SURVEY YOUR SOURCES

As you should when conducting research for any college paper, you will want to survey the amount and types of sources available to you on your chosen topic. Begin with LINCC, your library’s online catalog.

Hints for searching LINCC:

+ An author search will provide information by an author.

+ A subject search for an author will provide information about the author and
his or her work.

+ A title search will find names of books and periodicals, not titles of articles and book chapters.

In addition to the author’s name or title of a particular work there are many general literature subject headings. Some examples include:

Literature – 19th Century – History and Criticism
Literature – 20th Century – History and Criticism
Short Story – History and Criticism
Short Stories, American – History and Criticism
Poets, American
Women Poets
Drama – History and Criticism
Dramatists, American
Drama, Medieval
American Drama – Afro-American Authors
Women Authors
African-American Authors
Authors, Irish
Authors, American
Authors, English

Next you will want to survey the number and type of periodical articles that are available on your subject. When researching your Comp II paper you used a number of general subject databases, such as Academic Search Premier. The SJRCC libraries also have available a number of subject specific online resources, including Literature Resource Center which focuses solely on literature.

Some authors or works will prove easier to research than others. You may discover a large amount of critical/analytical sources or few to none at all depending on the author’s reputation, body of work, and date of publication. Surveying your sources before beginning your research will help you choose a topic and/or author about which a sufficient amount of material is available. Interlibrary loan services are also available in the event that you locate materials available at other SJRCC campus libraries or other Florida community colleges and universities. Students may request materials from other SJRCC campuses or from other libraries via interlibrary loan.

Again, a Public Services Librarian can help you survey the amount and type of information available on your topic. As with your past research assignments, it is important to know BEFORE you commit to a specific topic that enough information is available to meet your instructor’s requirements.

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