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Wellesley College Research Guides

ENG 210: History of the English Language

Prof. Whitaker

Welcome!

This guide provides some useful starting places and strategies for doing remote research for this course. I'm happy to consult with you on any aspect of your research, from developing a research question to finding, evaluating, and citing sources. Email me or make a calendar Zoom appointment

- Karen Storz, Research & Instruction Librarian

Because SuperSearch contains so much content from so many different kinds of sources, the results can sometimes be overwhelming and hard to focus. At the same time, SuperSearch is also not comprehensive and can miss key sources. To search with more focus, precision, and depth, be sure to use some of the databases recommended on this guide.

Key Databases

These databases contain a combination of full text (ready to read online) and citation information about articles, book chapters, and books.

Best Bets

Etymologies & Definitions

Additional Databases

Search Tips

  • use synonyms and truncation to find all the ways your topic is expressed--databases are very literal
  • combine multiple concepts using AND / OR for best results


sample topic:   Chaucer's construction of marriage

(Chaucer OR "Franklin's Tale" OR "Wife of Bath's Tale") - synonymous concepts

AND (marriage OR wyf* OR wife* OR housebonde OR husband OR [other specific examples]) - truncation