Introduction to Kennedy Library Research Tools
[updated September, 2010]
One purpose of this class is to learn to use some of the research tools accessible online through the Kennedy Library to identify and obtain appropriate secondary sources (scholarly criticism) on your research topic. Contrary to popular belief, reputable scholarly resources are NOT typically available for free over the Web to anyone. They are found in expensive, subscription-only databases which take an increasingly large bite out of the Kennedy Library's Materials Acquisition budget each year -- so you owe it to yourselves to use them effectively! To access restricted resources from off campus, you will be prompted to log in (using your PolyCard barcode, the 14-digit number beginning 20150 on the front of your PolyCard); or you can log in at MyPolycat each time you visit the Kennedy Library site.
Research tools available through the Kennedy Library can be used for two distinct functions: to identify resources on a given topic, and to provide access to these resources. While many of the tools offer both functions to some degree, the single most powerful tool to identify sources on a literary research topic, the MLA bibliography, does not itself provide direct access to the items it indexes, but allows a user to check whether an item is available at Cal Poly through links to Polycat and some but not all of the library's subscription databases. The Find It tab within an MLA bibliography entry can be used to check for an online full-text version of a given resource and will provide a "bridge" between the MLA database and some (but not all) of the Kennedy Library's subscription databases.
The present page offers a brief overview of some of the
most important Kennedy Library tools for literary research. The research
exercises accessible from the class calendar will guide you as you learn
how to use specific research tools to identify and access secondary
sources on a literary research topic. Before beginning these
exercises, you should be familiar with the various types
of resource that are available, the research tools
that can be used to identify and access them, and the various modes
of access that can be used to obtain them. Use the following
links to navigate the information on this page:
| 5 Types of Sources:
-- Primary sources -- Secondary sources including: How to locate: MLA bibliographic citation formats for:
|
4 Modes of Access
to print and electronic resources:
|
Profiles of 5 Types
of Research Tools Every English Student Should Know (and use
to identify and/or access secondary sources on a given research topic):
|
PRELIMINARIES I: TYPES OF SOURCES
A "primary" source refers to a novel, poem, short story, collection, play, essay etc. by the author who is the focus of your literary research.
A "secondary" source refers to a scholarly work (e.g. a book, journal article, essay in an edited book collection, or review) about the primary work, author, genre, technique etc. that is the focus of your research. The secondary sources you are most likely to use in a research paper include:
1) Single-author book: a book-length scholarly work by one author (or several co-authors) published in book form (but not an edited collection of essays by multiple authors). A citation for a book includes the author, title, city of publication, publisher and year of publication. The basic MLA bibliographic citation format for a book citation is:
Author's last name, Author's first name. Title of Book. City of publication: Publisher, year. Medium of publication (i.e. Print or Web).To locate a single-author book for which you have a citation, first check Polycat by doing an Author search on the author's name and/or a Title search on the title of the book (rather than Word searches for either of these search terms). If the book is not available in the Kennedy Library collections, do the same searches to look for it in LINK+. If the book is not listed in Polycat or LINK+, you can order it from ILL using an ILL BOOK Request form.[The above model presents the simplest form for a book citation; consult your MLA Handbook for specific rules that apply in different situations. Note that the MLA bibliographic format in this and all other examples on this page should be followed exactly; pay attention to which information should be included, the order in which elements should appear, the punctuation (or lack of punctuation) between them, which elements should be underlined (or italicized), which elements should be enclosed in quotation marks, and the final punctuation.]
2) Journal article: a scholarly essay by one author (or several co-authors) published in a scholarly journal or review which appears periodically. A citation for a journal article includes the author's name, the title of the article, the title of the journal, volume and issue numbers, year (or month and year), and inclusive page numbers on which the article appears. The basic MLA bibliographic citation format for a journal article citation is:
Author's last name, Author's first name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal x.y (year of publication): inclusive page numbers. Medium of publication (i.e. Print or Web).To locate a journal article for which you have a citation, search for the title of the JOURNAL in which the article appears (not for the author's name or title of the article itself) using Polycat's Journal Title Search AND Serials Solutions (an index of many of the e-periodicals available through the subscription databases in the Kennedy Library collections). If the journal is available, check the listing to determine whether the specific issue you need is in the Kennedy Library collections; both Polycat and Serials Solutions will indicate the volumes/years covered, as well as the format (bound in the stacks, on microfiche, or electronic in a subscription database), provide a call number allowing you to locate a print copy of the journal in the stacks or on microfiche, or indicate the specific subscription database(s) in which an electronic version of the periodical is found. Citation Linker, a Find It function, can be used to search for a specific article in a number of full-text subscription databases (but may not be able to check all Kennedy Library Subscription Databases). If an article is not available in the Kennedy Library collections in print or electronic form, you can order it from ILL using an ILL Article Request form.[In the model above, x=volume number in arabic numerals, y=issue number in arabic numerals; they are separated by a period. For page numbers, indicate 1st and last page numbers with a dash between them.] Note 1: The title of the journal is found in an MLA Bibliography entry under "source." Note 2: The above model presents the simplest form for an article citation; consult your MLA Handbook for specific rules that apply in different situations.
3) Essay in an edited book collection: a scholarly essay by one author (or several co-authors) from an edited collection of essays published in a book rather than in a periodical. A citation for an essay in an edited book collection includes the author's name, the title of the article, the title of the book in which it appears, the editor(s) of the book in which it appears, complete publication information for the book in which it appears (city, publisher and year of publication), and inclusive page numbers on which the essay appears. The basic MLA bibliographic citation format for an essay in an edited book collection combines the formats for a book and for a journal article:
Author's last name, Author's first name. "Title of Essay." Title of Book. Ed. Editor's full name (not in inverted order). City of publication: publisher, year. inclusive page numbers. Medium of publication (i.e. Print or Web).To locate an essay in an edited book collection for which you have a citation, search Polycat by title for the title of the BOOK in which the essay appears (not for the title of the essay itself; the BOOK TITLE is found in an MLA Bibliography entry under "source"); or, do an "author" search in Polycat for the EDITOR of the book in which the essay appears (not for the author of the essay itself). If the book is not listed in Polycat, search LINK+ using the same search terms you used in Polycat. If the book is also not available from LINK+, you can order it from ILL using an ILL BOOK Request form; under "author," be sure to put the name of the EDITOR of the BOOK IN WHICH THE ESSAY APPEARS (not the author of the essay itself); under "title," be sure to provide the title of the BOOK IN WHICH THE ESSAY APPEARS (not the title of the essay itself).[For page numbers, indicate 1st and last page numbers with a dash between them.] Note 1: An essay in an edited book collection is called a "book article" in the MLA Bibliography; the BOOK TITLE is found in an MLA Bibliography entry under "source." Note 2: The above model presents the simplest form for citing an essay in an edited book collection; consult your MLA Handbook for specific rules that apply in different situations.
4) A review: a critical assessment of a literary work or works, film, performance etc., published in a periodical. A citation for a review includes the author and title of the review (if applicable), the author (or editor/translator/director etc., as applicable) and title of the subject of the review, and publication information on the periodical in which the review was published. See the MLA Handbook for specifics. The basic MLA bibliographic citation format for a review of a single book is:
Reviewer's last name, Reviewer's first name. "Title of Review (if applicable)." Rev. of Title of Book Being Reviewed, by Author of Book Being Reviewed. Periodical Title date of periodical: inclusive page numbers. Medium of publication (i.e. Print or Web).To locate a book review for which you have a citation, follow the guidelines above for locating an article in a periodical.[The date of publication immediately follows the underlined periodical title without any intervening punctuation. For the date, use the order "day month year" followed by a colon and inclusive page numbers comprising the 1st and last page numbers with a dash between them.]
Note 1: for a review accessed electronically through a subscription database, follow the Subscription Database citation guidelines.
Note 2: see the MLA Handbook for format to use for reviews of more than one work or of a performance, translation, edition, etc.5) Please note that the citation guidelines above cover only the simplest form of the four most common categories of secondary source and apply only to print versions of those sources (not to electronically accessed versions). For electronically accessed journal articles and e-books, see below; for variations upon these categories and for other types of secondary source (e.g. editions, translations, multivolume works, reprints, websites, etc.), consult your MLA Handbook.
PRELIMINARIES II: MODES OF
ACCESS:
There are four ways to access an item for which you have a bibliographic citation:
PROFILES OF THE FIVE BEST
RESEARCH TOOLS for Savvy Students of English:
1)Polycat
What it is: a catalogue listing all materials available in the Kennedy Library collections, including both print and some of the electronic resources accessible through one of the library's subscription databases. Searchable by keyword, author, title, subject, author/title, call number, or journal title.
What it contains:
Limitations:allows you to connect directly to LINK+ to continue a search for a book that is not available from the Kennedy Library Collections. allows you to connect directly to ILL to place an order for an article from a periodical that is not available at the Kennedy library (in hard copy or electronic form) or for a book that is not available at the Kennedy Library or through LINK+. allows you to virtually "browse" the stacks to determine what items are shelved together in the Kennedy Library Collections, even if these items are currently misshelved or checked out to another borrower. To do so, select "LC Call Number" from the pull-down menu of Polycat search types, and type in the call number of a book on your topic in the Kennedy our colletions. From the Polycat entry for your book, click on the "previous record" and "next record" tabs to browse the stacks virtually. allows you to look for specific resources by author or title (much more efficient than trying to find a specific work in the large number of hits which may be generated by a "Keyword" search); to do so, go to Polycat and use the pulldown menu (next to "Search by" on the main Polycat Search Page) to switch from a Keyword to a Title or Author search. If the book you are looking for is not listed in Polycat, you can search for it in LINK+ by clicking on the "Find in LINK+" tab at the top of the screen. allows you to unearth other potentially useful resources on your topic in Kennedy Library collections by clicking on the "Subject" listing links within a Polycat entry to see what other works in Kennedy Library Collections are indexed under the same subject headings; then, allows you to broaden this targetted search to the combined collections of all LINK+ consortium institutions by clicking on the "Find in LINK+" tab from the subject search results screen. allows you to put a hold on (recall) an item that is currently checked out to another borrower. NOTE: it is courteous to inquire of classmates who may be working on a similar topic (and your professor!) if they have checked out the item in question prior to recalling it. You can do so verbally in class or by sending an email to the class email alias.
2) LINK+
What it is: a union catalogue of the combined holdings of 50+ participating academic and public libraries in California and Nevada, searchable by author, title, keyword or subject. Patrons from member libraries electronically request an item not available in their own library which is delivered for checkout from their home institution at no charge to the individual patron (although at some cost to the library). Books may be borrowed for a period of 21 days with one renewal. Patrons may request no more than 15 LINK+ items at one time. Items typically arrive in 2-4 days and will be held for pick-up at the circulation desk for up to 10 days. LINK+ may be accessed directly at <csul.iii.com> or linked to from Polycat.
What can be borrowed: books which are not available in the Kennedy Library collections (or which are missing from the collections) and some other media, provided that the item is listed as "available" in Link+. LINK+ cannot be used to borrow journals, journal articles, and certain rare books.
When to use it:
Limitations:you can connect directly from Polycat to LINK+ to continue a search for a book that is not found in Polycat. offers quick access to a far greater number of books than are available in the Kennedy Library collections. faster, cheaper (to the library), and generally more reliable than ILL. Requested books usually arrive within 2-4 days and will be held at the circulation desk for up to 10 days.
3) The MLA Bibliography
What it is: the single most powerful tool to identify published works on a literary research topic. The most comprehensive literary and language database available, it provides citations only (not direct access) for a broad range of secondary sources and some primary sources (e.g. scholarly editions of primary texts).
When to use it:
4) Subscription Databases offering full-text journal access
What's available: among the many databases to which Kennedy Library subscribes, the following four offer full-text, electronic access to a significant number of scholarly journals in the fields of language and literature:
TIP 2: Be sure that you cite a journal article accessed electronically through a subscription database correctly. Provide a complete citation as you would for the print version of the journal article, but instead of indicating "print" as the medium of publication, add the following information:
Author's last name, Author's first name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal x.y (year of publication): inclusive page numbers. Project Muse. Web. Date of access.NOTE: Because pagination is not included in some web publications, if you can opt for an .HTML or a .pdf version of an article, it's preferable to choose the .pdf file (a scanned version of the print journal which will include the original pagination). For an .HTML article that does not include pagination, substitue "n. pag." for the inclusive page numbers. HINT: if the article is from an online version of a journal which is also published in print, you may be able to find the original print-version pagination by consulting the MLA Bibliography.
For fuller details, consult your MLA Handbook (in the 7th edition,
see section 5.6, Citing Web Publications, in particular section 5.6.4,
A Periodical Publication in an Online Database).
5) NetLibrary
What it is: a searchable subscription database offering access to e-books in the Kennedy Library Collections. Also includes a number of e-books that are in the public domain. E-books available through Netlibrary are included in Polycat records along with any print versions available. About half the collection consists of single-user titles, while the other half is licensed for 4 simultaneous users. If you access a title that is already in use, a message will appear to ask you to try the request later.
When to use it:
TIP 2: enclose search terms of more than one word in quotation marks to avoid false hits.
TIP 3: Be sure to cite an eBook accessed through NetLibrary correctly. 1) Provide a complete citation as you would for the print version of a single-author book (or, as appropriate, an essay in an edited book collection), but instead of ending with the medium of publication alone, provide the following information:
Author's last name, Author's first name. Title of Book. City of publication: Publisher, year. Net Library. Web. Date of access.For fuller details, consult your MLA Handbook (in the 7th edition, see section 5.6, Citing Web Publications, in particular section 5.6.2.c., A Work on the Web Cited with Print Publication Data).
A final word: Students
of English literature should be aware that searching
the Web with a standard search engine (such as Google, Lycos, etc.) will
NOT typically turn up resources appropriate for citation in an academic
research paper. With the exception of genuine scholarly work
made available on a reputable scholarly website by a recognized,
academic author (e.g. unpublished conference papers, previously published
essays, book chapters or journal articles), material found online is HIGHLY
UNLIKELY to be suitable for citation in your research paper. If you
DO choose to look for other resources on the web, be sure to consult Finding
and Evaluating Websites for tips on how to evaluate the scholarly validity
of a website or resource found online. One sign of a reputable scholarly
source MAY be a URL (web address) ending with ".edu"; but keep in mind
that such web-sites may also be student-authored work (posted on his or
her own or a professor's website) which is not typically suitable
for citation in a research paper.
Contents of this and linked pages residing on this site Copyright Debora B. Schwartz, 2004-2010