ENGL 6360 (Dr. MacDonald): Studies in American Literature: Old and New Wests
Purpose: To acquaint you with materials in Cornette Library and on the World Wide Web that will make research for your assignment easier.
Reference Sources
- Excellent place to start research.
- Provide background information.
- Include basic information sources like dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, chronologies, and research guides.
- A Companion to the Regional Literatures of America
- PS 169 .R45 C66 2003 Ref.
- A broad overview of American regional literature, including "a survey of several of the regional literatures of the United States" and studies of five important regional authors - Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Willa Cather, Mary Austin, and Wallace Stegner.
- Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism
- PN 771 .T9 Ref.
- Multi-volume work. Authors who died between 1900 and 1999. Excerpts from criticism with citations. Includes "the most significant interpretations of these authors' works. Each volume has a cumulative author index. Periodic cumulative title index.
- Contemporary Literary Criticism
- PN 771 .C59 Ref.
- Multi-volume work. Information and critical commentary on authors who are now living or who died after December 31, 1999. Excerpts from criticism with citations. Includes "the most significant interpretations" of these authors' works. Each volume has a cumulative author index. Periodic cumulative title index.
- Dictionary of Literary Biography
- PS 221 .D5 Ref.
- Multi-volume work. Provides reliable biographical information and places "the [literary] figures in the larger perspective of literary history" and provides "appraisals of their accomplishments by qualified scholars." Each volume has a topic. Each volume includes a cumulative index to the entire set.
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Books
- Cornette Library's online catalog
- Includes books, government documents, videos, journal titles, etc. available throughout the Library. Suggested searches include:
- a keyword search for your subject, such as wallace stegner.
- the general LC subject heading Stegner, Wallace Earle, 1909-1993.
- the LC subject heading for a specific time and place such as Stegner, Wallace Earle, 1909-1993--criticism and interpretation.
To determine the most appropriate subject headings for your search, refer to the red Library of Congress Subject Headings near the Reference computers in the Library or search the online Library of Congress Authorities Catalog.
- WorldCat
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- Online catalog for libraries around the world.
- Lists Cornette Library books along with many more in other libraries.
- Search by keyword, author, title, or subject.
- Request books not in Cornette Library through the pre-filled Interlibrary loan form. Allow at least two weeks for the books to arrive.
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Journal, Magazine, & Newspaper Articles
Provide current information
- Library shelves contain more than 1500 bound and current journals.
- Microform (film or fiche) available for dozens of leading newspapers, as well as other periodicals.
- Databases index articles found in journals and magazines.
- Citation only;
- Citation and a short summary of the article (abstract);
- Full text;
- General, covering many kinds of topics, and specialized, for specific disciplines.
- For this assignment be sure to use scholarly sources, not general interest magazines. The differences are important, for citation and for evaluating reliability.
How to Access Databases
- On-campus: In the library or HELC.
- Off-campus: Login with your Buff Advisor username (for example, js123456) and your Buff Advisor password (for example, buffaloes).
- Database citations not in full-text may be located in Cornette Library's online catalog, or the list of online journals.
- Use Interlibrary Loan to request articles inaccessible through Cornette library. Allow up to 3 weeks for articles to arrive.
Literature Resources
- MLA International Bibliography
- Contains more than 1.8 million citations on language, literature, linguistics, and folklore. Links to full text.
- Literature Resource Center
- Full text resource that includes biographical, bibliographical, and critical information on some 2,500 literary writers and their works.
- Web of Science
- A citation index but is often useful in locating articles. Includes Arts and Humanities Citation Index; search can be limited to that index. Initial gateway to My EndNote Web.
- PowerSearch
- Allows you to search five databases at one time. Cannot limit to full text or scholarly articles. Cannot search phrases. Under Articles and More, click on Power Search link. Under Quick Search tab, click the English/Humanities radio button. Must click GObutton. After searching, try the View results by databases to see the most hits. If fulltext is available in another resource, a FULL TEXT button appears. Clicking on the SFX button will determine if the item is something we might have in the print collection or if the item will need to be requested via Interlibrary Loan.
- Google Scholar
- Not a database. To be effective, search only through the "Quick Links" drop-down menu on the Cornette Library home page. Some articles listed will be available though our databases. These items will state "FULL TEXT@WTAMU". Can search phrases in quotation marks. Cannot limit to journal articles or full text articles.
Logo
- Displays in most of our databases. Links from a citation to one or more of the following:
- One or more links to full-text of the cited article,
- A link to a pre-set search of the Cornette Library catalog for the cited item,
- A link to a pre-filled Interlibrary Loan request form for the article, or
- A link to various help options.
- For more information see the tutorial Using SFX to Link to Articles
Need Help?
- Ask at the Reference Desk (first floor) or Periodicals Desk (second floor).
- Call 651-2215 during the hours Cornette Library is open.
- Use the "Ask A Librarian" form for electronic reference support.
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Citing Your Sources
Why must I cite the sources I use for research projects?
- To give credit to the author of the information you use.
- To avoid plagiarism (WTAMU Code of Student Life: Appendix I-Academic Integrity Code)
a serious offense that can result in failure or expulsion. - So that others can verify the information.
- To assist others in doing their own research.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
- Dr. MacDonald requires you to use the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
- A copy of this manual is located at the Reference Desk.
- Additional assistance is available from our Citation Basics web page.
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Your Comments
- Suggestions for improvements?
- Particularly helpful items?
- Please email Linda Chenoweth.
Thank you.
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