Research Guides: Literature: Home

Getting Started

Research in literature can range from writing book reviews to explicating poems to answering questions about the meaning of a text. This guide offers recommended resources for background and in-depth research, as well as tips and tricks for searching more efficiently.

For best results while searching:

Include search terms for your chosen critical lens, e.g, Marxism, Feminism, or Deconstructionism.
Broaden your search to an author's entire works or even a genre if you're having a hard time finding enough sources.
Follow citations to related articles and books.
Search for essay collections in the library's catalog in addition to searching the databases for articles.

Most Used Resources

Databases

JSTOR [ITHAKA]

Partially peer reviewed. Some full-text content.
This multidisciplinary database includes subjects like literature, history, art, sociology, psychology, mathematics, communication, and science. Contains ebooks, articles, and journals.
MLA International Bibliography [EBSCO]

Partially peer reviewed. No full-text content.
This database focuses on the English language and literature. Provides access to articles in linguistics, literary criticism, folklore, and related topics.
Project MUSE [Johns Hopkins University]

Partially peer reviewed. Full-text content.
Covers the humanities and social sciences, such as literature, theater, art, psychology, business, film studies, and more. Includes access to journals, books, and more.
Google Scholar
Partially peer reviewed. Some full-text content. Open access.
Google Scholar offers sources across many disciplines and sources, like academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities, and websites. Results include articles, theses, books, abstracts, court opinions, and more.
Arts & Humanities Database [ProQuest]

Partially peer reviewed. Full-text content.
Explores humanities subjects, including art, architecture, history, philosophy, music, literature, and theater. Offers journal articles and more.

Books

Edinburgh Introduction to Studying English Literature (Ebook) by Dermot Cavanagh, Alan Gillis, and Michelle Keown (Editor); James Loxley (Editor); Randall Stevenson (Editors)
Publication Date: 2014

Now in its second edition, this established guide for beginning students of literature has been updated to reflect the latest in teaching and research. Students will discover the full range of literary forms, styles, theories and critical strategies that are essential to the study of literature.
Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism (Print book) by Michael Groden, Martin Kreiswirth, and Imre Szeman (Editors)
Publication Date: 2004

The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism has become the indispensable resource for scholars and students of literary theory and discourse. The second edition includes 48 new entries and subentries and has been revised throughout, taking account of 10 years of rapidly changing scholarship.

Search for Articles

The articles tab on the library's homepage The best place to start most searches is the search box on the library's homepage. This search box defaults to Articles, giving you quick access to popular and scholarly articles from thousands of different publications.