How to do Research in East Asian Studies

START WITH GOOD KEYWORDS

Topic-specific keywords will help improve your results in a general multidisciplinary database like Google, Google Scholar, HOLLIS, or Academic Search Premier. 

Add keywords like these to your search:

• Confucious, Japanese manga, Korean classical literature  
• Regional terms - China, Manchuria, Gojoseon
• Search in the language you want to read: for example, to find Chinese-language materials, search in Hanyu Pinyin or Chinese characters

UPGRADE YOUR SEARCH: KEY DATABASES

The best tool for your project may be a specialized search engine, also known as a database. These databases are subject-specific or format-specific search tools:

Content primarily in English

Bibliography of Asian Studies (via Harvard Key) - A major bibliographical database for researchers focused on East, Southeast, and South Asia, managed by the Association for Asian Studies. It’s a key resource for Western-language materials.

Content primarily in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean 

Duxiu (via Harvard Key) - Known as the "Chinese Google Scholar," Duxiu provides access to millions of Chinese-language materials, including books, journals, theses, conference papers, and newspapers. It supports full-text search and document delivery.

Japan Search - A national platform by the Japan National Diet Library (NDL) , aggregating metadata from various digital resources to provide a centralized gateway to Japanese cultural, historical, and academic materials.

RISS international (via Harvard Key) - operated by Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS), this platform offers bibliographic data and access to scholarly materials from over 750 South Korean university libraries and international institutions.

DIG DEEPER

The Research Guide for East Asian Studies provides an overview of resources in specific topics, regions, and languages, including links to specialized guides for Chinese Studies, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, and archival materials.

Databases for Asian Studies - East - explore the full list of Harvard Library databases in this subject category.

CONNECT WITH US 

English-language research in East Asian Studies

Reed Lowrie, the library liaison to East Asian Studies for Western-language resources, is available to support researchers via email or in-person consultation.

Research in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan, Manchu, Mongolian, etc.

Sharon Yang, Librarian for Public Services and East Asian Digital Scholarship at Harvard-Yenching Library, is available to support researchers and can connect you with the relevant library expert for a specific East Asian language.

Featured Collections

The Harvard-Yenching Library is home to one of the world’s most comprehensive collections on East Asia. The library features resources in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Manchu, Mongolian, and Western language materials related to East Asian studies.

The Harvard Fine Arts Library’s Rubel Asiatic Research Collection is one of the leading collections for the study of Asian art and archaeology in the nation.