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Research Guides

SCAND 370 | The Vikings: International Medieval Bibliography

About the International Medieval Bibliography

The International Medieval Bibliography (IMB) is a specialized academic database designed to help researchers find scholarly articles, essays, and conference papers on the Middle Ages, covering the period from AD 300 to 1500. It offers detailed indexing and abstracts of articles from over 4,500 journals and collections, providing access to the latest research in disciplines like history, archaeology, literature, and philosophy.

Bibliographic databases like the IMB is more focused than Google, which searches everything regardless of topic, and more powerful than UW Libraries Search, which only indexes select articles.

  • Expert Curation: The IMB is curated by medieval scholars and contributors worldwide, so each source indexed is relevant to medieval studies.
  • Comprehensive Coverage: The IMB provides access to scholarly materials that might not show up in a general search, especially articles from conference proceedings or Festschriften, which are not always covered well in broader databases.
  • Advanced Search Tools: The IMB offers search features like subject classifications, geographical regions, and time periods, allowing you to find exactly what you need without endless keyword guesswork. Its controlled vocabulary enhances search precision, ensuring relevant results.
  • Multilingual and Interdisciplinary: The IMB indexes work on medieval topics in multiple languages (English, French, German, etc.) across many disciplines, from art history to theology, giving access to a broad range of scholarly perspectives.
  • Depth of Information: Article entries in the IMB come with bibliographic details and abstracts for gauging relevance before seeking the full text.

Search the International Medieval Bibliography

The landing page for the IMB is the Simple search interface for Brepolis Medieval and Early Modern Bibliographies. The box for IMB is selected, indicating only this bibliography is being searched. Use the search fields 

  • Search anywhere. Text entered in this field is searched anywhere in the database's bibliographical data, subject indexing and notes. This field has an auto-complete list: as you type, a suggestions for authors, titles, and subjects in the database appear and may be selected. (Learn more about Search anywhere)
  • Area: Places are classified in a hierarchical string so that the geographical scope can be set anywhere from a continent to a single city, town, or building. To select an area click the adjacent box; or click the area's name to narrow to a smaller geography.
  • Centuries: Select a single century or range of centuries using the drop-down menu.

Finding Viking Scholarship in the IMB

Try these searches to get started with a broad range of sources on the Vikings.

  • Search anywhere. Try: viking* OR norse*
  • Area. Try: "Scandinavia"
  • Centuries. Try 9 to 11 for the Viking Age (c. 800–1050).

 

Help with IMB Search

Other Disciplinary Databases

The IMB is only one database, and it can be beneficial to search other databases with different disciplinary approaches. For example, search the MLA International Bibliography for nearly 10,000 articles on Old Norse language and literature, many of which will not be indexed in the IMB.