Citation: http://www.upinontario.com/mt/archives/2006_06.html
FLITE Databases
For this assignment, you'll want to use FLITE databases (collections of articles from magazines, newspapers, and academic journals) which contain literary information. You'll be linked to articles that are in the "Deep Web", since they were originally published in magazines, journals, and newspapers not available on the Free Web. You need a subscription to use them, and FLITE provides that for you.
(Remember, if you want to use FLITE databases from off-campus, you'll need to login. Click here for instructions for off-campus access.)
The following are the databases I recommend for this assignment:
Here's the database to find out everything you can about specific books, short stories, authors, biographies, bibliographies, literary criticism, and general literary articles, all in full-text. It's a great spot to find reputable websites as well. Much of the information comes from respected print reference books and 325 academic literary journals. Biographical information is included for more than 140,000 authors. Don't forget to check for websites!
General OneFile (It used to be InfoTrac.)
This is the Big One, the database with nearly 70 million articles from hundreds of different magazines and journals and a few newspapers as well. You can't always find full-text here, especially from the older articles (articles go back to 1980) which give you only a citation or abstract, but use "Find It" to link out to full-text in the other databases if you can. General OneFile and its companion databases for higher level research, Academic OneFile, are the best starting places for almost all your papers.
Although Wilson Select Plus is a small database, all the articles should be available to you in full-text, and include a wide range of subjects. You can read articles here from as far back as 1994 straight through to the present. It's worth a look!
FLITE Newspaper Database (for very current information)
Access World News contains the full-text of nearly 1700 news sources from around the world. Almost all are in English. You can search as far back as the 1990s in this collection of news articles and, you can search the entire world, regions, specific countries, and even specific state newspapers just by clicking on the map.
The Free Web (using Google or Yahoo or other search engines)
Online Book Seller Staff Reviews and Interviews
Powell's Books
Select an author and click on a title, then check for "Synopsis and Reviews", "Interviews with the Author", "Author Q and A" and other useful material.
Barnes and Noble.com
Select an author and a title, then check "Editorial Reviews" for more information.
Other information on the Free Web
Best American Short Stories 2007 official site
You can pull a small amount of biographical information about your authors from this website.
Wikipedia
Do not cite Wikipedia, ever, in a bibliography. Use Wikipedia as a starting point, and then utilize the External Links to find reputable information.
Do a careful search and be sure to evaluate all your sources carefully. (Use the FLITE Website Evaluation Checklist.)
- Author's Official Website - contact the author by email and ask for any additional articles, news reports, or reviews
- Publisher's Website about the author - contact the publisher for more information about the author
Guides to Searching FLITE databases
Here are some helpful guides to searching some of the databases shown in class in case you need a refresher.
Guide to Literature Resource Center
Guide to Searching General OneFile and Academic OneFile
Guide to Searching Wilson Select Plus
"Find It" and InterLibrary Loan
What happens if the article you want isn't available in full-text in your database? The "Find It" link looks through the 100+ databases FLITE owns to try to find it somewhere else for you. Once you click on "Find It", you'll reach a new screen with a variety of options.
- Full Text: Click on the red GO button and you will be linked out to the full article in another database. (Sometimes you'll have to search archives and back issues to find what you want.)
- Holding Information: The library owns copies of the article either in print, microform, or microfiche. Check with a librarian about how to get this information.
- Request from InterLibrary Loan: FLITE staff will order a copy of this article for you from another library owning the magazine or journal. A digital copy will be delivered to your InterLibrary Loan account in 3-5 working days and you'll receive an email when it arrives. Here's the information on using ILLiad, our InterLibrary Loan software.
If you have any problems with "Find It" or InterLibrary Loan, please Contact A Librarian.
Citing Sources
Avoid plagiarism by properly citing your sources. Please go to the Citations webpage to learn how. Be very careful about the citation-generating tools in the databases.
Citation Style Guide: MLA (PDF)
An online version of FLITE's MLA Quick Reference handout, requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
MLA Format
More examples of how cite different types of sources using the MLA format.
If you have any questions regarding using the library for research,
Email Kristy Motz.
Don't forget, you are welcome to come to the Oval Information Desk and ask for help at any time. You can also call us 231-591-3602 or chat with us.
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Last Update: April 1, 2008