ENG 592 Graduate Proseminar II

At the thesis and dissertation stage/level of research, you will be using multiple sources, many more than are required by the typical undergraduate essay or paper. 

It is helpful to ask yourself some questions to help you define the parameters of your bibliography, parameters such as timeframe, primary sources, and the critical or theoretical lens(es) you are using. Here are some (non-exhaustive) examples to get you started. 

• What are the canonical texts/primary sources of my study? E.g., If you are researching Wilkie Collins as a detective novelist, you would select some (or all) of his detective novels, and exclude his short works and plays.
• What is the major criticism about the sources I've selected? E.g., Are there texts that lay solid groundwork for studying the detective novel: its history, the major themes, the major authors, the major geographical loci?
• Which theoretical/critical lens am I using? Therefore, a search like this would focus on criticism related to your study using this lens. E.g, Search for monographs and articles that interrogate the detective novel using postcolonial theory.
• Or, you can select a lens and apply it to your study. What are the most foundational, important post-colonial texts, for example, and how can you apply them to your research? 
• Who has done similar research? How am I adding to the scholarly conversation?
• What relevant biographical information should I include?
• What relevant historical context/setting information should I include?

Once you have asked, and answered, these questions, where can you find these sources? Keep scrolling...

Use the catalog to search for scholarly monographs (current and historical), bibliographies, dissertations, reference material, and primary sources (novels, poems).

On the Libraries homepage, switch "Everything" to "Catalog." For more recent (or older) scholarship, adjust the date range in the Filters column after your initial search. 

For example: For a more historical perspective, you can consult Bibliographies and Guides, such as Wilkie Collins : an annotated bibliography, 1889-1976.

How to search for titles like the above in the Catalog:

"wilkie collins" AND (bibliography OR guide or studies)

Shakespeare AND hamlet AND bibliography

Shakespeare AND “critical reader”

You will most likely need to expand your search beyond what we have at the Libraries. When you are ready, you can switch your search from "Our Catalog" back to "Everything." When you find materials at other libraries, log in to your Interlibrary Loan (ILL) account and request these materials (for free) from other libraries.

For more recent scholarship, including more current bibliographies, use these databases to find current/updated electronic sources.

ABELL (Annual Bibliography of Language & Literature): Search by keyword, title keyword, subject, author or reviewer, publication details, journal and publication year, or any combination of these terms. The search tools enable you to construct detailed specialist bibliographies and to assess, in seconds, the number and variety of sources available.

Gale Literature: Select "Bibliography" under Content Type, then search. 

Oxford Bibliographies (NYPL): A collection of research guides for a wide variety of subjects, many of which include annotated bibliographies. Click Browse by Subject, then click your specific subject area. (Get an NYPL library card to log in and use this resource)

Become familiar with WorldCat, a resource for locating unique, trustworthy materials that you often cannot find anywhere except in a library. By connecting thousands of libraries’ collections in one place, WorldCat.org makes it easy for you to browse the world’s libraries from one search box.

Finally, the English Research Guide is a curated collection of the best subject-specific databases to use to search for articles and other scholarly material. Included are: MLAIB, LION, Literature Criticism Online, Caribbean Literature, Latino Literature, and more!

Year's Work in English Studies: “The” qualitative narrative bibliographical review of scholarly work on English language and literatures written in English. It is the largest and most comprehensive work of its kind and the oldest evaluative work of literary criticism. YWES does not merely offer annotated or enumerated bibliography entries, but provides expert, critical commentary supplied for every book covered. Each volume includes a detailed overview from Old English to contemporary critical works for a given year, and contains critical notices for some 1100 books; extensive coverage of English Language, American Literature, New Literatures in English and English Literature; coverage of specialist periodicals; comprehensive indexing by critic, author, and subject; plus bibliographical endnotes for each chapter. 

Year's Work in Critical & Cultural Theory: Year’s Work in Critical and Cultural Theory is a companion volume to Year’s Work in English Studies. It provides a narrative bibliography of published work, recording significant debates and issues of interest across a broad range of research in the humanities and social sciences. As the fields of critical and cultural studies shift, so the range and scope of the journal alters, and current volumes include chapters on Disability Studies, Digital Humanities, and Animal Studies. YWCCT functions as a bibliographical tool of practical use to scholars and students alike, as well as a lively collaboration with contemporary debates.

Searching for individual journals: On the homepage, select the Journals box to change to search to a journal search, then enter the journal's title. If you find we have electronic access to a journal you need, you can browse and search with the journal itself.

Setting up alerts for your journals: Once you have found a journal in a journal search, click on the link to access the journal electronically, then look for the Alert feature.