ENG 102 - Drama Research Guide

4. Find Literature Criticism

Once you've narrowed your topic and thought about keywords, try searching the databases below for literary criticism.

Basic Search: a good first search is just the name of the play in quotation marks, followed by the word 'and' and the author's last name.

"Death of a Salesman" and Miller

This general search will show you everything we have on a certain play (sometimes there is more than others). If there are only 5 articles, you can browse through them. If there are 100, you may want to narrow your search a bit by using keywords from your topic.

Narrowed Search: "Death of a Salesman" and Miller and Relationships [Remember to search many times with different keywords!]

Remember, though, not to count on keywords too much. If your keywords aren't working, ask a librarian for help!

Literary Databases / Articles

These first 3 databases are the best place to start when looking for literary criticism. 

After searching the first 3 databases above, if you'd like additional resources to search for information about your play, try these resources.

All Literature Databases

Historical Sources

If you are looking for sources focused on the historical context of your literary work, try the below database:

Watch the Play

Below are streaming video databases that have numerous plays in them. Search each one or ask a librarian to figure out which one might contain your play.

Search for Books & eBooks

Use the search box below to search the SCC Library Catalog for physical books (in one of our library locations) and eBooks. You can also open the Library Catalog or use the Advanced Search for more search options.