Search Advice English Language and Literature: Case Study: Pride and Prejudice

You are writing a paper on the film and television adaptations of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. You want to know if and how the representations of the female characters in these adaptations differ from the original novel.

1) You may have online access to streaming services such as Netflix or NPO.
2) Use WorldCat to search the University Library's own collection of DVD's which have been collected for research, including the collections of other libraries.*
3) Don't forget the public library!

*possibility of an inter-library loan if we do not have it in Utrecht.

What are you looking for?

• Background information (e.g. which film and television versions are available, an introduction to the theory of book adaptation)
• Studies (books/articles) related to your subject, e.g.:
  • Female characters/women in the novel Pride and Prejudice
  • Female characters/women in the film and television adaptations
  • Film and television adaptations compared to the novel (general)
  • ... etc.

Where are you looking?

• Internet (background information)
• Library catalogue (an introduction to film/television/book adaptation theory, books on Pride and Prejudice)
• Bibliography of a particular field (e.g. an article on gender aspects in the novel or film)
  • Field of English
  • Field of Film Science
  • Field of Gender Studies

How do you search?

• Translate what you're looking for into words that you can use for searching
• What terminology is used? For example, in the MLA International Bibliography you can use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), truncation and wild cards (#,?,!), and other means of refining or expanding your search to find relevant resources (click the 'Help' button on the upper right-hand side of MLA's main search page for a full explanation of these tips and tricks)
  • Film adaptation = (Film) adaptation, novel AND film, television
  • Female character representation = wom?n, femin*, gender, etc.