ENGL 3090: Advanced Writing for English Majors

In ENGL 3090, you will be asked to write one or more papers analyzing a novel, short story, or other work of literature. Your paper(s) will require you to use critical theory and outside research to argue your interpretation of a chosen work. This guide will help you accomplish this in several ways:

• Critical Theory: Review literary theories and critical lenses so that you can choose the best one for your interpretation/argument
• Advanced Searching: Learn useful search tips and strategies for quickly finding relevant research on your topic.
• Recommended Databases: Literary and interdisciplinary databases that are your best bets for finding relevant research.

If you have any questions, talk to your subject librarian! We're always happy to help!

One of the most challenging parts of ENGL 3090 is choosing a good research question. Where do you start with all of those themes and characters and styles and plots and subtexts? The good news is that you don't have to have a perfectly formed thesis at the beginning of your research. Instead of wracking your brains about what you can prove about a work of literature, consider:

• What are the major themes of the work? 
• What interested you about your chosen work of literature? What norms are challenged? Who "wins" or is "punished" in the narrative? 
• How is the narrative told and how does that affect how we draw meaning from it? 
• What connections do you see between your chosen work and other works of literature? 
• What is the historical context of the chosen work? How does that affect your interpretation of the chosen work? 

These questions are just a starting point. You can also do a simple search in OneSearch (see below) to see what other readers and scholars are saying about your chosen work. 

OneSearch and ProQuest are the Fulton Library's main databases. They allow you to search the library's articles, books, streaming media, and more. OneSearch and ProQuest include resources on almost every topic, making it a great place to start your research!

To use either of these databases, go to the UVU Fulton Library Homepage link below. Use the tabs in the search box to navigate between OneSearch and ProQuest. Enter search terms into the box, then hit enter or click the magnifying glass. 

We recommend using both databases because, while there is some overlap between the two, each database features a lot of unique content.