Q. How do I find scholarly information about a short story?

First, it is important to know what "scholarly" means in this context. Oftentimes, your instructor will have the final say if something is scholarly enough. See these FAQ for more context and read on for recommendations! If looking for peer-reviewed articles, please see this FAQ instead. 

• Q. What are the differences between primary/secondary and scholarly/popular sources? 
• Q. How can I find scholarly journals?
• Q. How do I distinguish between scholarly and non-scholarly sources in my searches?

Our Discovery Catalog searches through a lot of our databases all at once and is found on our library homepage. It can be a good place to start to cast a wide net to see what is available about your short story. It will even find items the library doesn't own, but can possibly get via interlibrary loan (ILL) – though you can limit those results out after doing a search to items held by the TCC Library. ILL is a free service for TCC students and employees. Here is an FAQ that teaches you how to use the catalog.

After doing a search in Discovery, you can limit to the source type you are needing (articles, books, video, etc.) and even to specific dates. If searching for a peer-reviewed article, you can even limit to that!

For tips on how to search in our databases and catalog, we recommend this FAQ. 

You can find our literature databases on the Library's website under the Articles & Databases link.

1. Select By Subject in the drop down menu.
2. Find the listing of subject categories, and choose English & Literature.
3. Select a literature database to begin your research.

The library has a number of resources for scholarly information on a short story. A list of the best online and print resources has been compiled into an online Short Story Criticism guide including Short Story Criticism, Literature Criticism Online, and Short Stories for Students. 

To get to the guide from our website, follow the steps below to access:

1. Go to the library's website and select Research Guides 
2. Click on English & Literature from the left side of the page to see the list of research guides. 
3. Select the Short Story Criticism guide which lists a variety of resources to find scholarly information on short stories.

This video explains how to find literature criticism resources: