Literary Criticism Research Paper

Spring 2008

ObjectivesStudents will be able to:• Locate Media Center Online Resources & web

page for this assignment.• Access secondary materials using Gale Literary

Index.• Print out personal list of resources from Gale

Research.• Browse materials for likely sources.• Locate and replace all book sources.• Locate full-texts of critical materials via the

Student Resource Center Gold and ProQuest Learning: Literature.

Resources for this AssignmentBooks

Online Index

Databases

Online Research Tools

Media Center Handouts

Books

Background or Supplementary Reading

Combination Reference Sources

Critical Sources

Single-Volume critical sources

Background Reading

• Why use background reading?

• It is often easier to read even though chapters may be long.

• It might present an overall sense of different critical opinions.

• To get historical or psychological insight on an author or times.

Background Sources from Gale

Dictionary of Literary Biography (DLB)

Concise Dictionary of American Literary Biography

(CDALB)

Concise Dictionary of British Literary Biography

(CDBLB)

American Writers British WritersBeacham’s

Reference Background Sources

• Best accessed using Gale Literary Index.

• The “Its Times” series will have different call number ranges.

• Call numbers begin with REF 800…

Literature and Its Times

World Literature and Its Times•Latin American literature •African literature •British & Irish literature •Spanish & Portuguese literature

Combination Sources

• Why use combination sources?• Present an overview of the author’s works and

link the novel’s events to events in history.• Present plot overviews, character sketches, and

important themes in the work.• Each chapter presents a critical overview and

2 or 3 particularly accessible articles of criticism. Each critical article is a different source.

Combination Sources

Shelved in ReferenceRequires Gale Literary Index

Drama for Students Nonfiction Classicsfor Students

This set is only available as an e-

book

Novels for Students

Critical Sources from Gale

• Provide excerpts and full texts of literary criticism.• Represent a variety of opinions over time. Consult

multiple volumes. Chapters contain many entries; each is considered a source.

• Requires use of Gale Literary Index to find pertinent volumes.

• Entries are dense and may require background reading for fuller comprehension.

• Some entries are duplicated in online sources, but most will require note-taking and photocopying.

Critical Sources from Gale

Contemporary Literary Criticism (CLC)

Nineteenth Century Literary Criticism (NCLC)

Twentieth Century Literary Criticism (TCLC)

Black Literature Criticism Hispanic Literature Criticism

Single-Volume Works• Housed on Reserve Carts• Most are anthologies of critical essays.• May be entirely on one literary work, the

body of an author’s works, or a genre.• Each chapter or entry by a different

author constitutes a different source.

Online Sources

• Gale Literary Index – will provide access only to relevant Gale titles.

• Student Resource Center Gold – will provide full texts of background and critical essays.

• ProQuest Learning Literature – will provide full texts of background and critical essays. Username = 81-7306 password = bigchalk

What’s Next…

• Quick Walking Tour of Reference Section

• Print out personal list of relevant Gale titles

• Browse for either print or online sources

• Re-shelve Reference & place single-volume titles on Reserve Cart