This document provides an outline for a library session that will help students find critical sources for analyzing F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. The session will have students explore advanced database search techniques, discuss search results in groups, and identify scholarly articles with critical perspectives to analyze. Students will then practice searching in different databases and fill out a form for three quality sources they find.

1. Finding Critical Approaches to
Gatsby
Nicole Branch, Santa Clara University Library
ENGL 15
Image courtesy of Flickr user throgers.

2. Today we will…
• Explore sources for
critical analysis of the
Great Gatsby
• Practice advanced search
techniques
• Identify articles with
critical perspective and
analysis
Image courtesy of Flickr user Chris Lott.

3. Warm Up
• Turn to your neighbor and share:
• What cultural aspect of the Great Gatsby are you
interested in?

4. Group Exercise
• In your group
• Search for articles about the Great Gatsby in your assigned
database
• Discuss:
– What do you observe about the results?
– Are there any topic themes that you notice?
– How recent are the articles that first appear?
– What kinds of articles are appearing in the first results? (scholarly
articles? newspapers? other?)
• Report back:
– Each group will share observations

5. Identify a Database

6. Identify a Database

7. Identify a Database

8. Search
• Using the guide, select a database to begin
searching
• Try more than one database
• Practice advanced search options
• Complete the form for three good sources

9. Questions?
Nicole Branch
Instruction Librarian
nbranch@scu.edu