LibGuides: Shakespeare's England: Research Paper: Home

Plagiarism

Citations are important!

You must cite (give credit to) others whenever you use their words (quoting); or their information, interpretations, or ideas (paraphrase), even if you reword them entirely.
You can cite by using the words in your sentence (i.e. "According to...") or parenthetically (Smith 7).
Any source you cite in your essay must be listed in the Works Cited, and vise versa.
Quote when an author says something well or when you intend to closely discuss the specific language. Otherwise, paraphras[ing] will do.
You do not need to look at sources other than those listed as approved for this assignment.

*Courtesy of Dr. B.

Books Available on Library Cart

In addition to the books listed below, we have many books focusing on the topics you are researching. If you're having difficulty finding a book, let one of the library staff know and we'll help you out!

William Shakespeare: His World, His Work, His Influence by John F. Andrews (Editor)
Call Number: REF 822.3 SHA Vols. 1-3
ISBN: 9780684178516
Publication Date: 1985-06-01
Shakespeare for Students: Critical Interpretations of As You Like It...and Romeo & Juliet Vol.1 by Mark W. Scott, ed.
Call Number: 822.3 STU Vol.1
ISBN: 9780787601577 (0810382474)
Publication Date: 1992
Understanding Romeo and Juliet by Thomas E. Thrasher
Call Number: 822.3 THR
ISBN: 9781560067870
Publication Date: 2001-09-01
Reader's Encyclopedia of Shakespeare by Oscar Campbell (Editor); George Quinn (Editor)
ISBN: 9781567312577
Publication Date: 1998-06-01
Understanding Shakespeare's England by Jo McMurtry
ISBN: 9780208022486
Publication Date: 1989-09-01
The Shakespeare Handbook by Levi Fox (Editor)
ISBN: 9780816189052
Publication Date: 1987-10-01
Shakespeare's World and Work by John F. Andrews
ISBN: 9780684806297
Publication Date: 2001-03-08
Shakespeare's England by R. E. Pritchard (Editor)
ISBN: 9780750932110
Publication Date: 2003-04-01

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Types of Sources

Type of Source	Definition	Use this source when...
Primary	Written by someone who witnessed or experienced the event. These are contemporary accounts. Examples include letters, photographs, diaries, speeches, maps, tweets, emails, and texts.
Secondary	Explores, discusses, or analyzes information that originated elsewhere. Journal articles are great secondary sources.	Looking for a discussion of a previous event or published research.
Tertiary	These are sources that organize, list, or compile information. These can also be abstracts of other works. Many reference sources are tertiary sources.	Looking for background information or a list of resources to check out.
Reference	Provides general background and facts about a person, subject, etc. This is knowledge that is easy to come by and does not provide analysis.	Wanting to learn more about a topic. Think Wikipedia or Encyclopedia Britannica.
Scholarly	Peer-reviewed journal articles and academic books. Material that is written by experts in a field. Generally, scholarly material is research or an analysis of someone else's research.	Looking for a critical analysis of a work or expert analysis on a specific subject. Great for research papers.
Periodical	Material published in a series or periodically (e.g. newspapers, magazines, comics, etc.)	Looking for recent information or eye-witness accounts

CCNY Library Types of Sources page
Great resource for a deeper dive into the different types of sources.

Steps in the Research Process

Steps in the Research Process

Pick and develop your topic
Search for information using databases/search engines
Locate possible relevant sources
Evaluate these sources
Repeat steps 2-4 as needed
Write your paper/prepare your presentation/etc.
CITE your information

Tips:

Take notes on your search and which search terms you used (this helps you avoid repetition and saves you time)
Be thorough in your evaluation

Literature Online Resources

JSTOR This link opens in a new window
The go-to source for upper level Scholarly journals, primary sources, and now ebooks. Great for hard to find Science articles and journals!! (Grades 9-12).
Bloom's Literature This link opens in a new window
Bloom’s Literature is rich with relevant content on the core authors and works most studied in the high school curriculum. Students will find exactly what they need without having to wade through an uncurated search. Educators will appreciate the thoughtful organization and important curriculum tools to help with lesson plans, assignments, and independent study.
Great for Shakespeare research!
Literature (Gale-in-Context) This link opens in a new window
Gale In Context: Literature provides context for literary classics and diverse new texts by using a robust multimedia collection of videos, images, infographics, eBooks, and more.
Literary Reference Center This link opens in a new window
Combining information from major respected reference works, books, literary journals and original content from EBSCO, Literary Reference Center features an expansive collection of classic and contemporary full-text poems, short stories, and novels.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
A collection of ebooks on a variety of topics

Shakespeare Online

Gale - World History This link opens in a new window
Gale In Context: World History reaches back to the ancient world—and forward to today's headlines—to deliver a chronicle of the people, cultures, events, and societies that have formed the history of the human race. A range of topics such as Aztecs, the Industrial Revolution, the Silk Road, the Buddha, the Space Race, and more provide a wide perspective across the globe. Rare primary sources, reliable references, and multimedia content put this vast subject into context for students.
Modern World History Online This link opens in a new window
Modern World History offers a comprehensive look at world history from the mid-15th century to the present. Thousands of subject entries, biographies, images, videos and slideshows, maps and graphs, primary sources, and timelines combine to provide a detailed and comparative view of the people, places, events, and ideas that have defined modern world history.
History Reference Center (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Covering topics in U.S. and world history from the earliest civilizations through the 21st century, History Reference Center is a research database containing full-text journals, magazines, reference books and thousands of primary source documents.

Methods for Evaluating Resources

There is no shortage of methods for evaluating information out there. I've lost count of the number of acronyms used. Regardless of which you use, you'll want to make sure you evaluate information based on the following:

Authority - Who is the author? Are they qualified? Did the author post it? Can you contact them/find a record of them? Pay attention to the "About Us" page
Accuracy - Can you verify the information provided? Is the data cited? Can you confirm these findings with another source? Does the website/author have a history of posting misinformation? Can you find reviews?
Objectivity - I always ask "What are they selling?" What is the goal of the article/author? Are they trying to spark an emotion? Who benefits from this information?
Currency - Is the article recent? Has much changed on the topic since the article was published?
Coverage - Is this the best source for your topic? Does it answer your questions or appropriately cover the topic? Is there a better article out there? Don't use a source just to add a source; make sure you find one that is relevant.

Raider Research Portal

This single-search platform will search all of our databases at once. Additionally, it's linked to your Hun Google account, so you can save any articles you find or searches you perform.