Introduction

This is a guide to selected sources of information related to the Road Trips: When Being a Tourist Isn't Enough course. Due to the depth of our collection on this topic as well as the variety of topics and subject areas you are able to pursue in this course, the guide is only meant to be a starting point for your research. Depending on your topic you may need to consult other Geisel Library subject guides. For further research assistance, please take advantage of the reference services available to you in Geisel Library.

Reference Resources

Electronic Reference Materials

Use the following electronic reference materials instead of wikipedia; these resources are full of quality information and are as easy to use as wikipedia.

Credo Reference

Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL)

Literature Resource Center

Oxford Reference Online (ORO)

Print Reference Materials

The following reference titles are just a sampling of the print reference resources that are available to you in Geisel Library. To locate print reference materials on your topic, perform a keyword search and limit the location to "Reference Collection."

American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies
     Ref PS129 .A55 (13 volumes)

Encyclopedia of Buddhism
     Ref BQ128 .E53

Historical Dictionary of India
     Ref DS405 .M27

The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz
     Ref ML102.J3 N48 (3 volumes)

Twentieth-Century American Literature
     Ref PS221 .T834 (8 volumes)

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Books/Secondary Sources

To search library catalogs you will need to use Boolean Operators. For a review on Boolean Operators watch our Boolean Operator video tutorial.

There are two main ways to search library catalogs, by subject heading or by keyword. Each method has its own benefits and drawbacks, it is important therefore to know the best time to use each method.

Subject Headings Searches

Subject headings are keywords that are assigned to books to capture the item's key subject matter and themes. Use subject headings to look for books on broad concepts such as the Great Depression or self-discovery.

Possible Subject Headings include:

• Travel in Literature
• Caste India
• Beat Generation

Keyword Searches

Keyword Searches work best if you are researching a narrow concept or if you have an author or title that you would like criticism on. Keyword searches will look for your search term(s) in the citation, subject headings, and chapter titles (if available). Many books on literary criticism have chapters on specific authors or works, this search method will pull up those materials.

Possible Keyword searches include:

• kerouac AND (critic* OR analysis)
• (gang or mob) AND (mentality or psychology)
• (apocalypt* or dystopia*) AND (child* or family or father*)

Geisel Library Catalog
Search the Geisel Library Catalog to locate items housed in our library.

WorldCat
If you have searched the Geisel Library Catalog but could not locate a book on your topic try searching WorldCat, a database that allows you to search the collections of libraries throughout the United States. If you find a book that you want you can request it through interlibrary loan (ILL) by clicking on the "Request Via Interlibrary Loan link" in the book's catalog record.

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Find Journal Articles

To search for journal articles you will need to use Boolean Operators. For a review on Boolean Operators watch our Boolean Operator video tutorial.

Before you start searching for articles in online journal databases there are a two things you need to be aware of:

WebBridge
When examining your search results you may come across the WebBridge icon. This icon means that the full text is not available in the database you are currently searching. To locate the full text, simply click on the icon to determine whether the journal is available in Geisel Library or in another electronic database. If the article isn't available, click on the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) link to request a PDF copy of the article from another library. Articles requested via ILL will be delivered to your email inbox in approximately 3-7 business days. To learn how to use WebBridge, watch our video tutorial (3.5 mins; includes audio).

Journal Finder
If you find a citation to an article in the bibliography of a book or article you can use Journal Finder to see whether or not Geisel Library has access to the volume and issue that you need. Simply type in the name of the journal in Journal Finder and click search. If we have access to that title Journal Finder will tell you where you can locate it (either electronically or in print). If we do not have access to the journal you need you can place an interlibrary loan request for that item. To learn more on how to use Journal Finder watch our video tutorial.

Core English Research Databases

MLA International Bibliography

Literature Resource Center

Academic Search Premier

Project MUSE

JSTOR

Additional Research Databases

If you are searching a topic outside the scope of literary criticism consult Geisel's article databases by subject. Click on the subject area that you are researching; you will then be brought to a list of databases that will help you perform research in that discipline. If you need assistance in identifying a useful database please contact a reference librarian.

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Citing Sources

See the library's Citing Sources guide for resources on how to properly cite research materials. Always confirm the style required by your instructor.

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