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English 1213 Literary Criticism
(Conine)
Prepared by:
Sarah Brick Archer
Assistant Professor of
Library Services
Ofc.: Rm# 308B, ext.: #3267
Why should I do research?
Research can lead to information; information can lead to knowledge,
and knowledge is powerful. All of the informational resources available
originated from someone being curious about something, exploring it,
and sharing the findings.
Where does information come from?
The cycle of information is an interesting one. Research starts
with an idea. Someone becomes curious about something and wants
to
explore it. Literature reviews are conducted, empirical evidence
is
gathered. The researcher may wish to cross disciplinary lines and
take a literary theory and apply it to another field. The
researcher
writes an article. If the article adds to the body of knowledge
or
presents a new concept, a journal in that discipline might be
interested
in publishing it. Article submissions go through a reviewing process in
which multiple reviewers will read and comment on the article.
This
is an example of a refereed journal article. If it passes the review
process,
the article is published in the journal. Indexers read journal
articles
and assign subject headings to the articles and place the citation in
indexes
(such as MLA Bibliography). Researchers comb indexes to
find
articles, and the whole cycle starts over. This is a cycle that
occurs
right here at NSU. Our faculty and students are publishing.
You
can become a part of the process, too. Exciting, isn't it?
The Flow
of
Information (from the UCLA College Library and NWACC) depicts how
information about an
event can be represented in different types of resources. Understanding
how
information is disseminated helps to know where to look and the
attributes of each format.
How is the NSU Library organized?
Maps
Library of
Congress
Hours
How can I find Biographical/Critical Information about my
Author?
An effective database that provides biographical information
about
authors is MagillOnLiterature
Plus.
There are several reference books available that provide a brief
biographical overview to an author. Examples of sources are
listed below.
American Authors, 1600-1900: A Biographical Dictionary
Ref. PS 21.K8
British Authors Before 1800 Ref. PR 105.K9
British Authors of the Nineteenth Century Ref.
PR 451.K8 1936
*Dictionary of Literary Biography Ref. PN 451.D32
Twentieth Century Authors Ref. PN 771.K86
Additional reference books that contain biographies are
available by
using the Biography
and Genealogy Master Index (Ready Ref. CT 214.B57). Full-length
biographies on authors can be found by using the Library Catalog or  and
doing a subject search on the author's last name.
Journals may also contain biographical articles. These would
be
accessible by using Academic
Search Premier, The
Humanities Index, or M.L.A.
Bibliography. Look for a subheading biography.
How do I find Criticism on a Work?
First, try a search on MagillOnLiterature
Plus and search by the author's last name and one important word
from the title of the work. For additional resources try the following:
Poetry:
For a quick overview to a poem, use Masterplots II: Poetry
Series Ref. PN 1110.5.M37 1992
*American and British Poetry v 1-2
Ref. PS 303.A44 1984
*Guide to American Poetry Explication: Colonial and
Nineteenth-Century Ref. PS 201.R66 1989
*Guide to American Poetry Explication: Modern and Contemporary
Ref. PS 221.L46 1989
*Guide to British Poetry v.1-4
Ref. PR 311.M34 1991
*Magill's Bibliography of Literary Criticism Ref. PN
523.M25
*=Denotes the explicators that I would try first.
Academic
Search Premier
The
Humanities Index
M.L.A.
Bibliography
Consult the Literary Criticism Index Ref. PN 523.W44
1994.
Also, Magill's Bibliography of Literary Criticism (Ref. PN
523.M25)
includes criticism on all types of literature. Contemporary
Literary
Criticism (Ref. PN 771.C59)Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism
(Ref. PN 771.G27)
Novels:
Look for books that contain collections of criticisms.
Book Review Index Index Area Z 1035.A1B6
Magill's Bibliography of Literary Criticism (Ref. PN
523.M25)
Academic
Search Premier
The
Humanities Index
M.L.A.
Bibliography
How do I Locate Information about Screenplays?
A Guide to Critical Reviews: Part IV: The
Screenplay
(early days to 1980) Ref. PN 2266.S34 Vol. 4
Academic
Search Premier and Masterfile
Premier (for more recent movies)
Who's Who in Entertainment Ref. PN 1583.W47
Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies Ref. PN 1993.45H3
How do I Locate Internet Sources?
Try The English Server
[http://eserver.org/] or the library’s English
Resources Web Page.
For a generic search engine, try  .
Also use the Literary
Criticism page.
Internet
Search
Engines Available
Some (hopefully) reliable approaches to finding good Web
sources:
Best Information on
the
Net
Infomine
The Internet Public Library
Librarians' Index to the Internet
JVL
NSU Subject Listing of Web Resources
Subject
Resources CLIP Tutorial
Assess the quality of the Web sites listed below:
Feline
Reactions to Bearded Men
How do I Critically Assess Information?
1. Identify authors who are outstanding in their fields, determine the
credentials of the author. Does the author have a degree in the field,
is the author a professor?
2. Date of publication--is it recent? On Web pages, do the links work?
3. Does the publisher have a good reputation? Is it published by a
professional association or university press? Is the journal refereed?
On Web pages, check the domain (.edu is educational, .gov is
government, .com is commercial, .net is network, .org is
organizational)
4. How was the resource received by the critics?
5. Completeness of the material. Does the source have an index,
bibliography?
6. Is the language slanted or biased?
7. Does it include well known facts or research studies? Is the
information complete, accurate, objective?
8. What is the purpose of the resource? Is it for the general
public, children, scholars? Is the goal to market persuade, educate?
How do I Locate Resources not Available at NSU?
Interlibrary
loan
is available free of charge in which books and copies of articles can
be borrowed from other libraries. Allow approximately two weeks
for interlibrary loan requests to be received.
Where can I Locate an M.L.A. Style Manual?
The M.L.A. Handbook for Writers of Research Papers is located
on the first floor at the call number, Ready Ref. LB 2369.G53 1999. Try
the Modern Language Association
Web
page. For help in citing resources, try the KnightCite
Bibliography Machine.
Are there any online tutorials that can help me?
General
Overview for English 1213 -- Reviews basics skills such as
the physical library, searching for books, and locating periodicals.
Research
Strategy -- Provides steps and concepts involving the
research process.
Evaluation
of Sources -- Provides criteria for evaluating the quality of
any resource.
Plagiarism
-- Description of plagiarism and suggestions about how to avoid it.
Citations
-- How to cite most common resources using MLA and APA
How do I find these Library Resources through the Web?
Many of the resources listed above are available throug the John Vaughan Library Home Page.
Through the use of EZProxy software, these resources may be used from
any location.
Created by Sarah Brick Archer. Revised September 11,
2007.
Return to the Library Home Page.
Return to Sarah's Instruction Page.
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Language & Literature Library page
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