FNDS 3401: Reporting on the Middle East

These databases provide access to journal articles, book chapters, news articles, and more related to the study of the Middle East.

BrillOnline Reference Works  - Searchable and browsable books and encyclopedias covering over three centuries of scholarly publishing from around the world. "Brill offers primary source material as collections in multiple subject areas. Many of our primary source collections are unique, as they are often the only source of rare documents outside of the source library itself." Within this database we recommend: 

• Middle East and Islamic Studies section
• Encyclopedia of Islam - While there are now multiple editions of the Encyclopedia of Islam, "The Encyclopaedia of Islam First Edition Online (EI1) was originally published in print between 1913 and 1936. The demand for an encyclopaedic work on Islam was created by the increasing (colonial) interest in Muslims and Islamic cultures during the nineteenth century. The scope of the  Encyclopedia of Islam First Edition Online is philology, history, theology and law until early 20th century. Such famous scholars as Houtsma, Wensinck, Gibb, Snouck Hurgronje, and Lévi-Provençal were involved in this scholarly endeavor. The Encyclopedia of Islam First Edition Online offers access to 9,000 articles."
• Early Western Korans Online - This Early Western Korans Online collection demonstrates the impact of the holy book of Islam in Europe. Long before printing with movable type became common practice in the Islamic world, Korans had been printed in Arabic type in several European cities. The collection includes Korans and Koran translations printed between 1537 and 1857.

Ethnic NewsWatch - "Ethnic NewsWatch is a current resource of full-text newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic and minority press, providing researchers access to essential, often overlooked perspectives."

Foreign Office Files for the Middle East, 1971-1981 - This collection addresses the policies, economies, political relationships and significant events of every major Middle East power during the 1970s. Conflicts such as the Arab-Israeli War, the Lebanese Civil War and the Iranian Revolution are examined in detail, as are the military interventions and peace negotiations carried out by regional and foreign powers like the United States and Russia.

Index Islamicus - References to journal articles, books, and conference proceedings on Islam, the Middle East and the Muslim world. Includes not only publications about the Middle East, but also the other main Muslim areas of Asia and Africa, and Muslim minorities elsewhere.

The Jerusalem Post Historical - Digitized version of the English-language daily The Jerusalem Post, 1932-1988. Covers Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish World. The Jerusalem Post was called The Palestine Post from 1932 to 1950.

Middle East Online: Arab-Israeli Relations, 1917-1970  - More than 137,000 pages of original source material from the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, War Office, and Cabinet Papers from the 1917 Balfour Declaration through to the Black September war of 1970-71.

Middle Eastern & Central Asian Studies - Coverage of the countries and peoples of the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa including: political affairs and law, international relations, economic affairs - business and industry, cultural heritage, arts and humanities, society and social welfare, ethnic diversity and anthropology, significant religious events and movements, and recent history (1900 - present) and archaeology.

Middle Eastern & North African Newspapers - With a preliminary release of over 100,000 pages from 15 titles, the Middle Eastern & North African Newspapers collection provides access to historical news content with unique insights into the history of individual countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa, as well as broad viewpoints on key historical events from the late nineteenth through the mid-twentieth century. Content in MENA Newspapers is predominantly in Arabic, but also includes key titles in English and French.

Middle East Online: Iraq, 1914-1974 - Includes a broad range of original source material from the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, War Office, and Cabinet Papers covering the period from the Anglo-Indian landing in Basra in 1914 through the British Mandate in Iraq of 1920-32 to the rise of Saddam Hussein in 1974.

U.S. Intelligence on the Middle East, 1945-2009 - This comprehensive resource sheds light on the U.S. intelligence community's spying and analytic efforts in the Arab world, including the Middle East, the Near East, and North Africa. It covers the time period from the end of World War II to the present day, including the 2002-2003 Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) assessments, the Global War on Terror, the Iraq War, and Iran's nuclear program.
Oxford Islamic Studies Online - Brings together current scholarship in the field and promotes accurate and informed understanding of the Islamic world. This fully integrated resource features reference content and commentary by renowned scholars in areas such as global Islamic history, concepts, people, practices, politics, and culture, and will be regularly updated.

For additional resources, check out the Essential Studies on the Modern Middle East Guide.