DEVELOPING A SEARCH STRATEGY

Search strategy is a library term for the process of finding information in a logical, step-by-step manner. Using a search strategy insures that you will find the information or material you need as quickly and efficiently as possible.

FINDING BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A Dictionary of Marxist Thought. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1983.

(Uris Reference HX 17 .D55)

Useful background entries on the major ideas of Marx and Marxism.

Diethe, Carol. Historical Dictionary of Nietzscheanism. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 1999.

(Olin Reference B 3311 .D54x 1999)

Includes a glossary of terms used by Nietzsche, a lengthy critical introduction, and entries on people and concepts relevant to Nietzche's thought.

The Freud Encyclopedia: Theory, Therapy, and Culture. New York: Routledge, 2002.

(Olin Reference BF 173 .F6176x 2002)

Extensive entires on Freud, his ideas, and his influence on culture and major thnkers. Substantial bibliographies.

Garland, Henry and Mary Garland. The Oxford Companion to German Literature. 3rd. ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.

(Olin Reference PT 41 .G23 1997)

Intended as a "companion to the historical and cultural background to German literature as well as to the writers and works themselves. Spans the period from c. 800 to the early 1970's, and the aim has been to cover in a reasonably representative way every period of the literature of each German-speaking country." (Preface). Entries vary in length from a few lines to a page, and are arranged in alphabetical order.

Konzett, Matthias, ed. Encyclopedia of German Literature. Chicago; London: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2000. 2 volumes.

(Olin Reference PT 41 .E53x 2000+)

Authors make up the majority of the more than 500 entries which conclude with bibliographies of works by the author, including English translations, as well as secondary scholarship. Entries for literary movements and periods and types of literature (Fairy tales, Travel literature) and the intersection of German literature with fascism, film, homosexuality, and religion are included.

Literature Resource Center. Gale Group.

(online)

Literature Resource Center is a literature reference database designed for the undergraduate student. LRC combines biographical, bibliographical, and contextual information on authors and their works (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, history, and journalism). Draws from Gale Group's core literary databases, including Contemporary Authors, Dictionary of Literary Biography, and Contemporary Literary Criticism.

Modern Germany: An Encyclopedia of History, People, and Culture, 1871-1990. 2 vols. New York: Garland, 1998.

(Olin Reference DD 14 .M64x 1998)

Signed articles on important people, organizations, and concepts in Germany and German culture since 1871. Excellent bibliographies.

Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 10 volumes. New York: Routledge, 1998.

(Olin Ref B 51 .R68 1998 and online)

The Routledge Encyclopedia covers a wide range of philosophical topics in 9 volumes, (the tenth volume is the index) containing just over 2,000 signed entries. Articles are followed by brief bibliographies. An excellent resource.

The online version can be browsed by philosophical themes, philosophies, historical periods, and religions. Full text entries can be searched by keyword, title, contributor, or bibliography.

The Cornell Library Catalog currently includes all items from all Cornell libraries and items on order or in process. Included in the Cornell Library Catalog are books, periodicals, audio-visual materials, and government documents, as well as many other resources in the libraries at Cornell. The catalog provides the call number, the name of the library, and the circulation status for each item.

Help Using the Cornell Library Catalog
Search Commands, Subject Searching, Keyword Searching, and other functions of the online catalog are explained on these pages.

Understanding Library of Congress Call Numbers

Use these indexes to find articles in journals, magazines, and news sources. These may be full text online as a .pdf or .html file, or they may be available only in print form. If the article is now linked directly in the database, the best way to figure out the format and availability is to search the Cornell Library Catalog by the journal title.

The indexes below can all be found using Find it!/Databases in the Library Gateway.

Academic Search Premier.

A general periodical database that provides citations and abstracts for articles from over 4,100 journals and includes the full text from over 3,170 journals. You can limit your search to peer-reviewed articles (scholarly articles).

MLA International Bibliography.

An international index and database providing references to scholarly articles from over 4000 journals in literature, folklore, literary theory, semiotics, and linguistics. Useful for finding literary criticism of a particular author or work, as well as articles on literary theory, women's studies, popular culture, and performing arts.

ProQuest Research Library.

Indexes and abstracts over 2000 general interest magazines and scholarly journals. It also includes citations and abstracts to selected television and radio programs. Many articles are available in full text electronic formats. The database can be divided by subject (general or business), format (newspaper or magazine and journal articles), or by date.

EVALUATING SOURCES

Evaluating the sources you find is a crucial step in the process of library research. The questions you ask about books, periodical articles, or multimedia sources are similar whether you're looking at a citation to the item or have the item in hand.

How to Critically Analyze Information Sources lists some of the critical questions you should ask when you consider the appropriateness of a particular book, article, media resource, or Web site for your research.

Periodicals are aimed at a wide variety of audiences. For help evaluating the articles you find, see Distinguishing Scholarly from Non-Scholarly Periodicals.

The Internet is a democratic tool: anyone can write or say virtually anything they wish on it. As you would do with books and journal articles, look to see who is responsible for producing the web page or site that you are accessing. Does the individual or institution have a particular bias or concern or agenda in presenting their information. How objective is the information? How accurate or truthful? How authoritative? See Five Criteria for Evaluating Web pages.

Using MLA Style

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th edition. Copies in Olin and Uris Libraries are shelved behind the reference desks Ref Z 253 .M68 2003.

MLA citation style (Library Gateway Help)

Managing Citations using RefWorks

RefWorks is a web-based program that allows you to easily collect, manage, and organize bibliographic references by interfacing with databases. RefWorks also interfaces directly with Word, making it easy to import references and incorporate them into your writing, properly formatted according to the style of your choice. For more information and to sign up for an account: http://www.refworks.cornell.edu .

Library Gateway Help

CU Library Catalog Help

Reference Desk Phone Directory

A research consultation with a reference librarian can be arranged when you need in-depth, personalized research help.