How do I find reviews?

To help determine the quality of a work, or get a sense of its reception, you may want to look for reviews. This guide recommends resources for locating reviews for books, films, theater performances, and music.

Reviews for a General Audience

Reviews are often released immediately after the performance, release, or publication of a work. These reviews usually appear in newspapers, magazines, or online (blogs or review websites).  Below are some guides to help you locate these reviews.

Reviews for a Scholarly Audience

Academics often review works in scholarly or peer-reviewed journals. As these reviews place the work in the context of current scholarship, they can take several years to appear after the event, release or publication date.

We recommend searching the article database or index that covers the academic literature in a specific field to find these reviews. Use the Advanced Search option and limit to "Reviews".  Find the best database for reviews in your field by using the guide below.