Research Guides @ Fordham: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Studies (LGBTQ): Search Strategies for LGBTQ Research

Welcome to the LGBTQ Studies Research Guide!

decorative Selecting keywords for research in LGBTQ+ Studies can be challenging for a variety of reasons:

Language for naming and describing LGBTQ+ communities changes over time and varies across regions and cultures.

Many terms for naming LGBTQ+ communities remain contested and debated from within the community and can include reclaimed terms that were once considered offensive.

Terms and/or subject classifications used in academic literature may be different from the language that is used in everyday speech or activist movements.

Using initials like "LGBT" or "LGBTQIA" or "GLBT" as search terms might not generate desired results in library catalogs or databases because:
- Some scholarship focuses on specific identity groups (gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, trans* communities, etc.) rather than including a spectrum of identities.
- These initials reflect more recent naming conventions and were not used widely before the late 1990s.

This page provides tools to take these issues into consideration when selecting keywords and developing search strategies that cast a wide net when searching library catalogs and databases.

Search Tips & Tricks

As you search through library databases, look for subjects, subject headings, index terms, categories, or author-supplied keywords. You can use these terms to improve your search based on how the database is structured. If the terms are hyperlinked, you can click on them to generate similar results.

Use Boolean Operators [AND, OR, NOT] and Modifiers [ "", *, ( ) ] to structure your search terms within a database to maximize your results. Some databases provide boxes to support Boolean searching:

For quick tutorials on using Boolean search strategies, try the following short videos:
- How Library Stuff Works: Boolean Operators from McMaster Libraries
- How Library Stuff Works: Boolean Modifiers from McMaster Libraries

Consult the Database Search Tips from MIT Libraries for additional insights into structuring your search terms.

Glossaries and Terminology Guides for LGBTQ+ Communities

An Ally's Guide to Terminology: Talking About LGBT People & Equality (2017 edition)
Overview of essential vocabulary and some terms to avoid from the Movement Advancement Project.
GLAAD Media Reference Guide (10th Edition)
Developed for journalists at mainstream media outlets and by creators in entertainment media who want to tell LGBTQ people's stories fairly and accurately.
Glossary of LGBT Terms for Health Care Teams
Developed by the National LGBT Health Education Center, a Project of the Fenway Institute.
NLGJA’s Stylebook Supplement on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Terminology
The Association of LGBTQ Journalists (NLGJA) created this resource to complement the stylebooks of individual publications as well as the Associated Press stylebook.
PFLAG National Glossary of Terms
Glossary offered as a starting point for dialogue and understanding.