Finding Scholarly Works in Literature
and History
Finding literary criticism
MLA International Bibliography. 1963-present online; 1921-present print (Ref. Z7006 .M64)
This is a key database for literary research. It provides access to scholarly research in nearly 4000 journals and series, as well as books, proceedings, working papers, bibliographies, and dissertations. Note: this database contains no full text.
This database contains the Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (a major literary criticism resource which dates to 1920), plus biographies of authors, literary reference sources, bibliographies, and student guides to some literary works. It also includes the full text of 136 journals, as well as the full text of 350,000 works of English and American poetry, drama, and prose.
Includes full-text criticism from Contemporary Literary Criticism Select; full-text journal articles from over 170 literary journals; essays, work overviews, plot summaries and explications (among other things!). Searchable by author, title, keyword, etc.
Humanities FullText. 1984-present online; 1907-2000 print (Index Ref. AI3 .R49)
Indexes articles from English-language journals and magazines in the humanities, including the areas of language, literature, folklore, and history; provides full text for some.
Book-length critical studies in our library can be found by consulting the BSC Library Catalog.
Hint: the best strategy for finding criticism on a particular author is usually to do a Subject Search for the name of the author plus the words criticism and interpretation. To see what books might be available in other libraries, consult WorldCat.
Bibliographies
For major authors, there is usually at least one bibliography that includes a listing of the scholarly criticism of the author’s work. To locate such a bibliography, go into the BSC Library Catalog (or WorldCat) and do a Subject Search for: name of the author AND bibliography.
Finding historical scholarship
America: History and Life (1964-present)
As the leading bibliographic reference tool for scholars of United States and Canadian history and culture, this database indexes articles from over 2000 journals in the area of North American history from prehistoric times to the present.
Historical Abstracts (1955-present)
This database complements America: History and Life by providing a
guide to the history of the world from 1450 to the present (excluding
Humanities FullText. 1984-present online; 1907-2000 print (Index Ref. AI3 .R49)
Indexes articles from English-language journals and magazines in the humanities, including the areas of language, literature, folklore, and history; provides full text for some.
Arts & Humanities Citation Index (BSC does not have access)
Citation indexes contain the references cited by the authors of the journal articles they cover. You can use these cited references as search terms. A cited reference search enables you to use a published work that you know to find other, later works that cite it. You can also search these databases by topic, author, source title, and address.
Book-length studies on historical topics can be found by consulting the BSC Library Catalog.
Hint: a good strategy for finding books on a particular topic is usually to do a Keyword Search for the topic, then view the full record of relevant-sounding books to see what Subject Terms are being used to describe these books. To locate books in other libraries, consult WorldCat.
REMEMBER:
Use Periodicals @ BSC to find the full text of articles, in any format (search by Journal Name).
Understanding what the scholars are saying
If you find yourself struggling with literary or historical terminology, here are a few sources in the reference section that might help:
Literature
A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms. Ref. PN44.5 .Q56 1999
Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theory. Ref. PN81 .E63 1993
A Handbook to Literature. Ref. PN41 .H6 1986
The Johns
Literary Criticism: A Practical Guide for Students. Ref. PN81 .H51
Literature Online Reference Sources
History
Historical Dictionary of the Civil War. Ref.
E468 .J777 2002
Dictionary of American History : From 1763 to the Present. Ref.
E174 .T47 2000
Key Ideas in Human Thought. Ref. B41 .K48 1993
Historical Research : A Guide. Ref. D1625 .M32 2002
Dictionary of Concepts in History. Ref.
D13 .R49 1986
The Modern Researcher. Ref. D13 .B334 1985
Reader's Guide to American History. Ref.
E178 .R43 1997
Check the BSC Library Catalog for additional books about the literary and historical topics mentioned in the articles you read.
To gain a better understanding of what it means to do literary or historical research, it is recommended that you take upper level courses in these areas of study. For full-blown understanding, you can pursue a graduate degree in English or history.