EN178 Introduction to Creative Writing (Braunstein): Library Guide

To identify databases focused on other subject areas, check our Research Guides page.

Databases are searchable collections of articles and other materials.

Scholarly, peer-reviewed journals are periodicals written by and for scholars. They are particularly important for formal, college-level research papers.

Magazines are periodicals aimed for public readership. Magazines with thoughtful, critical articles on culture, literature, places, people and the arts include the following titles:

Newspapers are designed to offer the most current information available. Older newspapers can be used to understand the attitudes and beliefs of a particular time.

For databases specializing in newspapers, check the Colby Libraries Newspaper Guide.

Database filters can make your search results more manageable and easier to compare. Limit by format, dates, publication or subject area.

Want to see if Colby has a subscription to a particular magazine or journal?  On the Colby Libraries home page click on the "Journals and Articles" tab.  

Once the orange bar has moved down, enter the publication's name in the search box.

Note that Colby also has arrangements with the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal that enable Colby students to have their own FREE digital subscriptions to those publications. Sign up HERE.

• In-Text Citations
• Works Cited Page
• Sample Works Cited Page

• Provide helpful overviews
• Help you identify search terms
• Allow topic exploration

For an extensive list of primary sources, see the Colby Libraries Primary Sources Guide

• Local Museums, Archives, Historical Societies
• Local College & University Special Collections
• Colby Libraries Newspaper Guide
• Government records  
  • “How do I research my house?” LOC
  • State Archives & Libraries
  • National Archives
  • United States Census Records (search name & state)
  • Community Census Data

Primary Source search terms to use on the web with your topic:

• "digital collections"
• "oral histories"
• diaries
• manuscripts

Primary Source Databases:

View from the Cliff, Ripogenus Falls, Maine (NYPL CC0 1.0) 

KEYWORD SEARCHES

• Experiment with different search combinations, using synonyms and related terms.
• Use an asterisk to stand in for multiple word endings: narrat* = narrate, narrates, narration, narrator 
• Use quotation marks to "glue together" a phrase: "stream of consciousness"
• Use AND between terms to narrow results to items containing both terms: sex* AND identity
• Using OR between items (within parenthesis) widens results: (freedom OR liberty)
• Combine terms to build search strings.

SUBJECT SEARCHES

Find an item of interest using a keyword search? Look at its item record to identify Subject Terms. These links group material  together by topic which can yield more precise results. Sample subject headings:

• Cities and Towns
• City Planning (state name)
• Dwellings (state name)
• Families
• Gentrification
• Massachusetts History
• Place Attachment
• Public Spaces

Note that searching a broad subject in CBBcat can lead to a further list of sub-divisions. These can be helpful in focusing your research.

CITATION TRAILS

Check the notes, references and bibliographies of every relevant article or book. You may discover more books and articles of interest.

Look for BOOK TITLES in CBBcat or MaineCat

Put ARTICLE TITLES in OneSearch or Google Scholar to get access to full-text. (Try just first part of title in quotes along with author's last name.)

Photo: The Look, Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

• OneSearch should only be used for very precise searches, such as:
• Finding an known article by searching its title
• Finding book reviews for a specific book
• Finding articles or book chapters on lesser-known people or narrow topics
• Use limiters!  E.g. journal articles, scholarly material, book chapters, book reviews
• It's usually NOT good for searching broad topics. Instead use CBBcat or recommended databases.

• Library Subject Guides
• English Subject Guide
• Search Strategy
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Evaluating Sources
• Library Tutorials

SEARCH our library catalog.

To focus on books, change the 2nd drop-down to Books & E-books.

Books in Miller, Olin or Bixler Library? Ask for directions at a library Service Desk.

Books at the Colby Storage Facility, Bates or Bowdoin? To order click
You will be notified by email when your request is available to pickup at the Miller Service Desk.

Not finding what you want in CBBcat?

Look on the CBBcat search result page for a link to MaineCat, which expands your search to other Maine libraries.

Books photo by Julochka (2014). Creative Commons license 2.0.

Don't use Google to find scholarly material - Use library databases or the library catalog.

Use Google with crafted searches to find digital primary sources at archives, museums and academic institutions; alternative voices; zines and community organizations.

Search precisely - Beware of common words or words that have multiple meanings. Specify as much as possible, but also explore alternative phrasing. Use the names of known, trusted people to get recommendations of reliable online sites and publications.  Add terms that focus on the type of material desired. Examples: "digital collections", zine, "literary journal", "literary magazine", "oral histories"

Use "Advanced Search" - On your Google search results page, click on Settings. Use supplied fields to carefully map choices. The "Site or Domain" field can be useful in limiting your results to government information (.gov) or items created at educational institutions (.edu). 

Evaluate Extremely Carefully! - Do separate searches of source creators, authors and publications. What are their values and motivations of site creators? Are they getting their information from reliable sources and interpreting evidence fairly and  intelligently? Who is the intended audience?

Know the Limitations of Web Searching - Most scholarly articles are either not found by search engines or are behind paywalls. Information is sorted and ranked according to commercial/consumer/popular considerations. Information is not vetted for accuracy or reliability.