ENGL 310 - Introduction to Literary Studies
Library Research Guide
and follow the links to access the article.
Welcome!
Welcome to the Libraries' ENGL 310 Class Guide! This guide is designed to help you learn how to use K-State Libraries' many resources. If this guide does not have the information you are looking for, don't hesitate to Ask A Librarian for help any time during the Libraries' service hours.
Go directly to the K-State Libraries home page.
Handouts
These handouts help focus the research process.
- Choosing a Topic and Search Terms (Word document from the University of Virginia Library under a Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License )
- Evaluating Sources Rhetorically/Analyzing Rhetorical Use of Sources: The BEAM Model (from Indiana University Bloomington Library under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license)
- Creating a Preliminary BibliographyThis handout describes how to start a search in order to explore a topic and start a bibliography. Adapted from a Gustavus Adolphus Library handout, it is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
More Guidance
Visit the English Research Guide for more research tips.
Contact Sara K. Kearns via email or schedule an appointment (see contact information on this page.)
Researching in Literary Studies
This guide will direct you to finding appropriate books, journal articles, and other documents for literary criticism. We will focus on academic and peer-reviewed resources.
Academic resources
- intended for researchers at the college level, from freshmen to faculty
- place topics within a scholarly conversation by discussing:
- research that has already been conducted,
- commonly accepted ideas,
- ideas still disputed or discussed by scholars,
- developing ideas
- usually include a reference list or bibliography for the sources referenced in the resource or for additional reading
Peer-reviewed resources
- subset of academic resources
- other researchers in a discipline have read and provided feedback on the work (usually a journal article) before it is published
This guide is organized into separate pages: getting started, reference materials, journal articles, and books. Click on the tabs on the left side of the screen to navigate through the guide.
Getting Started
- brainstorming keywords
- peer-review explanation
- how to get help
Reference sources
- biographies, topic and work overviews, plot summaries, definitions, etc.
- sources of factual information
- basic explanations of theories and terminology
- databases:
- Literature Resource CenterPaid for by K-State Libraries
Provides researchers with unbounding literary resources to support their literary responses, literary analysis, and thesis statements through a diversity of scholars and critics that ensure all views and interpretations are represented through up-to-date biographies, overviews, full-text criticisms, audio interviews, and reviews on writers from all eras. Use this resource to analyze authors and works throughout time. - Literary Reference CenterPaid for by K-State Libraries
Offers full-text reference resources geared primarily toward undergraduate students. In addition to critical reviews of literature and encyclopedias, the Literary Reference Center also provides biographies, book reviews, author interviews, synopses and work overviews, literary journals, classic novels, and classic and contemporary short stories and poems.
Journal articles and book chapters
- peer-reviewed
- critical analysis
Start with MLA International Bibliography and Project Muse. See the Journal Articles & Book Chapters page for more options.
- MLA (Modern Language Association) International BibliographyPublication Dates Covered: 1926 - present Paid for by K-State Libraries
This is the largest and most comprehensive database for literary criticism in all languages. Also covers folklore, linguistics, and film studies. Includes journal and book articles, books, and dissertations. Does not index book reviews in literary journals. - Project MusePublication Dates Covered: 1995 - present Paid for by K-State Libraries
Full-text scholarly journals in the humanities, arts, and social sciences. Titles include the most widely held and heavily used core titles from noted academic publishers. Subjects include literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, mathematics and others.
Books
- edited
- critical analysis
Start with Search It and WorldCat. See the Books page for more options.
- Search ItSearch It enables simultaneous searching of information about K-State Libraries' physical and online collections and about articles and other sources from hundreds of databases, journal publishers, and organizations.
- WorldCatSimultaneous users: 25 Paid for by K-State Libraries
Provides information about books, serials, videos, and other items cataloged by libraries around the world, including K-State. Each of the more than 57 million records contains information regarding which libraries hold the item. Items not available through K-State Libraries can be requested via Interlibrary Loan by clicking on the Get It button.
Developing Keywords for Your Topic
Brainstorm a list of keywords before you even start researching. You will use these keywords as search terms in databases, keyword searches in texts, and to navigate the index to books.
To do so, ask yourself two questions:
1. What do I know about my topic?
2. What do I want to know about my topic?
List out the answers to those questions using single words or simple phrases. These will become your keywords.
- The author or the title of the work you're researching are often your initial keywords.
- Add terms describing your specific area of interest--including which lens or angle you might be using to research and analyze the literature.
- As you learn more through your research, add to your list of keywords.
How to Brainstorm Keywords Video
Produced by UNCG Libraries, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
Descriptive Video Transcript (PDF) by K-State Libraries
