How to research an author or work
Need an author bio? Overview of a work? Critical reception over the years?
-
Authors and works over 20 years old:
- There are books that literally do exactly this for you--start there (you may have to look in the index or browse the shelf to find what you need)
-
World Literature & Its TimesCall Number: Reference 1st Floor 809 W893, 8 volumes (link is to British)An 8-volume set that covers major pieces of literature (so look up the title of a work), placing them into greater context. Probably our best source for grasping the importance of a work.
-
Dictionary of Literary BiographyCall Number: Reference 1st floor 809 D561, 200+ volumesThis multi-volume set of books has chapters that give you bio, work overviews, and critical context.
-
Reader's guide to literature in EnglishCall Number: Reference 1st Floor 820.9 R227A reader's guide describes how critical scholarship on a topic has evolved over time.
-
Credo Reference
Find traditional and subject-specific encyclopedias in this huge encyclopedia database.
-
Authors and works from the past 10-20 years:
- Interviews with the author on websites, podcasts, YouTube, newspapers, magazines, etc
- The author's own website
- Reviews in more standard publications, best bet is our ProQuest Central database
-
ProQuest Central
The newspapers, journals, and mags in ProQuest are new enough to cover authors and works from the last 10-20 years.
Ready to get in-depth into an author or work?
- Search OneSearch and WorldCat with keywords or subject terms.
- Or, figure out the location of one book on the shelves and browse the books next to it on the same topic.
- Simply look at the call number of one relevant book, find that in person, and browse around.
-
WorldCat Search libraries around the world! Order for free using the ILL link.
-
Lib Hack: Subject Terms (link to video coming soon)
Find specific criticism or archival/primary sources
Specific Criticism:
- Even current authors will be in the databases linked below; if not, revise your expectations to criticism in credible magazines and newspapers.
-
Know the difference:
-
A BOOK REVIEW is a critical examination of that book. While well-written, it is not a scholarly study and should not be cited.
-
LITERARY CRITICISM evaluates or analyzes works of literature and will be in a peer-reviewed journal research article or book.
-
-
MLA International Bibliography (EBSCO)Indexed books, articles and dissertations in modern languages, literature, folklore, and linguistics. Expect to ILL articles.
-
JSTOR
Multidisciplinary full-text academic journals, books, and primary sources (usually excludes the past 2-5 years). -
Project Muse
Full-text scholarly sources in the humanities and social sciences.
-
Databases A-ZIncorporate additional databases, such as the general ProQuest Central and the specific history databases, as appropriate.
Archival material or primary sources
- Search online using keywords primary sources, archives, museum, site:org, or any combination plus your topic
- Example (link): Willa Cather Center
