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English

What is English?

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"The English program provides a breadth of course work designed to improve reading, writing, listening, speaking, and critical thinking skills. English classes range from developmental writing to transfer-level courses in reading and composition, composition and literature, and intermediate composition and critical thinking, as well as a series of sequential creative writing courses"

 

--Description of the English major from the 2020-2021 San Diego City College catalog

Key Terms to Try

Before you start searching, you must identify relevant key terms for your topic. Below are a few examples of key terms to try for English:

English Thesis Non-fiction
Argument Literature Imagery
Rhetoric Creative Writing Poetry
Fiction Graphic Novel Narrative

Here a few examples of English-related search terms that you can use to find items in the library catalog. Note that adding the word "AND" will combine the key terms to give a narrower set of results:

Tips and tricks:

  • In general, search using one or two nouns, combined by AND or OR.
  • Do more than one search, using different words that cover the same concept.
  • If you find too much information, add a word. If you don't find enough, take one out or use a broader term.
  • Use an asterisk (*) to search for variations on a word. For example, searching for student* will bring up records on student and students.

Need some help with figuring out a research topic or the research process in general? We have guides for those too!

Start Research Here




Search Tips:

*OneSearch doesn't show you everything! Some databases, like those from EBSCO, may be excluded so you may need to search them separately.

  • To find Books, e-books and reference materials --> Use SDCCD Books+, A-Z Databases, or OneSearch
  • To find Textbooks for your class--> Use Course Reserves
  • To find Articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers --> Use A-Z Databases, EBSCO Articles, or OneSearch
  • To find Periodicals by title --> Use Journal Finder or OneSearch
  • To find Videos and media --> Use Videos link, A-Z Databases (choose Films on Demand, Films Platform, Swank, or Kanopy), or OneSearch

Off-campus Access Link

To get access to library resources from off-campus:

  • Students: When you click on a database/ebook link, you will be prompted for your CSID number and last name. Type it exactly the way you registered. You must be taking at least one City College class and have paid your tuition and fees. Problems? Email citylib@sdccd.edu.
  • Staff: You are not automatically added to the system from Peoplesoft. To request a login, or if you are having problems, email citylib@sdccd.edu.
  • Faculty: If you are currently teaching, you are automatically added to the system from ISIS. If you aren’t, or you are having problems, email citylib@sdccd.edu.

Common issues:

  • Some databases require that your browser be set to accept all cookies.
  • Security software may interfere with a database's user authentication protocol. You may have to temporarily disable it in order to connect to a database.
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