Stark:LiteraryResearchGuide
Contents |
Literature Resource Center
A good starting place for research on a particular author is the Literature Resource Center, where biographical information (sometimes quite basic, sometimes extensive) as well as information about critical reception can be found.
To access the Literaure Resource Center:
- Go to the Eckerd Library Home Page.
- Find the menu labeled "QUICK JUMP: Go directly to a database." Click and scroll down to "Literature Resource Center."
- Click on "Connect to Infotrac".
- Scroll down until you find the "Literature Resource Center," and click on the link.
- From here, you can simply type the author's name in the search window. You will probably get several results. Entries in the Dictionary of Literary Biography or Contemporary Authors Online tend to focus on biography, but may have some critical interpretation. Entries in Contemporary Literary Criticism usually include a discussion of the critical reception of a writer, and often include links to excerpts from critical essays or to complete essays.
Literature Criticism Online
This is another excellent starting place for research. Many of the entries on authors begin with a short biographical introduction, then include short excerpts from a range of critics that can provide a good sense of different views of and approaches to the author's work.
To access Literary Criticism Online:
- Go to the Eckerd Library Home Page.
- Find the menu labeled "QUICK JUMP: Go directly to a database." Click and scroll down to "Literature Criticism Online."
- Click "Proceed" when prompted.
- There are a number of different search options: basic search, advanced search, author browse (gives you an alphabetical list of authors included in the database), and others.
Modern Language Association (MLA) International Bibliography
This is the most extensive database of scholarly articles and books in the field of literature. To use this database effectively, you will probably need to have a good sense of the topic you are researching, although sometimes the database can also be helpful as you try to develop or refine a topic. MLA database searches return lists of articles or books, so after completing your search, you will need to then locate electronic or paper copies of the items that seem to be of interest. For some articles, the MLA database provides a link to the full-text article on www.jstor.org, but this direct link doesn't always work. You may need to go back to the main Eckerd library page, navigate to JSTOR (see below), and then search for the article.
To access the MLA International Bibliography:
- Go to the Eckerd Library Home Page.
- Find the menu labeled "QUICK JUMP: Go directly to a database." Click and scroll down to "Literature Resource Center."
- Click on "Connect to Infotrac".
- Scroll down until you find the "Literature Resource Center," and click on the link.
- In the blue box labeled "Other Searches," find the link for the "MLA International Bibliography," and choose that link.
- Conduct your search.
JSTOR and Project Muse: two full-text databases
JSTOR and Project Muse are two major collections on online academic journals. While many very good journals are included in these databases, they are far from comprehensive, and so should not normally serve as your primary resource. They do have the significant advantage, however, of providing full-text access to the journals they include. They can both be accessed via the "QUICK JUMP: Go directly to a database" scroll-down menu on the Eckerd Library homepage.
How to find full-text articles
(instructions provided by Helene Gold, Electronic Services Librarian)
Many databases only provide a citation (and maybe an abstract) to a journal article. Here’s how to check if the article is available in full-text in print or in another database.
1. Identify the name of the journal and the year the article was published.
McGuiness, Ilona. John Skelton's Phyllyp Sparowe As Satire: A Revaluation. Sixteenth Century Journal 22.2 (Summer, 1991): 215-231.
2. At the Library webpage, click on Find Journal Titles:
3. Enter the name of the Journal in the text box:
4. Scroll down to view the results. Each entry will have a date range indicating full-text availability.
5. If your article’s publication date falls within our subscription range, click on the database to link to the full-text article:
6. If the results list contains an entry for Eckerd College Print Holdings, you will need to find the original print publication in the periodical stacks or microfilm.
7. If the Eckerd library does not have access to electronic or print full-text of the article and you are reasonably sure it is important for your research, you should order the article through Interlibrary Loan.
- At the Library website, click on Interlibrary Loan (under “Services”)
- Click on “Make a Book, Journal Article, or Video request”
- Choose the correct item type
- Fill out the form completely and click Submit
- Items will arrive in 7-10 days (you will receive an email notification)
