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Learning Commons
Learning Commons
Learning Commons
This page and the series of subpages contain tips on finding different types of articles for a research paper on literature.
Researching literature can be challenging; however, following some simple steps and looking in a variety of places, you will find appropriate and relevant information.
You must be able to identify these types of articles while researching a work of literature. The first two are generally most helpful for college research.
Literary Criticism
In-depth analysis of a work or works of literature. Literary Criticism articles are written by experts and published either in scholarly journals or in books. They are lengthy, and focus on specific details about the work. They are available by searching in library databases or in books from the Library Catalogue.
Biographies
Information about the life of the author. Short biographies can be published in magazines and encyclopedias. Full-length biographies can be an entire book. Find brief biographies by searching in library databases. Find full-length biographies by searching in books from the Library Catalogue. Some assignments specifically require that you use biographical information and some assignments specifically exclude these types of articles, so read your assignment carefully!
Plot Summaries
Plot summaries are overviews of the main events and characters in a work of literature. They do not analyze the details in depth as literary criticisms do. Plot summaries can be found in encyclopaedias, which you can access from the library databases.
Book Reviews
Book reviews are brief articles that give a reader's opinion and recommendation about a book. They rarely give in-depth analysis and are generally not helpful for college research.
Bibliographies
Bibliographies are lists of literary works that have something in common. They might be lists of works by a single author, or lists of works that fit into a certain style, genre or theme.