Skip to Main Content

European Literature and Composition: Research Tips

Search Across Most Library Databases

The Meadows School Search

Advanced Search

 

 

*Off campus access requires "Meadows Discovery Search" username and password found in our Google document, "2024-25 Off Campus Database Passwords." Searches will include search results from EBSCO's database, MEDLINE Complete if relevant.

Search Terms

Make a list of search terms you can use to conduct your databases searches. 

Example: 

"What it means to be a hero changes depending on one's time and place. Nowhere is this more evident than in The Iliad, Beowulf, and Frankenstein; from Achilles and Beowulf, the epitomes of Greek and Christian cultural values, respectively, to Frankenstein, a Byronic anti-hero, each hero is influenced by the cultural values that surround him. In what ways does historical circumstance influence the traits that heroes are given in certain time periods? Are there overlaps despite time periods, and if so, what does that imply about humanity?"

Search Term Examples: (Your list will be longer)

Hero* which will search any term beginning with hero like heroism, heroine, heroic, hero, etc.

Hero and Iliad

Hero and Beowulf or Frankenstein or Iliad

Hero and Frankenstein 

"cultural values" and Frankenstein

Subject Headings/Terms

Subject Terms or Headings: 

Subject Terms or Headings provide you with controlled vocabulary used by a particular database. This can help you start your search and then narrow using the databases' vocabulary if you are having difficulty with your keyword searches.

Filters

Filters help you narrow your search. 

Source Type:

This will help you narrow if you forgot to select "peer reviewed" in your search. You can select Academic Journals, Books, and Biographies to narrow your search and remove results from book reviews, news periodicals, magazines, and trade publications. 

Content Provider:

Many of you are familiar with JStor (Links to JStor directly) but you may not be familiar with our other databases. To narrow your search results select Academic Search Complete, Gale Literature Resource Center, and Academic Search Main Edition.