ENG520:Introduction to Graduate Studies in English
(Milton's Paradise Lost)
Library Catalogs
OU Library Catalog--people can be searched as authors or as subjects. Works of literature can also be subjects--always preceded by the author's name.
World Cat--union catalog of libraries worldwide
MelCat--union catalog of many Michigan libraries; 1st stop to interloan books. When you search for a book in the Library Catalog and find that OU does NOT own it, a link to MelCat automatically appears.
Subject headings, a sampling
Milton, John, 1608-1674
English Poetry 17th century
English Literature 17th century
Great Britain Intellectual Life 17th century
England Civilization 17th century
England Intellectual Life 17th century
Great Britain History Charles I 1625-1649
Great Britain History Civil War 1642-1649
Great Britain History Commonwealth and Protectorate, 1649-1660
Great Britain History 1660-1714
Databases & E-Journal Collections
MLA Bibliography--the standard index for literature. Coverage begins in 1926 with earlier coverage for all JSTOR "language and literature titles." Includes citations to journal articles, books, chapters, and dissertations. 1. Limit to "journal articles only" now works--gets both peer-reviewed articles and those that are not peer reviewed!! 2. Do NOT search Paradise Lost as a "descriptor"--works of literature were not always considered as descriptors/subjects in MLA.
Year's Work in English Studies--Online from 1996. Bibliographic essays citing important titles published in a given year. Each vol. has a chapter on "Milton and Poetry."
JSTOR--Online collection of many scholarly journals from volume 1 until 2 to 5 years ago. Full text of articles is searchable, but there are no descriptors/subjects. JSTOR at this time does NOT include two very important Milton periodicals, Milton Quarterly and Milton Studies.
ProjectMuse--online collection of many university press journals from current issues back 5 to 10 years. Full text of articles is searchable--and there are also descriptors/subjects! However, only 3 years of Milton Quarterly are included and no volumes of Milton Studies.
Google Scholar--Not the greatest place to search for materials initially. However, it is a good place to check for full text of some items--chapters in books, the occasional article in Milton Studies, etc.
Cambridge Companions Online--includes volumes on many literary authors including the Cambridge Companion to Milton.
Reference Titles
Oxford English Dictionary--Now available online. The OED is a historical dictionary of English, covering the language from the earliest times to the present day and showing the development of meanings through time.
Dictionary of Literary Biography: Now available online. Volume with 20+ page section on Milton is Seventeenth-Century British Nondramatic Poets, Third Series (Ref. PR 541 .S49 1993).
A Milton Encyclopedia Ref. PR 3580 .M5 Published in 1975, but it still may be a good starting point for ideas.
The Essential Milton: An Annotated Bibliography of Major Modern Studies Old, but it does include paragraph long abstracts/annotations of the works it lists. Includes lengthy section on works about Paradise Lost. Also includes good subject index.
Ref. PR 3581 .A1K57 1989 .
Paradise Lost: A Concordance Ref. PR 3562. H8 1970
Two online titles for "quick reference" on literary topics:
The Cambridge Guide to Literature In English
The Bloomsbury Dictionary of English Literature
--Both of these titles come from Credo Reference which can be searched as a whole (i.e., all titles simultaneously).
Major Milton Journal/Annual
Milton Quarterly
online from 1997 to the present
in print on 4th floor, 1991-2005: PR 3579 .M48
Milton Studies
no online at OU except for random articles via Google Scholar
in print on 3d floor, 1969 to present [volumes can be checked out, v. 40 is missing but will be replaced soon], PR 3579 .M5
Contact Information
Library Instructor: Millie Merz, 241 KL, 248-370-2457, merz@oakland.edu
Course Instructor: Kevin Laam
Web Sites
Voice of the Shuttle: Web Site for Humanities Research (UC Santa Barbara). Section on Renaissance & 17th Century has links to many Milton sites Simply scroll down to section on "Authors and Works."
Keeping Up With Your Sources: How to use RefWorks
- RefWorks - a reference management tool that allows you to create a personal database of references and automatically generate formatted bibliographies for your projects.
Step 1 —Log in to RefWorks. (If you do not have an account, first create one. Be sure that you give your OU e-mail account when you register.)
Step 2 —Export records from the MLA Bibliography. Instructions for exporting.
Step 3 —Create folder/folders for your bibliographic records. (View “Organizing your references” tutorial.)
Step 4 —Put your imported references into appropriate folders. A reference can be placed in more than one folder.
Step 5 —Export references from other sources—the Library Catalog [directions are for Firefox], JSTOR, and ProjectMuse (links take you to instructions).
Step 6 —Add references manually. Sometimes you have references that you find in books and bibliographies that you need to add “by hand.”
Step 7 —Share folders. You can share folders with your fellow students, with your professor, or with anyone. Be sure to click on “Allow users to post comments on references” when you share a folder with your instructor.
Step 8 —Save a folder shared with you to your own RefWorks account. This involves “exporting” the shared folder to your RefWorks.
Step 9 —Create a bibliography from your references.
Potential Problems
1.Pop-ups. You may have to change your pop-up settings--in Google or Yahoo toolbar, in browser settings, and/or your internet security software (e.g., Norton).
2. You may get a screen indicating that "there is a problem with this website's security certificate." Click on "continue to this website."
3. When exporting a shared folder to your RefWorks from off campus, you will need to use the access code for OU (RWOakUniv) and log into RefWorks.
Other Info
Does the library have access to a journal online? Easiest way to find out is to check the "E-Journals A to Z " from the library's "Find Articles" page.
Where do you find lists of databases and other online resources available at OU? The easiest way to find these is to check "Databases by Subject" or "Databases A to Z" from the "Find Articles" page.
MLA 2009 Formatting and Style Guide, from OWL, the writing center at Purdue University--The web site reflects the 7th edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
Get It
When you are using the library's databases, be sure to click on the blue 
link when the article you want does not have a full text link in the database. will then take you to the article from another source or take you library catalog record for print holdings or take you to a form to request a copy of the article via interlibrary loan (Illiad).
Oakland University, Kresge Library
2200 N Squirrel Rd., Rochester, MI 48309
(248) 370 - 4426