Helen Miller Bailey Library

East Los Angeles College

 

 

Literary Criticism Research Guide

 

This guide will help you begin finding sources in literary criticism. 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:

 

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

 

Reference sources are a great place to start a research project. You can use reference sources to find definitions of terms that might be unfamiliar to you. You can also find topic summaries, context, and bibliographies for further reading on your topic. Listed below are a few of these sources available through the ELAC Library.

 

Note: The sources below are a great place to start your research. However, encyclopedias and work overviews are not good sources to include in your bibliography as research in college-level writing. You can start your research with reference sources, but you should always carry that research further by finding other sources like books and scholarly articles on your topic.

 

Encyclopedias

The Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature

     Reference Collection (PS 21 .R4)

 

Literary Guides

Contemporary Literary Criticism

     Reference Collection (PN 771 .C59, Volumes 1-228)

Dictionary of Modern Critical Terms

      Reference Collection (PN 41 .F6)

 

Plot Summaries and Criticism

Contemporary Literary Criticism

     Reference Collection (PN 771 .C59, Volumes 1-228)

Masterplots

      Reference Collection (REF 808.8; REF 809; REF 809.04; REF 809.3)

Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism

      Reference Collection (PN 761 .N56, Volumes 1-175)

Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism

      Reference Collection (PN 771 .T94, Volumes 1-182)

World Literature Criticism: 1500 to the Present

      Reference Collection (REF 809 Wor 1992, Volumes 1-6)

 

Genre Specific Criticism

American Novel: A Checklist of Twentieth Century Criticism     

     Reference Collection (REF 016.813 GER, Volumes 1-2)

Drama Criticism

      Reference Collection (REF 809.2 Dra 1991 v. 1-26)

Hispanic Literature Criticism

     Reference Collection (REF 860.9 His v. 1-2)

Poetry Criticism

     Reference Collection (REF 809.1 Poe 1991 v. 1-68)

Shakespeare for Students

     Reference Collection (REF 822.33 Sha 1992 v. 1-3)

Short Story Criticism

     Reference Collection (PN 3373 .S386, Volumes 1-94)

 

 

 

How do I find books about my topic?

 

From the ELAC Library's web site, click the "Our Library Catalog" link to look for books on your topic. If you're looking for literary criticism about a book, then type the name of the book in the text box and click the "Subject" button (this is called a Subject Search). If you need to find literary criticism about someone, do a Subject Search on the person's last name. You can also do a Subject Search using official Library of Congress Subject Headings. Here are examples of some subject headings you might try:

 

American literature History and criticism

 

English literature History and criticism

 

Literature History and criticism

 

Short stories, American History and criticism

 

If you don't find enough materials using the above methods, try using your own search terms, but instead of a Subject Search do a Words or Phrase Search.

 

 

 

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:

  • 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?

 

To locate some relevant, credible web sites try using one of the following subject directories. Do a search using the term "literary criticism":

 

Librarians' Internet Index:    http://lii.org/

 

InfoMine:    http://infomine.ucr.edu/

 

Open Directory Project:    http://dmoz.org/

 

 

 

How do I get more help finding literary criticism sources?

 

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.

 

 

Last uptated 09/25/08 JA
Billy Pashaie: 9/24/06

© Helen Miller Bailey Library

East Los Angeles College

Update: 5/2/07 BP