Choosing a topic

When choosing a topic for your research paper, think about the following:

• Unless your instructor assigns a topic, try to select a topic that interests you.
• Make sure your topic is not too broad, or too narrow. You will find too much information when searching for a broad topic; and not enough information when searching for a narrow topic.
• If you already have a general topic, try searching the library's catalog or the library's databases for ideas on how to narrow that topic down.
• Visit the library's Reference Desk and request to view the following book: 10,000 ideas for term papers, projects, reports and speeches: Intriguing, original research topics for every student's need.
• For current events and issues in the news, try searching the library's database: CQ Researcher.
• For debatable or controversial issues, ask one of the librarians about the Opposing Viewpoints Series, the Taking Sides Series, Issues in Focus Series and/or the Current Controversies Series.
• Visit the Social Issues Research Guide. There you will find a list of current social issues to choose from.

Finding Literary Criticism

The following strategies can be used to find Literary Criticism in the library’s Reference Collection and Circulating Collection:

The Reference Collection

• Select a Reference Book from the ones listed on this guide that you expect will have criticism of the work you are researching. For example, use Twentieth Century Literary Criticism to find articles about Lorraine Hansberry and A Raisin in the Sun.
• Use the Index to find the volumes and page numbers that contain criticism of the work you are researching. For large collections, look for a separate Cumulative Title Index on the shelf after the last volume in the collection. For smaller collections, the Index will be found in the back of the last volume.
• Search for the author or title that you are researching. Index entries will appear like this: 45: 126-132. The first number in bold indicates the Volume number. The numbers after the colon indicate the page numbers containing criticism of that author/title.
• Some of the print Reference books are indexed electronically. To search the electronic index for Gale Reference books, go to the Literature Resource Center database from the library homepage. Once you are in the database, click the green button for Gale Literary Index from the top right corner of the screen. Search for the Author or Title that you are researching. The result will list all Gale Reference Books containing criticism of your author/title. Consult the list below of Reference Books indexed in Gale Literary Index to determine if the book is available in this library. Find the print Reference book on the first floor of the library as described above.

The Circulating Collection

• There are a number of books in the circulating collection containing literary criticism of particular authors or works. To find these books, search the library catalog from the library homepage.
• To find criticism of an author, perform a SUBJECT search for the author’s last name, first name.
• To find criticism of a specific title, perform a KEYWORD search for the title. If there are no results, try searching for the author’s last name, first name instead.

If you are researching a specific genre of literature, consider using a Literary Criticism genre guide:

• Literary Criticism – Poetry
• Literary Criticism – Plays / Drama
• Literary Criticism – Short Stories

Book Collections

Books will provide an excellent starting point for your research in the field of Literary Criticism - General. Reference books often give you background information and a general overview on your topic so that you can proceed with greater understanding to a more detailed treatment of your subject in other books and periodicals. Reference books may include specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, almanacs, atlases and/or statistical reports. The librarian at the Reference Desk can help in locating an appropriate source. Listed below are the titles and call numbers of some of the Literary Criticism - General books in the library's reference collection. The reference collection is located on the main level of the library. Books with a location of Reference cannot be checked out of the library. The Circulating Collection is on the second floor of the library. Books with a location of Circulating may be checked out.

Library Catalog

The library catalog is used to locate books both at RVCC, as well as from other libraries in the Somerset County Library System. Books will provide in-depth information not found in reference sources.

Quick Tips:

• Start with a Keyword search. Once you find one or two books about your topic, check the book's record to see what Subjects are being used. Once you find the appropriate Subject Heading, repeat your search using those headings. Generally, the results from a Subject search will always be more accurate than the results from a Keyword search.
• If you know the title of the book you are looking for, do a Title search.
• If you are looking for a book with a specific author, do an Author search (last name first).

Suggested Subject Headings for Literary Criticism - General:

Click a subject heading below to use it as the search term for a Subject Search in the catalog.

Consult with the reference librarian to find the term best suited to your needs.

Browse the Collection:

Most of the books can be found in the following areas:

• PN -- Literature (General)
• PN80-99 -- Criticism
• PR -- English Literature
• PR1-56 -- Literary History and Criticism
• PR56-78 -- Criticism
• PS -- American Literature

All of the library's circulating books are located on the upper level of the library.

For additional library catalogs, including libraries in Hunterdon and Middlesex counties, consult the Additional Library Catalogs page. If you find a book in one of these catalogs that the library does not own, request the book using the library's Interlibrary Loan Service.

Research Databases - Finding Articles

The Evelyn S. Field Library has access to thousands of periodicals. (Periodicals can be magazines, scholarly journals, or newspapers.) Some periodicals are in the library's print (or hard copy) collection. However, the majority of periodicals are available in the Research Databases. These databases provide access to articles. This information is generally more current than material found in books.

Search for periodical articles on Literary Criticism - General using the databases listed below. They can be accessed from the Library Database Page. (If you are using these databases from an off-campus location, you will be asked to identify yourself by logging in with your Username and Password. This is the same login you use on campus. The Research Databases are available only to registered RVCC students.)

• JSTOR
  

  A reliable and comprehensive archive of important scholarly journal literature. JSTOR is important if you are doing a research project that needs older information in the arts and sciences. Due to its very nature as a retrospective journal archive, JSTOR does not contain current journal articles. The JSTOR database is unique because the complete back files of core scholarly journals have been digitized, starting with the very first issues, many of which date from the 1800's. Over 4 million pages are available.

• Literature Resource Center
  

  "The Literature Resource Center on GaleNet is a complete literature reference database designed for both the undergraduate and graduate student as well as the sophisticated casual user. Rich in biographical, bibliographical, and critical content, the Literature Resource Center is the premier Internet resource for information on literary figures from all time periods writing in such genres as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, history, journalism, and more."

After finding an article on your research topic, the database will either provide a citation and summary of the article, or it will provide the full-text (the complete article). If you are only given a citation and summary of the article, you can check the Periodical Locator to determine if the periodical you are looking for is available in another database. (The Periodical Locator is an alphabetical list of all the journals the library has access to. Feel free to talk with a librarian for assistance.) If the article is not available in any of the library's research databases, request the article using the library's Interlibrary Loan Service.

If, for your assignment, you are required to have sources from scholarly journals, use the Identifying Scholarly Articles guide to help you determine if your source is a magazine article or a scholarly article.

Internet Resources

• American Transcendentalism Web
  http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/index.html
  Source: American Transcendentalism Web -- This site includes author biographies, critical essays, links to websites, and other resources all related to the American Transcendentalists, including Thoreau, Emerson, and Whitman
• IPL Literature
  http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/hum60.00.00/
  Source: Internet Public Library -- A collection of links to online literature resources. Subcategories include Authors, Literature by Time Period, and Criticism
• Literary History
  http://www.literaryhistory.com/
  Source: Donna Jan Pridmore, Editor/Publisher -- Links to literary criticism on 19th and 20th century English and American literature. All articles are freely available on the Internet
• Literary Resources on the Net
  http://www.andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Lit/
  Source: Maintained by Jack Lynch, Rutgers -- a collection of links to sites on the Internet dealing especially with English and American literature
• Mark Twain in His Times
  http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/railton/index2.html
  Source: The Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia -- An “interpretive archive” Mark Twain and how his works reflect and represent his times. Includes manuscripts, reviews, articles, images, and more.
• Poe Museum
  http://www.poemuseum.org/index.html
  Source: The Museum of Edgar Allan Poe -- Focuses on Poe’s life in Richmond, Virginia using pictures, relics and verse. Use the Educational Resources tab and select Poe Links for a list of links to websites about Poe’s life and works.
• Voice of the Shuttle
  http://vos.ucsb.edu/browse.asp?id=3
  Source: Alan Liu, University of California, Santa Barbara -- A large database of Internet sites related to the humanities. Literature links include English, American, Modern and Contemporary, Renaissance, Restoration, and Romantics
• Voices from the Gaps
  http://voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/
  Source: University of Minnesota -- Focuses on the literary works of women of color in North America. Includes biographical and critical analysis, sound, film, and image collections, and interviews.
• Yahoo! Humanities/Literature Directory
  http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/Literature/
  Source: Yahoo! -- Browse websites grouped by category or search within the Literature Directory for sites specifically related to literature

Additional Help

• Call or visit the Reference Desk to speak to one of the librarians. The Reference Desk is located on the main floor of the library. The phone number is 908-526-1200 x8350.
• Email your question to one of the librarians using the Ask-A-Librarian Service.
• For further information about this guide, please contact Megan Dempsey

Last Updated - 05 August 2008