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EN1257: Introduction to African American Literature and Culture

Recommended Databases for Literature Research

To find scholarly journal articles about literature, try searching in these databases:

Examples of Peer-Reviewed Journals for Literature

You can find additional journals in Browzine.

Only Finding a Citation? Get the Full Text

If you find an abstract for an article but no full text, look for the FullTextFinder () link to get options for obtaining the full text of the article. 

If the WPI Library does not have access to an article or book chapter that you need for your research, request it from another library via Interlibrary Loan (ILL). ILL is a service that allows current WPI students, faculty, and staff to request items from other libraries free of charge. 

Filter & Follow Up

  • Scan your search results: Look at the titles, abstracts, and subject headings/descriptors to find additional keywords to search for. Continue to refine your search terms as you find more sources. 
  • Scrutinize article titles, number of pages, and journal title: Is the article relevant to your research topic? Is it substantial in length and analysis? 
  • Peruse abstracts, introductions, and conclusions to get a sense of the article's argument before doing a more thorough reading. 
  • Find a helpful article? Look at the bibliography to find addition sources.
  • Find an interesting author? Search for more articles by that author.