GALILEO searches across all of the Libraries' databases at once.
Enter a few keywords and/or "key phrases", or search by title or author > Search or hit Enter/Return
These are the top databases for literary criticism. You need to use a Community User computer at Reese Library to access these databases:
Literary Reference Source is a full-text database that combines information from major respected reference works, books, and literary journals as well as original content from EBSCO Publishing.
These other databases also contain some literary criticism. You need to use a Community User computer at Reese Library to access these databases:
Search Tip! Search across the recommended EBSCOhost databases at once!
Enter one of these databases > Select 'Choose Databases' > Select the other databases > OK.
Note: Avoid 'Select All' databases - the search speed will be slow.
Multi-disciplinary database offering full-text coverage of information in mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, humanities, and technology.
Provides electronic access to back issues (from the date of first publication) of selected, core journals, organized into the Arts and Sciences Collections I & II, the General Sciences Collection, the Ecology and Botany Collection, and the Business Collection.
Many times, you will be instructed by professors to use "scholarly sources" for your research.
Simply put, scholarly sources are those produced by experts in the field.
The "scholarly source" often - but not always - undergoes a peer-review process. At the very least, a scholarly source is accepted by a reputable, editorial body before publication, for example, editors of an academic journal, or an academic press.
"Scholarly sources" can mean different things to academics.
Some professors consider only peer-reviewed journal articles to be a scholarly source, others accept trade publications (professional journals), and others accept books published by academic presses. If in doubt, check with your professor to see what they consider to be a "scholarly source".
However, an important note is that a "scholarly source" is not a "popular source".
A popular source is a source aimed at a mass-market, e.g. a magazine you would find in a supermarket or newsstand; or a book aimed at a general audience.
Watch the video below on "Scholarly and Popular Sources" for more information about the difference between scholarly and popular sources. Note that the kind of source you need to use is also determined by the nature of your research project.
Credit: Carnegie Vincent Library
Learn about the "anatomy" of a scholarly article:
Credit: Fresno State University
When researching for articles, it is important to distinguish between three main types- academic journal articles, trade publications / magazines, and magazines. Academic journal articles are typically referred to as "scholarly," while magazine articles are usually considered "popular" (NCSU).
"Trade" magazines or publications, are written for professionals in a particular field but are not strictly research related. Below are additional criteria to consider when differentiating between these main types (NCSU):
| Criteria | Academic Journal | Trade Publication (Professional Journal) | Magazine |
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Content (Accuracy) |
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Author (Authority) |
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Audience |
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Language (Authority) |
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| Graphics |
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| Layout & Organization |
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References (Authority) |
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| Paging |
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| Other Examples |
Almost anything with Journal in the title, but not all (see last example of magazines in far right column) |
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Adapted from Scholarly vs. Popular Materials by Amy VanScoy, NCSU Library
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/guides/spmaterials/