Finding Books, Articles & More - ENGL 3312 - Medieval Literature: Fabulous History and Cultural Fantasy in the Middle Ages: Monsters, Race, Nationhood - Aulakh

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Vanderbilt University Library Search

Selecting the best search scope for your research needs:

Everything vs. Library Catalog vs. Articles

Search Scope	What is included?	When should I use it?
Everything	Broadest search scope Results will include books and ebooks, articles, and media like DVDs	A great option when you are just beginning your research process. Use Everything when you want to survey the research landscape for your topic
Library Catalog	Focuses on VU owned items, physical and digital Results will include books and ebooks, and media like DVDs Digital collections like the TV News Archive will also be included in your results	You have defined your information needs Use Library Catalog when you are ready to create a tailored search for your topic
Articles	Content from selected VU databases Popular and scholarly articles	Use Articles to find popular and scholarly articles on your topic. The Articles scope does not search across all databases accessible to the Vanderbilt community. Not finding the articles you need or want more database options? Consult the Database A-Z

For a more detailed explanation of your search scope options consult What am I searching?

Keyword vs. Subject Searching

Step 1: Start your search process by brainstorming a list of keywords that describe the main concepts of your topic or question.

Step 2: Use these keywords for your initial searches.

Step 3: Use the Subject Heading links in the Library Catalog record to refine your search. A subject heading is a specific word or phrase used to find and organize books and articles by topic.

Screen shot of catalog record for Traditions and renewals : Chaucer, the Gawain-poet, and beyond by Marie Borroff. Subject headings highlighted

Literature Databases

MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
Subject indexing of journals, books, proceedings, and dissertations in the areas of literature, language and linguistics, folklore, film, literary theory & criticism, dramatic arts, and the historical aspects of printing and publishing.
Coverage: 1926 to present.
Literature Criticism (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Biographical essays; critical essays or excerpts taken from books, magazines, literary reviews, newspapers, scholarly journals, and interviews with featured authors.
Includes ten publications: Contemporary Literary Criticism, Nineteenth Century Literary Criticism, Twentieth Century Literary Criticism, Poetry Criticism, Short Story Criticism, Drama Criticism, Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism, Shakespearean Criticism, Literature Criticism from 1400-1800, and Children's Literature Review.
Literature Online This link opens in a new window
Literary criticism, selected full-text works (poetry, poems, and drama), author pages, reviews, and reference sources including biographies, bibliographies, and encyclopedias.
Coverage: 7th century to present

Medieval Studies Databases

International Medieval Bibliography This link opens in a new window
Interdisciplinary bibliography of the European Middle Ages, covering Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Periodicals and miscellany volumes (conference proceedings, essay collections, Festschriften, and exhibition catalogues).
Coverage: 400-1500
Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index This link opens in a new window
Index of journal articles, book reviews, and essays in books about women, sexuality, and gender during the Middle Ages.
Medieval Travel Writing This link opens in a new window
Accounts of journeys to the Holy Land, India and China tell us much about the attitudes and preconceptions of people across Europe in the medieval period, shedding light on issues of race, economics, trade, militarism, politics, literature, and science.
Coverage: 13th to 16th centuries.

General Databases

ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Search all ProQuest databases simultaneously. Includes arts, humanities, social sciences, news, and science and technology.
Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
Digital humanities and social science scholarly journals from university presses and scholarly societies.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Large and important archive for academic journals, books, and primary sources in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Many journals do not have current issues.

What is ?

FindIt@VU provides direct links from a database citation to the fulltext of the article (if available) and other supporting resources.

An FAQ for FindIt@VU is also available.