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Professor
Jason Bellipanni
Library Liaison
Betsy Holmes
Contents
Introduction
Research Basics
Reference Sources for
Background Information
Find Books/Secondary Sources
Find Journal Articles
Selected Websites
How to Cite Your Sources
Subject Guide
English
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This is a guide to selected sources of information related to experimental short fiction in the Geisel Library. It is meant as a starting point for your research. For further research assistance, please stop by the Reference Desk in person or pose your question online at Ask a Librarian.
The reference librarians have created a group of webpages named Research Help, and a tutorial called Searchpath, designed to help teach you the basics of library research and to introduce you to Geisel Library. On the Research Help pages, you will find a guide on Research Basics that walks you through the seven steps of doing successful college-level research. Please take advantage of these resources.
Reference books are shelved by call number in the reference stacks near the reference desk. They may not be checked out, but photocopiers are available on the lower level of the Library. Online reference sources can be found in the library catalog or listed on the
E-Reference Resources page. Use reference resources to find background information on authors and literary works, as well as the social issues, historical periods, and themes being addressed in this course.
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online
Find overviews on a wide variety of topics by searching this online encyclopedia. This is a good source for obtaining background info on authors and finding good keywords that represent your topic.
New Dictionary of the History of Ideas
Find entries on science fiction, magic and virtual reality.
Ref CB9 .N49 (print version)
Oxford Reference Online
This database enables you to search within many of Oxford's highly-regarded reference works in the fields of literature and history, including the Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, Oxford Companion to World Mythology, the Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction, and A Dictionary of Writers and Their Works.
Literary Theory and Symbolism
These reference sources can help you understand the terminology you encounter in literary criticism, as well as interpret the meaning of symbols in literary works.
Dictionary of Modern Critical Terms
Ref PN 41.F6
Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory (Cuddon)
Ref PN41 .C83
Dictionary of Literary Themes and Motifs (2 vols.)
Ref PN43 .D48
Routledge Companion to Postmodernism
Ref B831.2 .R68
Symbolism: A Comprehensive Dictionary
Ref CB475 .O38
Twentieth-Century Short Story Explication
Ref PN3373 .W33 (6 volumes)
Literary Criticism and Author Biographies
Literature Resource Center
This database includes lengthy biographical profiles of authors, plot summaries, and literary criticism for over 90,000 novelists, poets, and other writers. This resource also provides the full text of articles from more than 100 literary journals. User Guide
American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies (13 vols.)
Ref PS129 .A55
Literary Criticism Series
Contemporary Literary Criticism (Ref PN94 .C65)
Nineteenth Century Literary Criticism (Ref PN761 .N56)
Twentieth Century Literary Criticism (Ref PN94 .T83)
To find out the volumes in which your author or literary work are covered, use the Gale Literary Index.
Supernatural Fiction Writers
Ref PN 3435 .S96
Twentieth-Century American Literature (8 vols.)
Ref PS221.T843
Fantasy, Fable, and Science Fiction Resources
Anatomy of Wonder
Ref PN 3433.5 .A5
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
Ref PN 43 .B65
Encyclopedia of Fantasy
Ref PN 56 .F34 E53
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
Ref PN 3433.4 .E53
Guide to Supernatural Fiction
Ref PN 56.S8 B57
Science Fiction and Fantasy Reference Index
Ref PN 3433.5 .S34
Supernatural Literature of the World, an Encyclopedia
Ref PN 56 .S8
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Headings suggestions to use in searching the Catalog:
AUTHOR (books written by): examples–
- (last name, first name)
- Calvino, Italo
- Paley, Grace
SUBJECTS (books written about): examples–
- (author last name, first name)
- Short stories, American (or other geographic area)
- Symbolism in literature
- Magical realism literature
- Supernatural in literature
- Absurd philosophy in literature
- Fables
- Science fiction
- Postmodernism literature
- Surrealism literature
- Fiction technique
Keywords to consider when using the Catalog:
- experimental fiction
- experimental novel
- metafiction
- formalism
- History and criticism (use with author name or setting)
- Biography (use with author name)
- Author name (first name last name)
Use the * (asterisk) as a truncation symbol to retrieve variant forms of a word root. Use the Boolean OR to expand your search by including synonyms and related terms. When using two different Boolean commands in the same search statement ("and" and "or" in the preceding examples) you must include parentheses to indicate which command is to be performed first.
If you are unable to locate enough materials in the Geisel Library catalog, search the collections of libraries worldwide using WorldCat. This enables you to identify relevant books owned by other colleges and have them delivered to Geisel Library for your use, via our Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service. Try searching on the same keywords and subject headings that you used in the library catalog. If you find a relevant book, click on the title and look for the Request ILL link. Once you submit the request, the book is typically delivered to Geisel Library within 7–8 days.
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Below are several databases that may yield useful journal articles for your research. Some focus on literary criticism while others will provide historical and socio-cultural context for the literature. Try searching on the same keywords that you used in the book catalog. Remember to use Boolean operators and wildcards (the asterisk symbol) to improve your search.
In the results screen, if there is no full-text link readily available, click on the  icon to determine whether the journal is available in the Geisel Library or in full-text via another electronic database. If the article isn't available, consider clicking on the Interlibrary Loan link to request a PDF copy of the article from another library. Articles requested via ILL will be delivered to your email inbox within about a week.
Literature Resource Center
Find biographical information on authors, as well as bibliographies, plot summaries, and literary criticism of their works. This resource also provides the full text of articles from more than 100 literary journals. User Guide
MLA International Bibliography
Produced by the Modern Language Association of America, this electronic index consists of bibliographic records pertaining to literature, language, linguistics, and folklore. User Guide
Academic Search Premier
A broad index providing abstracts and some full-text for a range of academic areas, including literature, politics, and sociology.
JSTOR
Search here for full-text articles from major journals in the humanities and social sciences. Coverage is generally from the beginning of publication to within 5 years of the current issue. User Guide
Project MUSE
This database offers all full-text articles from over 300 peer-reviewed journals; subjects include humanities, arts, medicine, mathematics, social sciences, and more.
New York Times
The full-text of the New York Times can assist you with determining the news and cultural interest at the time that stories were written.
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The Libyrinth
A literary site focusing on 20th and 21st century writers, with an emphasis on experimental fiction.
Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Database
More than 73,000 historical and critical citations about the related genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
Voice of the Shuttle — Contemporary British and American Literature
Detailed list of links to sites on contemporary American and British Literature.
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MLA is the citation style required in this class. The library has both print and electronic versions of MLA citation guides available, or ask a librarian for assistance.
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