Subject Guides: Speeches: Multidisciplinary Databases for Speeches

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Databases for Locating Speeches

The following databases are good general resources for locating speeches. If you have a particular individual in mind, you can generally search any of the indexes in that person's field and combine your search with the term speech or speeches to retrieve relevant documents.

ABI/Inform (Business and Management) This link opens in a new window
Abstracts and full text of articles in business, management and academic and trade magazines published worldwide. Use the advanced search option and select SPEECH/LECTURE under document type. Note: This database indexes the journal EXECUTIVE SPEECHES from 1987 to 2005.
Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
To find speeches in this database, select "speech" under the document type drop-down box. This database indexes the monthly VITAL SPEECHES OF THE DAY which since 1935 has covered speeches of famous individuals from Gandhi to Lady Gaga. Covers the major speeches of all Presidents from Teddy Roosevelt to the present. Does not include campaign speeches. It also indexes the journal EXECUTIVE SPEECHES from 1987-2005.
America: History & Life (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
To search for speeches in this guide to American History resources, use the menu box for document type and select "speech."
Great Speeches Video Series This link opens in a new window
Streaming video collection of over 150 famous speeches given by key contemporary and historical figures. Includes many speeches by U.S. politicians and former presidents.
Historical Abstracts (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Bibliographic database covering the world's scholarly literature in history excluding the US and Canada. Select "speech" in the menu for document type.
ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new window
To find speeches using this database, use the advanced search with your subject term and the word SPEECHES and select Hearings as the source to search. You may get some hearings that are on the topic of speech (e.g., free speech) so you will need to sort through the responses.
Vanderbilt Television News Archive This link opens in a new window
An index of U.S. television news broadcasts beginning in 1968. NBC broadcasts from 1968 and CNN broadcasts from 1995 are available for viewing online. ABC and CBS broadcasts from 1968 and Fox News broadcasts from 2004 are available through video loan, for which Vanderbilt University charges a fee to recover costs. There are no transcripts or captioning provided.

Vital Speeches of the Day (Monthly journal since 1935 publishes transcripts of the most important speeches from around the world) To search only this journal, go to the Library's homepage under RESEARCH, Click on FIND JOURNALS. In the search box type Vital Speeches and click search. Click on Business Source Premier. Then click on the link to "Search within this publication." This will search only the journal Vital Speeches of the Day.