Research Guides: ENGL &amp; CWL Advanced Searching: Research Help

Handouts & Videos

Handouts

Steps to Research Handout - (Dr. P.'s Handout) - includes Google Scholar The 8 Steps to using the CSULB library and Google Scholar.
Steps to Research - Brief (2pp) An abbreviate version of my longer handout.
Steps to Research Handout - ADA PDF
Steps to Research Handout - ADA Word Doc
Find a Book on a Shelf - Handout A printable handout that explains the process of finding a book in the library stacks (bookshelves).

Videos

Steps to Research Videos by Dr. P. A series of videos that explain the Steps to Research Handout and other research & library support.
All Library Tutorial Videos Dr. P.'s videos plus all the other videos created by CSULB librarians that are specific to your majors.

Videos + Tutorials & Assessment

Tutorials & Assessment for Steps to Research Videos These are Dr. P.'s videos with tutorials and assessment.

Supplemental Handouts

EEB Collections Description Early European Books (EEB), via ProQuest database services, is a great place to search along with Early English Books Online (EEBO). Learn more about the EEB Collections CSULB has access to, Collections: 1, 2, 6, 10, 13. Then search Early European Books via the CSULB A-Z Database list under E.
Identifying Types of Sources A brief guide to identifying primary and secondary sources.
What Is a Scholarly Article? Brief explanation of scholarly articles and the peer-review process.
How to choose good editions for your literature classes Are you unsure which edition of a book to buy for a literature class? In this video a literature professor explains the differences between good and bad editions and help you make better choices when searching for literary works.

Access the Library

1. Chrome is the preferred browser for our Library website.

2. Sign-In to MYCSULB:

csulb.edu > Students > Single Sign-On (SSO) > Library Button

Library Spaces -- A Video Overview A short video about the library's spaces and what they offer you.

Streaming

Drama Online Drama Online includes full text plays from both established and new authors along with scholarly analyses and audio and video content. Collections include: The National Theatre Collection, BBC Drama Films & Documentaries, The Hollow Crown and Critical Studies and Performance Practice. Updated annually.
Digital Theatre+ Access to 1000+ full-length theatre productions and educational resources. Contributions from 50 world-class theatre companies, industry associations, practitioners, teachers, examination boards and scholars.
Be sure to update your browser to use Digital Theater
BBC Shakespeare Film Collection Featuring some of Britain's most distinguished theatrical talent these films are an ideal choice for literature classes and for continuing personal enjoyment.
Audio Drama: The L.A. Theatre Works Collection Plays are chosen for literary significance as well as their ability to examine complicated moral and ethical issues. Can be used for research and instruction on issues and hot topics in the humanities, social sciences, theatre, hard sciences, law, medicine and other fields of study.
Kanopy Streaming Videos Streaming video service with more than 26,000 films including titles from PBS, BBC, Criterion Collection, Media Education Foundation and more.
Swank Streaming over 100 major motion pictures that are the most-requested feature films for curriculum support. Students, faculty and staff are able to stream the movies and faculty may link the movies in Canvas and/or show during class.
Films on Demand More than 20,000 streaming films in 24 subject areas from major producers, including ABC News, BBC, Frontline, National Geographic, NBC News, NOVA, and PBS.

To see all options for streaming media, check out my video Accessing eMaterials and go to TimeStamp 11:18.

Endowed Literature Collections

The CSULB English Department has endowed and donated collections specifically focused on works and studies of Literatures in English.

Check them out!

Beth Lau Endowed Collection - dedicated to materials for the study of English Literature

Mary Purcell Endowed Collection - dedicated to Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-century English Literature

David N. and Marilee Samuelson Endowed Collection - dedicated to Science Fiction and Fantasy genres

Arnold T. Schwab Endowed Collection - dedicated to LGBTQIA+ materials

Still Meyer Rare Book Memorial Endowed Collection - dedicated to Rare Materials

Masback Science Fiction & Fantasy Collection - dedicated to Science Fiction and Fantasy genres

Crawford Family's Coleridge Collection - Dedicated to works by and related to the study of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Critic's Choice Collection - the latest Critic's Choice Award Winners

Banned & Challenged Books Available at CSULB - Books that have been on Banned and Challenged Lists. CSULB University Library collects materials that have LGBTQIA+ content and content that features discussion of political topics like race and society. These items are at times listed as Banned Books in other parts of California and the US.

Literature - All Types

MLA International Bibliography Citations to scholarly works on literatures, languages, linguistics, folklore, literary theory, dramatic arts, and printing history since the 5th century CE. Also includes rhetoric and teaching practices. Covers 1926 to present, updated ten times yearly.
Academic Search Complete Comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full text database with more than 5,300 full text periodicals, including 4,400 peer-reviewed journals. Offers indexing and abstracts for more than 9,300 journals and a total of 10,900 publications including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc.
JSTOR Archive of scholarly journals cover to cover. Interdisciplinary coverage of journals back to the first issue through to the last few years. Also includes over 2 million images originally from Artstor.
Project MUSE Provides the full-text electronic versions of more than 200 scholarly journals. Updated monthly.
Gale Literature Criticism Includes diverse literary criticisms: Contemporary, Twentieth and Nineteenth Century, from 1400-1800, Classical & Medieval, Shakespearean, and Drama Criticism, encompassing a wide range of periods and styles.
Underground and Independent Comics, Comix, and Graphic Novels Underground and Independent Comics is the first scholarly collection for adult comics and graphic novels. It spans pre-Comics Code works to modern global releases, covering the full range of this art form.
Oxford Bibliographies Authoritative guides to current scholarship in Atlantic History, Latin American Studies and Education. Bibliographies contain original commentary and annotations.
Oxford Academic Journals Oxford Journals Online consists of almost 200 selected online journals from arts, social science, scientific, technical, medical, professional, and humanities disciplines.Coverage: 1996 to date.Updated continuously.

JSTOR - Daily JSTOR - Daily connects daily news with academic articles here. Cut and paste titles of articles you need access to into OneSearch or search JSTOR directly through our Databases A-Z list under "J."

Ethnicity, Women, Gender, Disability

Africa Bib An index to articles on Africa covering geography, history and anthropology to agriculture, women's studies, medicine and health. Majority of journals indexed are published in Africa.
African Diaspora: 1860-Present Discover the world history, culture, and migration of people of African descent with a focus on communities in the Caribbean, Brazil, India, United Kingdom, and France. Includes primary source documents, personal papers, journals, newsletters, and court documents.
America: History and Life Provides 60 years of recent U.S. and Canadian historical and cultural scholarship in thousands of scholarly journals, books, review articles, & Ph.D. dissertations. Topics range from prehistoric times to the present.
American Indian Experience The American Indian Experience contains over 150 full-text titles, primary documents and images documenting the American Indian experience. The database includes treaties, speeches, captivity narratives, maps, photographs, traditional tales and access to vetted Web sites.
Anthropology Plus Worldwide coverage of the fields of social, cultural, physical, biological and linguistic anthropology, ethnology, archaeology, folklore, material culture, and related interdisciplinary studies.Coverage: 1880 to present.Allows up to 5 simultaneous users. 
AnthroSource Full-text archive and indexing of all American Anthropological Association (AAA) published journals, newsletters, and bulletins.
Archives of Sexuality and Gender The full-text documents in the Archives of Human Sexuality and Identity: LGBTQ History and Culture include material drawn from hundreds of institutions and organizations, including both major international activist organizations and local, grassroots groups since 1940. They present important aspects of LGBTQ life in the second half of the twentieth century.
Black Abolitionist Papers Primary source of individual and community activism within the Black abolitionist community. Covering the period 1830-1865, the collection presents the massive, international impact of African American activism against slavery, in the writings and publications of the activists themselves.
Black Studies Center The Black Studies Center provides access to original articles, scholarly essays, timelines, images, and film clips, in addition to full-text access to The Chicago Defender, 1910-1975. Coverage: 1910 to date. Updated: monthly.
Chicano Database Over 42,000 bibliographic citations on the Chicano and Latino experience in the United States. All subject areas, includes books, Chicano journals, mainstream journals, anthologies of all types, and other forms of publication. 1965 to present.
Disability in the Modern World Not only for teaching and research in the growing disciplines of disability history and disability studies, but also in history, media, the arts, political science, education, and other areas where the contributions of the disability community are typically overlooked.
ERIC (via EBSCO) Education Resource Information Center, Find information about education, including journal articles, teaching guides, dissertations and theses, and books dating back to 1966.
Ethnic NewsWatch, 1959-present Newspaper and periodical articles written by and about various ethnic groups in the United States including Latinos/Hispanic, African/Caribbean, Jewish, Middle Eastern, Native American, Eastern European, and Asian American.Coverage: 1959 to date. Updated monthly.

Ethnicity & Social Justice Resources In solidarity with the anti-racism #scholarstrike September 8 and 9, 2020, we have created this Research Guide. Black Lives Matter and Anti-Racism Resources and Research highlights NEW Library resources that support scholarship and learning in these areas. In addition, we have listed other excellent resources that will be useful to all researchers.

GenderWatch 40,000 full text articles from more than 100 international journals, books, magazines and newsletters, plus unpublished papers and conference proceedings and nearly 1,000 special reports devoted to gender and women's issues. Includes articles from the Ethnic NewsWatch database on ethnic and minority women and women of color. Coverage: 1978 to present.Allows up to 2 simultaneous users.
Handbook of Latin American Studies Online A bibliography on Latin America consisting of works selected and annotated by scholars and edited by the Library of Congress. It covers the social sciences and the humanities dating back to 1936 and includes books, journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers. It is an essential research guide for Latin Americanists.
Handbook of Latin American Studies Online A bibliography on Latin America consisting of works selected and annotated by scholars and edited by the Library of Congress. It covers the social sciences and the humanities dating back to 1936 and includes books, journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers. It is an essential research guide for Latin Americanists.
Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980 Hundreds of Spanish-language newspaper articles from 1808 to 1980, with some articles also appearing in English.
Hispanic American Periodicals Index (HAPI) The Hispanic American Periodicals Index (HAPI) is your source for journal article citations about Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Brazil, and Hispanics/Latinos in the United States. HAPI currently provides over many links to the full-text of articles appearing in more than 600 key social science and humanities journals published throughout the world.
Historical Abstracts Indexes the last 60 years of “modern history” (historical scope, post 1450 to date) and covers over 2000 scholarly journals, books, and Ph.D. dissertations . Does not cover the U.S. and Canada (use America History & Life)
Humanities and Social Sciences Index Retrospective, 1907-1984 Indexes over 1200 scholarly journals, primarily in English published from 1907 – 1984. Book reviews are included. Some general subject science material covered as well. Useful for 20th century history & politics.
Latin America in Video Original-language documentaries from some of the most important producers and independent filmmakers in Latin America. The videos were produced in Latin America, by Latin Americans, about Latin American issues, such as human rights, violence, immigration, illiteracy, popular culture, and political history. The first of its kind, the collection’s materials are presented in their original language with abstracts and indexing in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
Latino American Experience The Latino American Experience contains over 200 full-text titles from encyclopedias and biographies, primary documents in English and Spanish, and images documenting the Latino American experience. The database includes treaties, speeches, timelines, classroom lesson plans, and access to vetted websites.
Latino Literature Latino Literature contains approximately 380 plays and 67,500 pages of prose and poetry by Latino and Latina writers working in the United States.Covers Nineteenth century to the present, an archive it is not updated.
LGBT Magazine Archive Complete issues of 27 key titles, chronicling the history and evolution of LGBT history and culture, including civil rights, health, lifestyle, politics, art and more from local, national and international writers, editors, thinkers, organizers and activists. From 1950s to 2015.
LGBT Thought and Culture Rare archival content, including letters, court documents, periodicals, speeches, interviews and ephemera from local, national and international organizations, as well as notable individuals from around the world, to trace the history of LGBT political, social and cultural movements from the late 19th century to the present day.
Queer Pasts Primary source exhibits of queer history and culture. Uses “queer” in its broadest and most inclusive sense to embrace topics that are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender and also include work on sexual and gender formations that are queer but not necessarily LGBT. Each of the document collections include a critical introductory essay that helps explain the significance of the primary sources. 
Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts (LLBA) Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts (LLBA) abstracts and indexes the international literature in linguistics and related disciplines in the language sciences. The database covers all aspects of the study of language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. Complete coverage is given to various fields of linguistics including descriptive, historical, comparative, theoretical and geographical linguistics. The database provides abstracts of journal articles and citations to book reviews drawn from over 1,500 serials publications, and also provides abstracts of books, book chapters, and dissertations.
Nineteenth Century Collections Online: Women and Transnational Networks
The Gilded Age Primary documents and scholarly commentary about America between the end of the Civil War and the election of Theodore Rooseveltt. Includes rare materials, songs, letters, photographs, cartoons, government documents, and ephemera. Essays covering such themes as race, labor, immigration, commerce, western expansion, and women’s suffrage illuminate the cultural landscape of the time .
North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries and Oral Histories Provides a unique and personal view of what it meant to immigrate to America and Canada. ... Several thousand pages of Ellis Island Oral History interviews, indexed and searchable for the first time, are included, along with thousands of political cartoons.
North American Indian Drama Contains 256 plays by 49 playwrights representing the stories and creative energies of American Indian and First Nation playwrights of the twentieth century.
Slavery & Antislavery: A Transnational Archive This 4-part archive includes 5.4 million pages of history, including collections on the transatlantic slave trade, the global movement for the abolition of slavery, the legal, personal, and economic aspects of the slavery system, and the dynamics of emancipation in the U.S. as well as in Latin America, the Caribbean, and other regions.
SocINDEX Full Text Abstracts and links to articles in anthropology, criminal justice, ethnic & racial studies, gender studies, marriage & family, politics, psychology, religion, sociology, social work & many others. Articles back to 1940.
Sociological Abstracts Provides access to international literature in sociology and related disciplines in the social & behavioral sciences.Coverage: 1952 to date. Updated monthly.
Women and Social Movements Library Contains over 5,100 documents and 175,000 pages of full-text documents that focus on U.S. women’s history from 1600-2000. Includes documents related to the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, Woman Suffrage Movement, Civil Rights Movement, and others. Includes Women and Social Movements in the United States,1600-2000; Women and Social Movements, International - 1840 to Present; Women and Social Movements in Modern Empires Since 1820; and Women and Social Movements: Development and the Global South, 1919 - 2019
Women’s Studies Archive Global archive of primary sources on the social, political, and professional aspects of women's lives. Includes records from Planned Parenthood, the Malthusian League, the Women Pioneers and Women Missionaries collections, the Women’s Labor League and Trade Union League collections, and others.

Literature 1450 - 1900

19th Century US Newspapers Digital Archive Features publications of all kinds, from political party newspapers to major dailies papers published by African Americans, Native Americans, women's rights groups, labor groups, and the Confederacy.
America's Historical Imprints, 1639-1819 This is comprised of three component databases: all can be searched simultaneously.American Broadsides & Ephemera, 1760-1900. Provides fully searchable facsimile images of approximately 30,000 broadsides & ephemera.Early American Imprints: Series I, 1639-1800. Is a full text facsimile collection consisting of more than 37,000 books, pamphlets & broadsides.Early American Imprints: Series II, 1801-1819 provides full-text facsimile access to 36,000 American books, pamphlets & broadsides.
America's Historical Newspapers, 1690-1876 This offers fully searchable, facsimile reproductions of 650 historical American newspapers. Northern & “Old Northwest” newspapers are covered up until 1876. Southern newspaper coverage stops by the 1820s.
America: History and Life Provides 60 years of recent U.S. and Canadian historical and cultural scholarship in thousands of scholarly journals, books, review articles, & Ph.D. dissertations. Topics range from prehistoric times to the present.
BBC Shakespeare Film Collection Featuring some of Britain's most distinguished theatrical talent these films are an ideal choice for literature classes and for continuing personal enjoyment.
Brepolis Medieval Bibliographies Online Features two parts: 1) International Medieval Bibliography with 300,000+ citations of articles, chapters, and proceedings since 1967; 2) Bibliographie de Civilisation Médiévale, indexing books and reviews since 1957. Focuses on European and Mediterranean history from 300-1500 AD.
Colonial America: 1606-1822 Full text primary documents covering the period 1606-1822 from the British Colonial Office relating to North America, including the American Revolution.
Early European Books Offers digital access to pre-1701 European books and incunabula in high-resolution color. Includes materials from major libraries like Det Kongelige Bibliotek, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Welcome Library London and more.
EEBO Early English Books Online, 1473 -1700 A full text collection of over 100,000 facsimile e-books. Provides full text access to books in many subject areas, including: English literature, history, philosophy, linguistics, theology, music, fine arts, education, mathematics, and science.
Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO), 1700-1800 Access over 180,000 full-text 18th-century titles in various topics, including books, music, and pamphlets. Covers significant English and foreign-language works printed in the UK and thousands from the Americas.
Eighteenth Century Journals Features rare journals from 1685-1835, shedding light on 18th-century social, political, and literary life. Covers topics from colonial and rural affairs to the French and American revolutions, European literature, fashion reviews, and London coffee house discussions.
European Views of the Americas, 1493 to 1750 Covers works (books, pamphlets and broadsides) that relate to early America. Created by John Carter Brown Library (Brown University), it provides modern annotated descriptions to more than 32,000 titles related to the European exploration as early and views of Native Americans. This is not a full text database, but may contain citations to titles CSULB may have access to.
Historical Abstracts Indexes the last 60 years of “modern history” (historical scope, post 1450 to date) and covers over 2000 scholarly journals, books, and Ph.D. dissertations . Does not cover the U.S. and Canada (use America History & Life)
Historical Los Angeles Times Full text, facsimile content of the Los Angeles Times for 1881-1996. Includes complete articles, photographs, advertisements, classified ads, legal notices, comics, editorials, commentary, letters to the editor, sports, radio and television schedules. For more current content, see: Los Angeles Times (1985-current)
Historical New York Times Full text facsimile content of the New York Times from 1851 up until the previous three years. Includes all articles, reviews, commentary, literary criticism, comics, obituaries, classifieds, and display ads. More photographs may be viewable using the “full page PDF” viewing option.
Medieval Family Life Consisting of the Paston Family Papers, Medieval Family Life enables access to Britain’s first surviving records of private correspondence, describing everyday life in East Anglia during the Wars of the Roses.
Nineteenth Century Collections Online: Women and Transnational Networks
The Gilded Age
Primary documents and scholarly commentary about America between the end of the Civil War and the election of Theodore Rooseveltt. Includes rare materials, songs, letters, photographs, cartoons, government documents, and ephemera. Essays covering such themes as race, labor, immigration, commerce, western expansion, and women’s suffrage illuminate the cultural landscape of the time .
Oxford English Dictionary The OED is the authoritative dictionary on the English language; the online version contains the 20 volumes of the print version, with revisions. Updates quarterly.Allows up to 15 simultaneous users.
Oxford Reference Online More than 2 million entries from hundreds of cross-searchable Oxford encyclopedias and other reference books, many of which are illustrated.
Queen Victoria's Journals These diaries cover the period from Queen Victoria's childhood days to her Accession to the Throne, marriage to Prince Albert, and her Golden and Diamond Jubilees.
Royal Shakespeare Company Collection Provides high-definition recordings of Shakespeare's plays with top actors and directors, accompanied by teaching materials to support engagement and learning.
Shakespeare Survey Online Shakespeare Survey, publishing since 1948, offers a series of studies and production critiques on Shakespeare. Features prominent international scholarship and classic critical essays.
Works of Ben Jonson Online Provides Jonson's complete writings with contemporary editorial insights and scholarly interpretations. First digital edition to reveal his composition processes and editorial decisions behind the modernized texts.

Shakespeare Documented A resource from the Folger Shakespeare Library; part of the About page's description: "Shakespeare Documented is the largest and most authoritative collection of primary-source materials documenting the life of William Shakespeare (1564-1616), bringing together all known manuscript and print references to Shakespeare, his works, and additional references to his family, in his lifetime and shortly thereafter. Nearly 500 references . . . from nearly 400 documents"
Dante Gabriel Rossetti: a hypermedia archive From the website: The Rossetti Archive facilitates the scholarly study of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the painter, designer, writer, and translator who was, according to both John Ruskin and Walter Pater, the most important and original artistic force in the second half of the nineteenth century in Great Britain. In Whistler's famous comment, “He was a king”.
Early Modern Books at Michigan State U Library Early Modern books on display at Michigan State University - curated by Librarian Agnes Haigh Widder, Humanities Bibliographer, A.M.L.S., M.A., Michigan State University Libraries.
Luminarium From the Editor, "This site combines several sites first created in 1996 to provide a starting point for students and enthusiasts of English Literature." Links to texts and information about Medieval, Renaissance, 17th Cent. & 18th Cent literature.
Poetry Foundation / Poetry Magazine
Romanticism on the Net From the About Page: "Romanticism on the Net (RoN) is an international, open access journal devoted to British Romantic literature."
Unseen Hands: Women Printers Binders and Book Designers An online, free exhibition from Princeton University that looks at how 'women have been involved in printing and the making of books ever since these crafts were first developed."
The Index of Medieval Art

Google Quick Tips

Google Search Tips - Site & File Searches YouTube video with easy tips to search Google and Google Scholar, looking specifically at searching with different kinds of sites and find particular file types, like PDFs.

Google & Google Scholar

Quick Tips

Want results that are only pdf files? Add to your search: filetype:pdf
Want only .gov websites? Add to your search: site:.gov
Want only .edu websites? Similar tip: site:.edu
Want to search within a website? Add the website to your search: site:usa.gov

Plagiarism & Fair Use

Library Instruction Survey

Library Lecture Assessment Spring 2025

ENGL & CWL Advanced Searching

Contact Alexis (Dr. P.)