Finding resources for your dissertation: English studies

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Finding resources for your dissertation
English studies

• Suzie Kitchin Christine Purcell
• June 2009

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Learning Outcomes

• After this workshop you will be able to
• select the most appropriate resources for your
  topic
• effectively search catalogues and bibliographical
  databases
• search full-text sources
• use resources away from Durham

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Planning your search

• Literature search advice handout
• Consider scope of research
• What kind of information are you looking for? eg.
  criticism, original texts, biographical, cultural
• Keywords and synonyms, eg. poetry OR verse

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Effective searching

• Truncation, eg. trag (tragedy, tragic etc)
• Wildcards, eg. honr (honour, honor)
• Useful for British / American differences
• Subject headings
• In Library catalogue, databases

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Resources (1)

• Advanced features on library catalogue
• Keyword searching
• Modifying your search
• Marking and emailing records
• Use of AND, OR, AND NOT
• Searching advice (see handout)
• English Subject pages as a launch pad

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Resources (2)

• Databases (eg)
• Literature Online (LION)
• Web of Knowledge
• MLA in FirstSearch
• News archives / cultural context (eg)
• Infotrac
• Times Digital Archive
• Times Literary Supplement

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Studying away from Durham

• Access to online resources
• Full text sources
• E-journals, JSTOR, e-books
• Blackwell Reference online (companions)
• SCONUL Access scheme
• Other library catalogues including Copac

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Internet resources

• Accuracy? Currency?
• Authority? Objectivity?
• Gateways for pre-evaluated resources
• Eg. Intute Arts and Humanities
• Tutorials, eg. Internet for English
• Google Scholar (access via library pages)

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Saving your references

• Library catalogue databases
• emailing results
• Databases
• save searches re-run them
• Endnote
• Reference management software

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Help and support

• English Subject pages as launch pad
• Literature search advice handout ( on web pages
  and in DUO)
• Online enquiries service http//www.dur.ac.uk/libr
  ary/using/enquiries/
• Academic Support Team
• Christine Purcell c.w.purcell_at_dur.ac.uk 0191
  334 2937
• Suzie Kitchin suzie.kitchin_at_dur.ac.uk 0191 334
  2975

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Practical and individual support

• Time to explore resources for your dissertation
• Individual chats with Suzie and Christine
• Please complete online evaluation before logging
  off your PC
• link is on Library English Information Skills
  Training page
• http//www.survey.bris.ac.uk/durham/engldissjune09