Library Guides: English Literature: Articles

Primary Databases

Choose your favourite, based on the descriptions of what they cover and which interface you prefer. However, your best search involves a variety of these.

Not sure what all this means? Review the tutorial on "Finding Articles".

MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
The Modern Language Association (MLA) International Bibliography provides searchable access to bibliographic citations to journal articles, books, dissertations, and scholarly Web sites. It indexes materials from 1926 to the present in academic disciplines such as language, literature, folklore, linguistics, literary theory and criticism, and the dramatic arts. Coverage includes literature from all over the world - Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. The MLA currently indexes more than 66,000 new items each year. (from vendor website).
Arts & Humanities Citation Index This link opens in a new window
From Web of Science/Knowledge. Arts & Humanities Citation Index is a multidisciplinary index covering the scholarly journal literature of the arts and humanities. It fully covers 1,144 of the world's leading arts and humanities journals, and it indexes individually selected, relevant items from over 6,800 major science and social science journals. Part of the Web of Knowledge.
Academic Search Elite This link opens in a new window
From EBSCOhost. This general database finds articles on almost any topic. Sources include scholarly journals, popular magazines, and some newspapers - use limits to restrict your search to a publication type.
Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window
Find biographical, bibliographical, and critical content on literary figures from all time periods. Includes Contemporary Authors Online (biographical coverage of more than 130,000 writers); Contemporary Literary Criticism Select; and Dictionary of Literary Biography Online, containing more than 13,000 essays on authors and their works written by academic scholars.
Scholars Portal Journals This link opens in a new window
The majority of Trent's full-text e-journals are included in this database. Search them all or browse a specific journal. Many of the journals available from other sites are duplicated on this site.
Academic OneFile This link opens in a new window
This database from GALE covers scholarly journals, popular magazines, and some newspapers (including the New York Times). Includes 1,400 law journals. Limit to "peer-reviewed publications" to eliminate articles which are not scholarly.
Canadian Business and Current Affairs Database (CBCA) This link opens in a new window
Indexes over 1,665 titles in current events, business, science, the arts, and academic information as produced in Canada.
Combines high-quality indexing with direct access to over 500 full text periodicals and daily news sources, over 95% Canadian. Includes journals, magazines and newspapers, both scholarly and popular titles.
Canadian Periodical Index (CPI.Q) This link opens in a new window
Indexing of nearly 700 Canadian periodicals (English and French) with full-text articles from 240 Canadian periodicals. Covers journals, magazines, and newspapers. Not all are scholarly sources - select "peer-reviewed publications" to limit your results.

Other Scholarly Databases

The following databases will be useful to some topics.

International Medieval Bibliography This link opens in a new window
A bibliography of the European Middle Ages (c. 400-1500), providing a comprehensive, current bibliography of articles in journals and miscellany volumes (conference proceedings, essay collections or Festschriften) worldwide.
Iter This link opens in a new window
Materials pertaining to the Middle Ages and Renaissance (400-1700). Citations for books, journal material, essays in books, entries in conference proceedings, festschriften, encyclopedias and exhibition catalogues.
Periodicals Archive Online This link opens in a new window
A major online periodical archive covering historical issues of periodicals in the humanities and social sciences from the seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Tutorials and Help Pages

Tutorial: Finding Articles
Learn the process for finding articles using indexes. This is essential background information for all students. Estimated reading time: 20 minutes.
Tutorial: Keyword Searching
A short tutorial providing background on how keyword searching works, with tips to improve your search results. Estimated reading time: 10 minutes.
Tutorial: Scholarly Articles
Scholarly articles: what they are, how to find, recognize, read, and use them. Includes exercises. Estimated reading time: 20 minutes.
Using Google, Google Scholar and Other Internet Search Engines
A guide on using internet search engines, with a section on using Google Scholar and setting it to recognize you as a Trent student.

Troubleshooting Searches

Too few articles:

Check for typos and spelling. Consider using both American and British spellings (eg. behaviour or behavior).
Remove long phrases.
Make sure you're using a database that is likely to include information on your topic.
Try using other synonyms and alternate words joined by the Boolean Operator 'OR' (e.g. aboriginal or indigenous or First Nations).
Check your Boolean logic. Are you using 'AND' when you should be using 'OR'?
If you have found at least one good article, look at the references of this article to find other related articles OR use the 'Find citing' or 'Find related' buttons when available in the databases.

Too many articles:

Add another concept to your searching using the Boolean operator 'AND'.
Add Limits (e.g. Peer Reviewed, Date of Publication, Language, Publication Type, etc.).
Check your Boolean logic. Are you using 'OR' when you should be using 'AND'?
When Keyword searching, try searching just in the Title field. This is not recommended for all searches, as you will eliminate relevant articles that don't have those keywords in the title, but it will likely find a few articles to get you started.
If you're searching in a database that covers all subjects (e.g. Academic Search Elite, Web of Knowledge), look for a database that is subject specific.

What is Interlibrary Loan?

Interlibrary loan is a system that allows you to request material from other libraries to be sent to Trent for you to borrow. Normally, there are no costs to use the ILL service. Plan ahead because it can take a few days or even weeks for material to be sent, depending upon availability.

Visit the RACER (ILL) page for more information.