Keywords are the words you type into a search box to search for information on your topic. The words you use to describe your topic may be different from the words used in library resources. For example, another way to describe stage craft might be set design or scenery.
​Before you search, try coming up with several ways to describe the topic. You might want to try some of the terms listed below as you experiment with different keywords for your topic. If you have trouble finding information on your topic, ask a librarian for help choosing successful keywords.
To find literary analyses of the a play or criticism of an author's work in general, try combing the keywords below with the name of the author and/or the title the play, such as Eugene O'Neill interpretation.
To find reviews or critiques of particular productions of a play, try combining some of the terms below with the title of the play, such as A Doll's House theatrical review.
To find information on the historical and social context of issues addressed in the plays, try some of the terms below:
Keep in mind that you might find literary criticism and theatrical reviews in different types of sources. For example, a literary journal might include a critical analysis of the text of a play, while a newspaper or magazine might include a review of a production of the play. See the Books and Articles pages of this guide for specific places to search.
The following video discusses different search strategies for finding information based on the type of information you need (from off campus you will need to log in using your Pipeline username and password):
To access the tutorials below from off campus, you will need to log in using your Pipeline username and password.
The following tutorial covers strategies for searching library resources effectively.
The following tutorial covers search tricks that can improve your search results in almost any library database.