Literary Research in Harvard Libraries

Access articles and books for free

NEVER pay for something yourself without checking the library first!

• Read How to Use Your Harvard Key to Get Online Articles for Free
• Install the Check Harvard Library Bookmark and GoogleScholar
• Use "Try Harvard Library" and "Check Access Options" when you see them
• For troubleshooting help, send the citation or description to Ask A Librarian

Organize, annotate, and cite your sources

Citation software (Zotero)

• See Zotero: Getting Started for Harvard-specific installation
  • Zotero is free, open-source, and easy to use. Learn more at zotero.org.
  • Find intro classes at Citation and Research Management Tools at Harvard

Cloud storage

• Harvard affiliates get 1 TB of storage via OneDrive

Citation/export in library databases

Use the citation and/or export function in library databases for temporary lists and bulk exporting. Always export citations to an independent system for longer-term storage and organization, whether Zotero, email, Word document, Google doc, or whatever works for you.

HOLLIS

• use the quotation-mark icon to format the citation in MLA, APA, or Chicago style
• use the pin icon to save records so you can export them in bulk to your email or to Zotero

EBSCO databases

• use "my folder" and the folder icon

Other library databases

• look for "folder," "save," or "reading list"

Writing with sources: style guides & manuals

Preferred methods and practices

• Recommended: Booth, The Craft of Research
• Explore other published guides on researching and writing about literature

Citation & writing styles: MLA, Chicago, APA

• Take the time to read your style manual. In addition to telling you how to format citations, these guides offer tips on how to balance concision with clarity, how to format a date for adjectival use, when to use the singular they, and much more.
  • MLA
    • you need both the online MLA Style Center and the print book (MLA Handbook, 8th edition)
  • Chicago
    • use the online Chicago Style (16th & 17th editions)
  • APA (for social sciences)
    • The APA Style website is mostly paywalled but offers free APA Style tutorials and free access to FAQs about APA style
    • For more free online guidance, try Purdue's OWL site for APA Style
    • The official manual is the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, now in its 6th edition

Learn more about writing with sources: Harvard resources

• Find out if your department has a writing fellow
• Take advantage of tutoring at the Writing Center
• Read the Harvard Guide to Using Sources