The Literary Reference Center is database that will help you find critical analysis essays about pieces of literature, as well as articles about authors. It also contains information from more “pop culture” sources like magazines. Click here for more details on databases and general database search techniques.
Literary Reference Center should NOT require a password. If you try the link below and it asks for a State Library of Kansas library card number please stop by the OE library for help.
Searching in Literary Reference Center
I like the large number of sources in this database. I usually start with a broad search term (author name or title of work) and then narrow/limit my search results using the left sidebar menu.
Common source types to limit are (screenshot below):
- Literary criticism- essays about an author/pieces of work
- Reviews- summary and brief analysis of popular opinion
- Magazines- analysis, biographies, interviews, etc
- Plot summaries
- Reference books- like encyclopedia entries about author/works
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