Search Terms
Searching a library catalog or database doesn't follow the same method as Google or other search engines. You will get the best results on InfoHawk+ if you search using subject headings from the Library of Congress.
But how do you find them? Scrolling down in an item's record in InfoHawk+ will typically show the subject headings used and can provide search clues. Some useful subject headings for CNW:1620:0001 are listed below.
As you think about your topic, generate a list of words that are associated. For example, along with searching for "prisons," you might search for 'imprisonment."
- Creative nonfiction, American -- History and criticism
- Authorship
- Creative nonfiction -- Authorship
- Written narratives
- Reference / Writing Skills
- Self in literature
- Writing processes
- Literature, Cultural and Media studies
- Speculative fiction, American -- History and criticism
Literary Databases
- Literature Online (LION) This link opens in a new windowA fully searchable library of over 350,000 works of English and American literature, overseen by an academic advisory board.
- Project Muse This link opens in a new windowWith full text for well over 300 journal titles from university publishers, Project MUSE covers the fields of literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, and many others. Coverage begins in 1995.
- MLA Directory of Periodicals (EBSCO Version) This link opens in a new windowContains information available on the journals and series that are covered in the MLA International Bibliography database. The Directory is a master list that aims to cover journals available to libraries or universities that publish articles on language, literature, folklore, or pedagogy with some frequency, as well as any series that includes books on those subjects, regardless of the frequency of publication. Over 5,800 titles are included; of these, over 4,400 are currently indexed. The records consist of editorial addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail addresses, frequency of publication, descriptions of the periodicals' scopes, circulation figures, subscription prices and addresses, advertising information, submission guidelines, and information on whether or not journals are peer reviewed. The directory also provides statistics on how many articles and book reviews the periodicals publish each year, as well as how many are submitted.
- JSTOR (Journal Storage) This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Provides image and full-text online access to back issues of selected scholarly journals in history, economics, political science, philosophy, mathematics and other fields of the humanities and social sciences. Consult the online tables of contents for holdings, as coverage varies for each titles. Journals may be searched across multiple titles as well as by the individual titles below
Note that this database comprises mostly back issues: for most titles the JSTOR database does NOT include full text of the most recent 3 to 5 years.
Boolean???
Not everyone has heard of Boolean searching...but you may have already performed these types of searches! Here's the quick overview:
What is Boolean?
Boolean logic gets its name from British mathematician George Boole (1815-1864). He devised a symbolic logic method that focused mainly on the operators AND, OR, and NOT. This logic method has been applied to information organization.
Why Boolean?
Using Boolean search operators can lead to more precise results.
How does a Boolean search work?
Want to Use Advanced Boolean Searching?
Created by McMaster University Library. Used under Creative Commons license. Original found at https://library.mcmaster.ca/research/how-library-stuff-works