ENGL 1102 Harrison: Literature in Context: MLA Bibliography Tips

You can find great material using the MLA International database, especially if you search periodicals and books separately.

How to search for critical essays in periodicals:

• Start off with a very basic search of the author's last name and title keywords, e.g. "Lee AND Mockingbird".
• Limit Publication Type to Journal Article. Your search will look like this.
• MLA is not a full text database, but it will link to full text articles in other databases. So, limiting searches to full text may mean missing some gems.
• Find It buttons indicate that the article is not available in any of our EBSCOhost databases. 
• Tracking down articles may include searching other databases like JSTOR, searching journal titles in GIL to see if we have microfilm copies, or searching other library catalogs.
• Ask a librarian if you need help.

You can find great material using the MLA International database, especially if you search periodicals and books separately.

How to search for critical essays within books:

• Start off with a very basic search of the author's last name and keywords of title, e.g. "Lee AND Mockingbird"
• Limit Publication Type to Book Article/Chapter.
• Don't check the Full Text box. You are looking for essays in books which are generally not going to be available full text.
• The titles of your results will be the chapter title, not the title of the book.
• Look for the book title listed after "In" which will be followed by the book's author(s) or editor(s), then the book title.
• Copy the book title.
• Open another browser window or tab and go to the Exact Search screen in GIL.
• Paste the book title into the search box and click Go.
• If the book is not available at GSU, try an Exact Search in the GIL Universal Catalog.