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LiteratureDatabasesENC1102-2-2.pptx
Literature Databases
An Introduction
Databases
Basic Information
What is a database?
According to The American Heritage Dictionary, a database is "a collection of data arranged for ease and speed of retrieval, as by a computer."
Each company has a database with employee information, for instance.
McDonald's employs thousands in the United States, but it has a central database with such employee information as names, performance evaluations, and salaries.
What does a literature database offer?
It has articles about literary works. If you need information about A Raisin in the Sun, you can search the library for 15 different articles, or you can locate them in one database, much like one-stop shopping at Target or Wal-Mart.
For example, the Literary Reference Center Plus database has 23 literary criticisms about this drama.
One by Gladys J. Washington offers information about the principal characters, themes, critical context, and a works cited list.
What else does a literature database have to offer?
It has credible articles, unlike the ones in the National Enquirer or on some websites.
Before an article appears in a database, someone reviews the article for credibility. For instance, that person checks facts for accuracy and verifies the sources listed on the works cited page.
If the article passes the credibility review, it is included as part of the database.
What are some common literature databases that the Valencia College library offers?
eBook Collection (Gale)
JSTOR
Literature Reference Center Plus (EBSCO)
Literature (Gale)
Literature Criticism (Gale)
Literature Reference Center Plus
Poetry and Short Story Reference Center (EBSCO)
Does a literature database have ready-made MLA works cited entries?
Yes, it does.
Locate the "Cite" icon in the vertical menu on the right-hand side of the page. It may sometimes appear in a horizontal menu at the top of the page.
Click it to locate the MLA 8th edition works cited entry for the article; then, copy and paste it onto your works cited page.
How do you access a database?
Log on to ATLAS.
Click "Search the Library," which appears under a picture of some students in the upper left-hand corner.
Click "Databases by Subject," which appears in the horizontal menu at the top of the page.
Click "Literature" for a list of literature databases.
Click the name of the database that you wish to access.
Explore the database to learn about its features and to maximize your use of it.
Databases
Special Features
A literature database is like a treasure chest!
Learn about the special features of a literature database.
If you do, you uncover article after article about your literary work, much like gold coins in a treasure chest.
If you do not, you uncover nothing—not a single article nor one gold coin.
What are some of the special features?
Start with search boxes. If you use only one, you are presented with many articles. If there is an "advanced search" option, use it to make other boxes appear. In those boxes, add search terms to narrow your search.
If I type "A Raisin in the Sun" in the first box, I am presented with 98 articles, but if I type "criticism" in a second box, I am presented with only 11.
If there is one, consider information in a vertical menu on the left-hand side of the page. It generally presents other ways to narrow your search.
On a subject relating to search boxes, what about lists?
To identify phrases and words to guide my search for articles, I begin by writing a list of possible phrases and words.
If I need articles about A Raisin in the Sun and the American Dream, I begin with those two on my list.
I then list the words "ambition," "aspiration," and "success"--all synonyms relating to the phrase "the American Dream."
These synonyms may not assist my search efforts, but at least I have them if I should need them.
What are some other features?
Consider the contents of the horizontal menu on the right-hand side of the page. It presents links for citing, emailing, printing, saving, etc.
To access a complete copy of an article, click "html full-text" or some similar phrase. If you do not, then you are presented with only summaries of the articles.
When searching for articles, see if there is a box to check for "full-text." If there is one, click it so that you can access complete articles rather than just summaries.
See if the article has a works cited list at the end. If it does, it can guide you to other sources relating to your subject.
Remember to explore the database in search of special features. A pirate does not find a treasure chest without exploration and effort, just like you cannot locate articles without the same.
What else would you like to know about literature databases? Just let me know.
