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English

A guide to research resources for the study of English language and literature.

Which Database Should I Choose?

Often when your topic is about contemporary issues or debates, it's best to search broadly across disciplines. In these cases, QuickSearch is usually your best bet. 

QuickSearch is also how to find books at Monroe Library, both print copies and ebooks.

However, if your research is about literature, MLA Bibliography is a great choice. This database specializes in collecting journal articles and book chapters about literature in English and many other languages. Search for articles about specific authors, books, poems, plays, short stories, and more.


If MLA Bibliography isn't giving you what you need, try broadening your search with Academic Search Complete. This interdisciplinary database collects journal articles and reviews from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, giving you wider coverage of topics. This is a great choice if your research is about public policy issues, cultural movements, and more.

JSTOR is another interdisciplinary database with lots of full text journal articles.

Searching JSTOR is a bit different from MLA Bibliography.

  • In MLA Bibliography, our keywords have to match titles, authors, abstracts, and other descriptive parts of the article.
  • In JSTOR, you are searching the full text of every article. This means you can find every mention of a word or name, but that can also result in thousands of hits, not all of which are relevant. Keep that in mind when crafting your search terms.

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