Step 1: Try Searching in a Literature Databases
Literature Databases to Get Your Started
There are many different databases you might use to conduct your research. Below I've recommended a few that are good candidates for literary analysis/criticism, in particular MLA International Bibliography and Gale Literature Resource Center.
- Gale Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new windowThis database provides the full text of literary criticism and reviews, biographies, original works of literature, multimedia resources, and links to selected web resources on more than 130,000 authors and their works, from all times and places.
- MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new windowSearch for scholarly conversations published in journal articles, books, articles in books, and dissertations in the fields of modern languages and their literatures, linguistics, rhetoric and composition, folklore, and film. Includes the full text of more than 1,000 journals in these fields.
Step 2: Try Searching in Another Database
Databases for Cross-Subject Topics
- OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson) This link opens in a new windowA multidisciplinary database providing indexing, abstracts, and full text from six of H.W. Wilson's full-text databases: Education Full Text, General Science Full Texts, Humanities Full Text, Readers' Guide Full Text, Social Sciences Full Text, and Business Full Text. Also available are full-text articles from five periodical databases: Applied Science & Technology, Art, BIological & Agricultural Index, Index to Legal Periodicals & Books, and Library Literature & Information Science. Indexing begins 1982, Abstracts 1984, and Full-text coverage 1994. Updated daily.
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowThis multidisciplinary database provides access to over 5,600 active full-text journals and over 6,500 open access journals. Covers topics that range from business, education, social sciences, humanities, engineering, and science. Coverage varies, updates also vary.
Databases on Specific Subjects That May Complement Your Topical Theme
- Women's Studies International This link opens in a new windowA bibliographic database providing indexing and abstracts for disciplines including sociology, history, international relations and humanities. All sources relevant to Women's studies on a global scale. 1972 - present.
- GenderWatch This link opens in a new windowThis database provides full-text articles on gender and women's studies, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) by authoritative perspectives from 1970 to present.
- Anthropology Plus This link opens in a new windowContains records of journal articles, book chapters, conference proceedings, dissertations, reports, commentaries, and obituaries related to anthropology, archaeology, and related interdisciplinary research from the 18th century to today.
Pick a Database On Your Own
From the SCU Library Databases webpage do any of the following to select a database:
- Search
- Browse by subject
- Browse by Title A-Z
Searching Instructions
State Your Topic
Example: The evolution of women's rights in retellings of Sleeping Beauty
Identify keywords
What are two or three keywords that represent your topic?
Example: fairy tales, feminism, women's rights, evolution
Construct your search strategy
Are there any synonyms for your keywords that you should consider using?
Combine keywords with boolean operators like AND and OR.
Example: (fairy tale* OR folk tale*) AND (feminis* OR women) AND (evolution OR progress* OR modern)
Limit/Refine as necessary
Most databases have a place to click to limit results to peer reviewed articles.
Look for it on the left hand side of most interfaces.
Sample Search Query
Sample search strategy in MLA International Bibliography (Literature Database):
Sample search strategy in Omni-File (cross subject database):
Where is the Article?!
