Advanced Shakespeare: ENG 3221

Journal articles -- also known as "scholarly articles," "peer-reviewed articles," or "academic articles" -- are sources that are written and reviewed by scholars; this means the information is approved by other experts before publication.

When and Why You Should Use Journal Articles:

• You need information that is based on research and expertise
• You need in-depth analysis of a topic or a single case study explored in-depth
• You need recent scholarly conversations about a topic
• You need suggestions for additional sources (tip: look in the bibliography)
• You need sources that are peer-reviewed

Remember: Journal articles can sometimes feel dense or intense. Look for visual cues (headings, sections, bullets, charts/graphs) within articles to help guide you to relevant information. Need help? Check out this Anatomy of a Scholarly Article tutorial.

Looking for articles related to Shakespeare and/or productions of his plays?  Try using the sources below.

When choosing scholarly articles, consider some of the following:

• Read the abstract, if it has one

• Skim the introduction and conclusion, or if they are not marked off by headings, skim the first six or seven paragraphs and the last four or five

• Skim for section headings, and read the first and last paragraph of those sections

• Check the bibliography for titles relevant to your topic

Choosing Keywords

Putting Together Your Search Terms

Narrowing or Broadening Your Search

Can't Locate Your Article Online?

• Use the  link found in the Library Search or the button available from most other databases to locate the entire article online.
• If your article is not available in print or via another research database, request it via ILLiad (interlibrary loan).