English 102

This research guide provides a list of resources and strategies which may prove helpful when you need to research materials for your assignments.

The resources covered in this guide will include some that are available through the ELAC Library, and others that are available freely on the Internet. This is only a starting point; for more detailed information come to the library and ask for a consultation at the Reference Desk.

Your research strategy might include some or all of the following:

Use reference sources to find an overview of your topic, or to find background information on your topic
Use the library\'s online catalog to find books on your topic
Use the library\'s licensed databases to find journal, magazine, newspaper, and other types of articles on your topic
Use the Internet to find credible web sources on your topic

How do I find an overview or background information about my topic?

Reference sources are a great place to start a research project. You can use reference sources to find topic summaries, overviews, and bibliographies for further reading on your topic. If you haven\'t decided on a point of view, an overview will help you focus your research and provide a context. Listed below are a few encyclopedias available through the ELAC Library:

Feminism in Literature

Reference Stacks (PN 471 .F43 2005, Volumes 1-6)

Women in Literature: Reading through the Lens of Gender

Reference Stacks (PN56.5 .W64 W65 2003)

Women in World History

Reference Stacks (920.02 Wom 1992, Volumes 1-17)

Characters in 19th-Century Literature

Reference Stacks (PN56.4 .H69 1993)

Great Lives from History. The 19th Century, 1801-1900

Reference Stacks (CT119 .G69 2007, Volumes 1-4)

Great Events from History. The 19th Century, 1801-1900

Reference Stacks (D358 .G74 2007, Volumes 1-4)

19th Century Art

Reference Stacks (N6425 .N4 R65 1984)

How do I find books on my topic?

If you want to locate specific books, or books on specific topics try using the library\'s online catalog. From the ELAC Library\'s web site, click the "Our Library Catalog" link to look for books on your topic. You can try typing your search words in the text box and clicking the "words or phrase" button (this is called a keyword Search). Try typing some of the following search terms to see what you find:

Victorian women
Ibsen, Henrik
A Doll\'s House
Women in Literature
19th Century Women and Literature

How do I find journal, magazine, newspaper, and other types of articles on my topic?

You can find full-text articles and biographical information by using these electronic databases:

Gale Virtual Reference--for information about a person or a topic.
Literature Resource Center--full-text articles that give you biographies of authors; literary criticism, articles, and work overviews; credible web resources; and historical timelines.
ProQuest--for articles from scholarly journals as well as popular magazines and newspapers.

Θ Important note: You will need a special username and password in order to access these databases remotely. Please come to the reference desk at the library to pick up the necessary access codes.

How do I find credible web sources on my topic?

In this section, "web pages" means the "free web"--web sites anyone can access--not web-based research tools like the databases that the library provides. The free web has a lot of great things to offer, but not all the sources found there are appropriate for academic research. How can you determine if the sources you\'ve found are credible? Ask yourself the following questions:

Who created the site?
Can you determine if the author is an expert in the field?
What kind of an audience was the site created for? General adult population? Scientists? 3rd graders?
Can you determine if there is any kind of bias expressed in the site? Is the site trying to sell you a particular point of view?
When was the web page last revised?
What is the date range of the materials covered in the site?
What other resources (print & non-print) are available in this area?
What is the relative value of the web site in comparison to the range of information resources available on this topic?

Below are some credible web sources you can try:

The Centre for Ibsen Studies

The site includes a brief biography, chronology, searchable international bibliography, and access to manuscripts and letters written by Ibsen himself. ("Digital facsimiles exist of approx. 19,600 pages. The material can be accessed [only] from the Norwegian pages.") Also includes information about the centre\'s conferences and related links. From the University of Oslo.
URL: http://www.hf.uio.no/ibsensenteret/index_eng.html

Iowa State University Play Concordances

Browsable concordances of many plays including Ibsen\'s A Doll\'s House. Each concordance includes a complete alphabetical word list and full text of dialogue, but no information about staging or criticism.
URL: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~spires/concord.html

Classic Notes: A Doll\'s House

Summary and analysis written by Harvard students. Includes a biography and links to online resources.

URL: http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/dollshouse/

How do I get more help finding sources for my topic?

If you feel like you need help getting started, finding more detailed materials, or if you have any questions in general, please feel free to come to the library and ask a reference librarian for help.

Billy Pashaie: 04/25/07

� Helen Miller Bailey Library

East Los Angeles College