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Strategies for Searching the
Modern Language Association Bibliography Database
(MLA)

How to Get Started with a Basic Search | Combining Concepts for More Focused Topics | Dates | Using Descriptors (Subject Searches) | How to Find References in Journals Held by the Library | How to Find English Language Only Materials | Author Uses of Literary Techniques | How to Search for Journal Articles Only (Publication Types) | Finding Interpretations of Works Using Specific Schools of Literary Criticism

Sample Basic Searches in MLA International Bibliography:

[name of work] and [theme, character, etc.]	Garcia-Marquez and Time
[last name of author] and [theme]	Faulkner and Narrative-technique
[concept A or concept B] and PT=article	Narrative-structure or Narrative-form and pt=journal-article
[concept A or concept B] and [SHC Journal] in SO	Reality or appearance and Shakespeare Quarterly in SO

 

Using Descriptors (DE) for Subject Searching

HOW DOES THE USE OF DESCRIPTORS AFFECT MY SEARCH?

Unless your search strategy specifies that a word be used as a subject label (i.e. a descriptor DE), the system will find your word indiscriminately anywhere in the database, resulting in many undesirable and unintelligible references. For optimum results, use in DE to qualify your search.The DE field lists the subject index terms that describe the contents of the document. You can search using individual terms or hyphenated, "bound" phrases. Use individual terms without hyphens to broaden your search. For example, the search "Literature in de"  retrieves all occurrences of the term in the DE field, such as "English-literature," "general-literature," "folk-literature," and "Canadian-literature." Search using hyphenated, "bound" phrases to focus your search. For example, the search Canadian-literature in de retrieves only records with that exact descriptor term. 

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Publication Types

WHY USE PUBLICATION TYPES TO FOCUS MY SEARCH?

Your assignments will most often require the use of critical journal articles or critical book-articles. Because the MLA Bibliography is a comprehensive index to journal-articles, books and book-articles, dissertations, reference books, etc. in all literatures and in all languages, finding the desired materials in only the desired formats requires restricting of searches to certain publication types - usually journal-article or book-article. The PT field lists the format in which the document appears. Publication types include book, book-article, book-collection, dissertation-abstract, and journal-article. You must use a hyphen when searching for multiword publication types. 

HOW TO LIMIT A SEARCH TO RETRIEVE ONLY JOURNAL ARTICLES OR ONLY BOOK ARTICLES

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Searching for Articles Within a Specific Journal Title (Source SO) Held by the Library

WHY USE SOURCE (SO) TO FOCUS MY SEARCH?

There will be occasions when it is desirable to find article references for journal titles available in the library.
Searching for references in a known journal title will save much time. You must already have the journal title which matches your work or author. The SO field lists the bibliographic citation for a document. It includes the source in which the document appears, journal acronym, place of publication, volume, publication year, and pagination. Note: a hyphen is not required when searching for multiword journal titles in the source field.

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How to Limit Searches by Language

WHY USE LANGUAGE (LA) TO FOCUS MY SEARCH?

Your search results may already (but not always) be in English for works of American literature and focusing by language will not be necessary.

Using "language" to focus a search will be most useful when searching for materials about works written in other languages-especially in European literature or World literature courses. See the examples below.

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How to Limit Searches by Date

WHY USE DATES TO LIMIT SEARCHES?

This is an advanced technique and you probably don't need to use it. There are times though, when serious scholars wish to focus on criticism of literary works written during a specific time period or determine what articles or books have recently been published about a topic. MLA displays search results by listing the most recent publications first.

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How to Search for Interpretations of Works Using Specific Schools of Literary Criticism

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Author Use of Specific Literary Techniques

WHY SEARCH FOR USE OF OF SPECIFIC LITERARY TECHNIQUES?

There will be occasions in which assignments will require an examination of an author's use of specific literary techniques in general or in a particular work.

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Combining Several Concepts for More Focused Topics

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