This literature resource and research guide was completed as a project for a library school course from Emporia State University (www.emporia.edu). This course examined information transfer in the disciplines (academic.emporia.edu/abersusa/835/syllabus.htm). The final class projects were designed to reveal information transfer in various disciplines and to create practical pathfinders for a topic of our choice or to aid faculty and students in one of the courses investigated during the semester. Hence, the following guide was designed for an African American Literature course that I observed during the semester and worked with the professor to fit course and student needs.
| Elements of Effective Research | Reference Materials | Online Databases |
| Primary Resources Online | Literary Criticism Sources | Effective Search Strategies |
All of the questions above are good questions to ask and will help guide your research. However, it can be frustrating making connections between literature and other disciplines. For this reason, it is a good idea to have a search strategy before beginning research to help guide you through the process.
You can use reference books and literary criticism to help brainstorm key concepts and keywords that describe the work. Consider using a thesaurus or the subject heading list to determine the other terms or related terms to describe the main concepts. You can even do a Google search to brainstorm keywords - Example: Their Eyes Were Watching God + keywords
Here are some examples of keywords for Their Eyes Were Watching God found using reference books and online keyword searches – Harlem Renaissance, Black Feminism, Black Women’s Club Movement, Sexual Politics, Blues Music, Harlem Cabaret, Blues Music, Folklore
Anyone one of these may be a great starting point for connecting literature to other disciplines.
For example, you may have tested some of the keywords from step one to find there are many connections between Their Eyes Were Watching God, Nora Neale Hurston, and other disciplines, such as blues music. You were also able to find a few resources connecting these terms. So far, your search has been successful and you can know decide on a directed topic.
These sources will help you understand the broader context of your research and tell you in general terms what is known about your topic. Read the background information and note any useful sources (books, journals, magazines, etc.) listed in the bibliography at the end of the encyclopedia article or dictionary entry. The sources cited in the bibliography are good starting points for further research.
This comprehensive volume covers the historical and cultural contexts of African American literature and provides a systematic approach to research. The index not only covers authors and titles of works, but also includes cross-reference to topics, events, and characters related to African American Literature. Start with an author or title and use the index to cross-reference related search terms.
For example, start with an author, Zora Neale Hurston, and follow the initial inquiry to related areas:
Someone interested in Hurston will also find references on Conjuring, Federal Writer’s Project, Nanny, Sermons and Preaching, and Music – all great keywords for research and possible topics.
This reference book also contains bibliographies for further reading, which will help expand the research topic.
This three-volume set contains various sections discussing social, economic, and political influences, performing arts, periodicals, and visual arts pertaining to the Harlem Renaissance. It also offers many primary sources, sometimes offering different views on a topic, as well as in-depth coverage of a range of literary figures.
Use this resource to make connections between literature and social, historical, and cultural topics or for primary resources.
There are many other reference books on African American Literature located in the same area with an LC call number of PS – English and American Literature. The Greenlease library also offers many circulating books on African American literature and literary figures.
Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Rockhurst University is a member of the MOBIUS, www.rockhurst.edu/services/library/circulation/visiting.asp, consortium consisting of 60 Missouri academic libraries. Books available in MOBIUS libraries can be requested and sent to Rockhurst for student use.
Examples of a general topic database:
Examples of subject specific databases:
Humanities Abstracts-
Literature Resource Center-
JSTOR
To find other subject specific databases available in the library see the "Subject List of Library Databases" on the library's web site.
Check this link, del.icio.us/Shelleycarney/African_american_resources, for a list of evaluated web sites bookmarked to use in your research.
The Greenlease Library has an online resource guide to literary criticism, www.rockhurst.edu/services/library/guides/literary.asp. This is a great place to start for locating secondary sources and developing research keywords.
Humboldt State University Library – Search Strategy Worksheet
Idaho State University - Boolean Searching in Library Databases and on the Web
University of Colorado at Boulder – How Do I Choose Keywords for My Search?
Reference
Return to the academic.emporia.edu/abersusa/835/projects.htm.
Copyright 2007 Shelley Carney. All rights reserved. Webpage created: December 14, 2007.
Elements of Effective Research
Interdisciplinary research can be challenging. For example, how does one take literature such as Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and begin to find relevant visual art or music? Do you look for contemporary painters or musicians of the time? What about looking for themes in the text and connecting them to African American music or historical and social events of the time? How do you locate connections between literature and other arts or disciplines?
Step One: Identify the Topic
Your assignment is to pick a work of African American literature and explore its relationship to one more other disciplines. Once you have picked your work, identify the words or terms that best describe it.
Step Two: Test Your Topic
Narrow down your keywords by looking them up in reference books, the card catalog, or in online databases to see if information is available on your topic. If you are finding too much information, consider narrowing your search and start eliminating keywords. If you are finding too little information, you may need to broaden your topic by brainstorming more keywords.
Step Three: Locate Background Information
Once you have identified the main topic and keywords for your research, locate background information in encyclopedia, dictionaries, and bibliographies.
Step Four: Start Researching
By the fourth step, you’ve already brainstormed keywords, tested your topic, and have found enough background information to guide your research. Now just remain creative in your research and make sure to utilize the bibliographies from your background resources!
Greenlease Library Collection: Reference Materials
The Greenlease Library, www.rockhurst.edu/services/library/index.asp, has many reference books on the subject of African American Literature. Reference books are often the best place to start when developing a topic and brainstorming keywords.
Suggested Resources:
Located on the RU Reference Main Floor – Call #Ref PS 153 N5 C59 2000
Located on the RU Reference Main Floor – Call # Ref PS153.N5 H245 2003
Greenlease Library Collection: Online Databases
Online databases are a great way to access scholarly journal articles and secondary sources on authors, literature, and literary criticism. Access to most of the library's subscription databases is available on the "Electronic Resources" page on the library's web site, www.rockhurst.edu/services/library/electronic/index.asp. You can start your research in a general topic database and then find more in-depth articles in subject-specific databases.
Academic Search Premier-
This database indexes and abstracts articles appearing in over 7300 journals in the areas of social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, ethnic studies, and many more, some as far back 1965. Full texts of articles appear from 4000 scholarly journals, including 3100 peer-reviewed titles.
Essay & General Literature Index-
This is a bibliographic database that cites essays and articles contained in collections of essays and miscellaneous works published in the U.S., Great Britain, and Canada. Annually indexed are more than 300 volumes and more than 20 annuals and serial publications. This database focuses on the humanities and social sciences, including economics, political science, and history of criticism of literary works, drama, and film.
Citations and abstracts from periodicals in archaeology, art, classics, film, folklore, journalism, linguistics, music, the performing arts, philosophy, religion, world history, and world literature. From 1984 - present. Connect to Humanities Abstracts via Wilson Web
This database includes biographical information on authors and literary criticism of author works. The content for this database is taken from the authoritative critical sets published by the Thompson Gale Company, as well as literary journals. Also included is the Encyclopedia of Literature and a Literary-Historical Timeline. A complete list of sources is available.
JSTOR (short for Journal Storage) is an online archive of scholarly journals that have been digitally reproduced to provide access to the back file of each title. Some titles go back to the 19th century. JSTOR will not include the latest 2 -5 years of the journals for most titles, although some publishers of journals are now providing links to some recent content.
African American Primary Resources on the Web
A primary source is a first-hand account of an event. Primary sources may include newspaper articles, letters, diaries, interviews, laws, reports of government commissions, and many other types of documents. There are many online digital archives for primary resource research available on the web.
Literary Criticism Sources
Want to learn more about effective search strategies?
Here are some links that may help you become a more efficient and effective searcher...
library.humboldt.edu/infoservices/sstrawrksht.htm
www.isu.edu/library/help/boolean.htm
ucblibraries.colorado.edu/how/keywords.htm