on a topic to assist you with researching and understand your tipic better. Encyclopedias are highly recommended as a starting point for your research on a particular topic.

I need an encyclopedia/dictionary. Where can I find one?

Using and Finding Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia articles are not research resources, though they may summarize research on a topic. Use them for background and for references to other sources, but generally don't quote them in your paper. This is as true for library resources as it is for Wikipedia.

You'll need to be careful then not to unconsciously use the ideas from encyclopedias without attribution.

Need a subject specific encyclopedia? Here's how to find one

Recommended Reference Sources

Use the Library website to find Microform

Robarts Library also houses a vast microform (microfilm, microfiche, microtext) collection which includes nearly 3-million items, ranging from historical documents to contemporary newspapers, both domestic and international. For more information on microform see the microform guide.

External Collections

Try narrowing your research by:

• Geography
• Chronology (i.e.dates, time periods or time spans)
• Person, population or group (e.g ethnic, social, political, religious, gender, age, etc..)
• Event based
• Case based
• Political perspective
• Theoretical perspective (broad theories, e.g. feminist, Marxist; narrower theories on a specific topic, e.g. Goffman's theory of impression management)
• Movement (literary, artistic, political, philosophical)
• Specific instance
• Aspects (e.g. sonnet => symbolism; homelessness => policy) 

Databases

Why should you use subject specific databases?

• The library catalogue may produce too many search results

• You want to search for more specific time periods

or consult Popular Databases and Women and Gender Studies

Recommended Resources

Theses and Dissertations

Why would you need to consult a theses for history research?

• to identify gaps in research
• look for models of history research 
• develop your source base

For more information see the Theses and Dissertation library guide (U of T Libraries)

Citation Help

A primary source is a document that was created at the time of the event or subject you've chosen to study, or by people who were observers of, or participants in that event or topic

More information:

• What kinds of things can be primary sources?

Think about what kinds of primary sources might be related to your topic:

Four ways to find primary sources:

1. Start with what you already have to uncover references to primary sources. Consult your:

• class notes
• course readings
• bibliographies of your textbook, journal articles, or other secondary sources
• historical encyclopedias

They can also help you identify relevant historical figures, authors, or keywords for searching library database

2. Use the library catalogue to find books and other materials

Combine keywords for different kinds of primary sources with keywords for your topic to find them in the library catalogue.

Examples:

Stonewall sources

Harvey Milk correspondence

Audre lorde documents

Primary source keywords

3. Use reliable online primary source collections

4. Use one of the specialized libraries at U of T, such as the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, or one of our special collections.​

• Many University of Toronto Libraries have special collections which may include rare books, manuscripts, archival records, prints, drawings, photographs, or audio visual materials. Items from special collections are generally included in the UTL Catalogue. For details see the collection description via the Directory of Special Collections

Need suggestions for other archival collections outside the University of Toronto, check out a subject research guide or contact a subject specialist.

Recommended External Resources

Images, Oral History, Audio Visual

Images

See the Image and Visual Resource Collections guide for comprehensive links to image and visual resource databases. 

Oral History

Oral history may be in manuscript, print, microform, audio, or video format. It may be identified through a variety of tools throughout this guide, using relevant keywords.

For example, to find oral histories in the library catalogue, use keywords such as the following with your subject:

• oral history
• oral histories
• testimonies
• interview

U of T Resource

For primary source resources see Subjects A-Z and filter by subject and research type 

Recommended External Resource

• LGTBQ Oral History Hub

LGTBQ digital oral history is an emerging field by dedicated activists, historians, and archivists across the web. This hub acts as a growing resource for oral histories practitioners and the public

Help With Finding Data and Statistics

Drop by the Map & Data Library on the 5th floor of Robarts Library.

• View hours
• Contact the Map & Data Library

Use the Library website to find Newspapers

For newspaper databases and tips on searching for newspapers take a look at this guide: Newspapers Current and Historical

Recommended External Resource

Use one of the specialized libraries at U of T, such as the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, or one of our special collections.​

• Many University of Toronto Libraries have special collections which may include rare books, manuscripts, archival records, prints, drawings, photographs, or audio visual materials. Items from special collections are generally included in the UTL Catalogue. For details see the collection description via the Directory of Special Collections

Need suggestions for other archival collections outside the University of Toronto, check out a subject research guide or contact a subject specialist.

The following collections are highlights from the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library relating to LGBTQ history in Canada and around the world. 

The University of Toronto Archives has archival material relating to LGBTQ history at the University of Toronto and its faculty members. Below are some highlights.

University College Sexual Representation Collection

The Sexual Representation Collection is one of the biggest single University-based research collections of materials relating to sexuality.  As a non-circulating research collection it offers a vast array of materials to researchers interested in the social and legal regulation, production, circulation, and content of sexual representations.  The collection includes thousands of archival materials, including books, art, audio-visual media and unique ephemera, all documenting some aspect of how sex has been represented, and therefore socially, culturally, and historically constructed and contested.

Sub-collections include:

• Max Allen Collection: The extensive personal papers of Max Allen, former CBC producer and recognized anti-censorship activist who was involved in numerous legal battles to produce sexual representations between the 1970s and 1990s.  An extensive finding guide is available for this collection.
• SexTV Collection:  approximately 930 books donated by the producers of SexTV after the television channel (previously program) ended production.  The books cover a range of issues related to sexuality, from arts to spirituality and health, and demonstrate the kinds of information being used by producers to create their public programming/media.
• Book Collection: over 500 books, including monographs (fiction and non-fiction), reports, journals, art books, comics and zines.  The bulk of these materials are erotic fiction, including approximately 230 books published and/or distributed by erotic pulp novel companied from 1953-1986.  Pornography and Censorship are the primary themes of the book collection.
• Video Collection: this collection is currently being processed, but contains over a thousand pornographic videos on VHS videocassette that were collected for a major research project on pornographic representations of bodies.
• Scarborough Collection: contains over 1000 VHS videocassettes as well as hundreds of DVDs and numerous pornographic magazines.  All originated from a pornography retail shop that was in operation in Scarborough (a former municipality within Toronto, Ontario, Canada), which closed in the early 1990s.  These materials are divided into research themes and can be used as a case-study and to examine a wide range of questions about the mainstream pornography industry of this era.  An extensive finding guide is available for this collection.
• Lord Morpheous Collection: Various promotional materials, photographs, and publications having to do with Toronto-based, internationally-active, Lord Morpheous and his career as a bondage photography, practitioner, and educator.  The collection includes digital and print copies of his art work, as well as ephemera, and signed copies of his 2008 How to be Kinky: a Beginner’s guide to BDSM and his 2012 How to be Kinkier: Your Guide to Safe and Sexy BDSM. An extensive finding guide is available for this collection.
• Tristan Taormino Collection: a small collection of educational and erotic videos produced by Taormino, a leading feminist author, activist and sex educator
• Annie Sprinkle Collection: a small collection of materials Sprinkle donated to the collection when she gave a talk, including materials on her art projects and ecosexuality movement

• Ask a Librarian chat : We can help you find sources about a topic, locate a specific book or article, and use library research tools effectively.

• Email

• Book a research consultation

This guide is currently maintained by Jesse Carliner. Please send any suggestions, comments, and reports of broken links to jesse.carliner@utoronto.ca 

This guide was created by Laura Robb. It was substantially revised in 2014 by Jesse Carliner. It includes contributions from Don McLeod, David Fernández, and Sara McDowell.

• Spring 2023 update: Samantha Zani, TALint student