We found Bartleby through the library catalog, but it didn’t automatically pull up the
article we were searching for. So, how did I find an article within this database of
volumes of reference books?
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Bartleby is a database composed of multiple reference, verse, fiction, and nonfiction
books. It is an immense collection. Searching through every volume might be a
tumultuous task if you had to pull the books off the shelf. This is a fairly easy task,
once you get the hang of it. Every page has the tabs at the tops specified for your
specific task. It helps to know which tab you’d most likely find the information.
However, you can also search through the specific volumes. I chose Cambridge
History because I would like to find historical information on Shakespeare.
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I chose the first hit to get a feel for the encyclopedia and it’s structure. And also
because of the description it gives. Key words in the description include “drama to
1642”, “Shakespeare” and “General commentaries”. It seems logical that this link
may lead to information I could use about Shakespeare’s writings.
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You can also find the same material by looking under Contents and Choosing “Index
to Chapters”. In fact, that might be easier once you are familiar with Bartleby.com
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This brings up the index to Volume V, by chapter. “Evolution of Tragedy and Comedy”
caught my eye, so I chose it.
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When you read this particular paragraph, or part of the book alone, it makes very
little sense. However, it’s a transitional note for the next section of the book,
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Like I said, it made very little sense. So, I’ll try again.
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Since that portion of the resource did not give me the needed information, I chose
“Index of all chapters”.
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After scrolling through the chapters, I found the section that lists Part V. The Drama to
1642. Part 1 which houses information on writings during the time period that I might
be looking for. And that leads to another index of information.
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I start at the beginning with “Character of our knowledge about Shakespeare”. I don’t
read the entire excerpt, but I do scan it briefly for information I can use. Then I go to
the next section and do the same thing. Scan for keywords and concepts that contain
the information I’m looking for. Then upon finding those keywords that might be
useful, read more carefully, backing up to the point that helps it all to make sense,
and making notes that I can use in my paper.
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Here’s a screenshot.
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As I scan through the article, I again look for keywords and concepts that might
answer my research questions. The concepts I find interesting include “generally
accepted as the most probable” and “avoiding altogether mere guesswork”.
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What would stand out in this paragraph that might be useful to your research? Write
the information on your notecard. Make sure you have a bibliography card for this
source.
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Keep going back to the chapter index to find reliable information for your research
project. Use your skills at researching online databases to further enhance your
knowledge of these fantastic compilations of information.
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