About This Guide
This guide provides links to library resources relevant to work in LGBTQ+ Studies, along with instructions on how to use them.
Transgender Studies is an emerging, unique discipline. While it is distinct from LGBTQ+ Studies, many of the library resources for both fields overlap. This guide has a tab specific to Transgender Studies, and you may find resources throughout this guide helpful for Transgender Studies research.
Why is LGBTQ+ Studies Research Challenging?
The interdisciplinary nature of LGBTQ+ Studies
- LGBTQ+ Studies is interdisciplinary – the field is rooted in Women's and Gender Studies and utilizes humanities and social science research methods.
- You will need to learn to distinguish between historical, sociological, anthropological, medical, and scientific treatments of queer and trans identities, and find sources that fit in with your research framework. This can take some experience.
Terminology may be offensive and inaccurate
- Current and historical research may use outdated terminology.
- Research, especially books, may be cataloged using outdated and/or biased terminology.
- Although you may want to avoid outdated terminology in your own research, you might need to use them as search terms if you want to be comprehensive, especially when searching historical materials and primary sources.
Historical Lack of Cataloging
- Until relatively recently, material centered on queer and trans identities may not have been identified with relevant subject headings and tags.
- Historically, some subject headings and tags did not exist.