Here are some great tips for better search results in databases. This usage works in most databases, but check the "Help" sections for supported search syntax.
Hamlet AND revenge searches for occurrences of both words within scope defined.
Hamlet OR "Titus Andronicus" searches for one or all, but both are not required.
revenge NOT Hamlet searches for occurrences of the word ‘revenge’ without use of the word ‘Hamlet.’
("Titus Andronicus" NOT Hamlet) AND revenge searches for occurrences of the phrase ‘Titus Andronicus’ without use of the word ‘Hamlet,’ then also requires the word ‘revenge.’
"All's Well That Ends Well" - using quotation marks around a title or proper name will search for the words as a phrase rather than as individual words.
art* searches for art, arts, artistic, artful, etc.
m?n searches for man and men.
Literature Online includes full text of literary works in English from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. It is the single most extensive and wide-ranging online collection of English and American literature. Resources included in this database are: Columbia Companion to the 20th Century American Short Story, Columbia Dictionary of Modern European Literature, Columbia Dictionary of Modern Literary and Cultural Criticism, Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature, Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms, Encyclopedia of African Literature, Encyclopedia of American Poetry: The Nineteenth Century, Encyclopedia of Latin American and Caribbean Literature, 1900-2003, Encyclopedia of Linguistics (2 vols.), Encyclopedia of the Novel, Handbook of African American Literature, New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, Oxford Companion to Irish Literature, Penguin Classics Introductions, Routledge Encyclopedia of Narrative Theory, Routledge Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English (2nd Edition), Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature
The World Shakespeare Bibliography Online provides annotated entries for all important books, articles, book reviews, dissertations, theatrical productions, reviews of productions, audiovisual materials, electronic media, and other scholarly and popular materials related to Shakespeare and published or produced from 1960 to the present. The scope is international, with coverage representing every country in North America, South America, and Europe and nearly every country in Asia, Africa, and Australasia.
The best way to stay current with the new research in the field of Shakespearean scholarship is to browse the available journals. Not only will you be able to stay up-to-date on the latest research, but it may stimulate your own thinking! In addition to Shakespeare Quarterly, there are a number of Shakespeare and drama oriented journals available.
