Conquering Call Numbers!
I've got a call #, now what?
Click the link below for more information.
Finding Books & Articles
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 |
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| Library Catalog |
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| Articles |
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For a more detailed explanation of your search scope options consult What am I searching?
Keyword vs. Subject Searching
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Step 1: Start your search process by brainstorming a list of keywords that describe the main concepts of your topic or question. |
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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. |
Literature Databases
- MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new windowSubject 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.
- Proquest Black Studies This link opens in a new windowScholarly essays, recent periodicals, historical newspaper articles, reference books. Includes The Schomburg Studies on the Black Experience, Index to Black Periodicals Full Text, Black Literature Index, and the Chicago Defender historical newspaper.
- Literature Criticism (Gale) This link opens in a new windowBiographical 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.
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 windowLarge 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.
