A great place to start your search is the shelves of Long Library! We have a collection of short stories that you can check out whenever you like.
SEARCH TIP: When you're using the catalog, try searching the name of your author and another keyword like "collected works," "complete works," "selected works," "criticism," or "bibliography." This will focus your results and narrow down your search to what is actually helpful for your research.
Try some on the ground browsing! Literature books will be in the 800s for the most part, located on the library's second floor next to the Advising Office.
If you're looking for more information about the authors you're researching, try some of these databases:
SEARCH TIP: Look at the "Related Sources" or "Further Reading" sections for ideas of where to find sources for your project.
You can also find information about your author in the library catalog.
SEARCH TIP: Search your author's name and "biography."
Finding scholarly sources is an important part of this project. You can use the databases listed below to start your search:
SEARCH TIP: Because you're looking for sources both BY your author and ABOUT your author, you can choose to search your author's name as either an "Author/Creator" or a "Subject." This is the case with all of the databases listed here, so take advantage of the chance to narrow down your results and save yourself time.
Are you worried about how long it's going to take you to read through all of the sources you've just found? Fear not! Follow some of these tips to help you save time--work smarter, not harder!
Before you decide whether a book is going to be useful or not, take a look at the table of contents to see what topics the author covers. You can also search the index in the back of the book for topics that are important for your research.
If you find a source that looks like it might be helpful, go to the end of the book or article and check what sources that author used. Look at the "References," "Works Cited," "Bibliography," or whatever else the list of sources is called and see what you can use for your own research.
If you're really pressed for time, you can get a really quick idea of what a book or article is about by reading the introduction and conclusion. The introduction can set up what the author wants to argue, and the conclusion tells us what the author argued in the book and what that argument means more broadly.
Found the perfect book but Long Library doesn't own a copy? You can request it for FREE through Interlibrary Loan! Simply search the title using our Discovery Service and you might see the screen below.
Sign in using your Wells credentials and then click "Resource Sharing." You'll see a brief form but all you have to do is confirm that the correct email is listed and then click "Send Request."
If you're not having any luck with sources in the library, try a Google Scholar search using your author's name and "short stories" or "criticism" or "bibliography."
SEARCH TIP: However, it is important to be cautious about using online sources in your academic research. Be sure to check that your information is coming from an authoritative source that you trust.
Read more here.
Click on the image for additional research assistance.
If you wish to contact a librarian at Long Library:
315-364-3351
Worried about losing your sources? Trying to keep everything organized?
Try downloading either of there digital tools to help you keep track of your sources, stay organized, and even generate citations at the end of your project:
Downloading Zotero gives you a simple way to store your sources and generate citations.
PowerNotes can help you organize your sources into outlines and track your research throughout the process.
Just in case you need a refresher on your upcoming assignment, here is some guidance from Purdue OWL on how to write an annotated bibliography:
