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English 1213 Literary Criticism
(Strong)
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.
What is the difference between a magazine and a journal?
- The intended audience--journals are for experts in a field
and magazine articles are for the general public.
- Content--magazines contain short, popular articles,
illustrations, and advertisements. Journal articles are longer
and contain research and bibliographies.
- Indexing--popular magazines are covered in different
indexes or databases.
How
to Identify Scholary Journal Articles
Peer
Reviewed Journals (tutorial)
How are the journals stored in the library?
Journals can be stored in any of the following formats:
- print
- bound
- micorfilm
- microfiche
- electronic
Where can I find these formats in the NSU
Library?
Maps
Library of
Congress
Where can I find a critical article about my literary work?
What are some other ways to explore the literary work?
Use the Library Catalog to
find books that contain other works by the author, such as a collection
of short stories or poetry. Do a subject search on the author's
last name to find biographies and criticisms on the author.
The time period or themes mentioned in the literary work can also be
researched to add depth to the criticism. For instance in the
short story explores the topic of a specific religion, research
the religion to help understand the short story. I
If the literary work is written during the Civil War, research it to
find parallels in the literary work.
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 Google
.
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. 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?
Research
Strategy -- Provides steps and concepts involving the
research process.
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 through the John Vaughan Library Home Page.
Through the use of EZProxy software, these resources may be used from
any location.
Library Instruction Survey
Please take our Instruction
Survey. If you have questions, feel free to contact me.
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