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ENGL 1140: Writing Medicine, Stories of Illness & Healing (Spring 2024): Home

Activity Time!

Step 1: Think about the content you have been reading and discussing in class. Consider themes related to illness, health and healing you've read about, or subjects that come up in the material you're learning. What are some words or phrases that come to mind?

Step 2: Around the room, you'll find several library books on related themes. Take a few minutes to look through these books. What terms might you use to describe these sources? 

Enter your responses in the Padlet below: 

 

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Getting Oriented with Background Literature!

Tertiary sources are a useful place to begin your search and familiarize yourself with a research topic. These include encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other compilations or indexes of existing sources.

Subject Headings!

Below are links to some subject headings from the library catalogue that may lead you to additional relevant literature.

Medicine, Medieval

Human Body>Social Aspects>History

Civilization, Medieval

Women healers, Medieval

Using the Library Catalogue

How do I locate a book or other resource through the library catalogue? 

Library website: https://www.library.cornell.edu/

Here is a more detailed guide on using the catalogue and reading call numbers.

Classifications to know: 

B-Psychology, Philosophy, Religion

P-Literatures & Language

R-Medicine

D-History, General & Old World

Secondary Sources: Databases & Guides!

What are secondary sources? Secondary sources are documents or recordings of information originally presented elsewhere. Below are some broader humanities and social science databases, and some more discipline-specific sources for medieval studies.

Citation Matters!

It's important to cite others' work ethically. As literary scholars, writers, and appreciators of literature, who you cite and how you give credit to other creators has the power to amplify their work and literary voice. Below are some useful concepts, tools, and resources to help you practice inclusive and ethical research!

ZoteroBib is a useful tool for generating bibliographies in your preferred citation style. You can enter information manually, or enter a URL to the resource to generate a citation.

 

Excelsior Online Writing Lab is an excellent resource to refer to for questions regarding citation style, in-text citations, footnotes and endnotes, or any formatting questions you may have. You can also explore the APA style guide here

Cornell Libraries offer citation management resources and workshops.

Remember to consider citation justice as you create a reference list throughout your research. Citation justice is defined as: "The act of citing authors/sources based on identity to uplift marginalized voices with the knowledge that citation is used as a form of power in a patriarchal society based on white supremacy" (Coalter 2022).

In reviewing the references, artwork, and other sources you've compiled in your research, ask yourself:

Whose voices are represented?

Whose voices are missing? 

Librarian

Hannah Toombs (she/her/hers)

Engaged Learning Librarian

Co-Liaison to Latin American Studies

hct37@cornell.edu

Digital Collections & Primary Sources

Digital collections and online guides to understanding primary sources can be a useful tool for accessing material to use in your research, and for getting more context for the resources you find in research!

History of Medicine Digital Exhibits (McMaster University)

"What a Piece of Work is Man": Reading the Body in Medieval Manuscripts (St. Louis University)

Historical Anatomies on the Web

What Else Can I do at the Library?

Can't find the book or resource you're looking for? Get it through Borrow Direct, InterLibrary Loan, or recommend a purchase!

Looking for study space for a group or yourself? Find one here!

Need personalized research support? Meet with a librarian one-on-one, get to know your department's liaison librarian, or check out our 24/7 chat!

Need to rent a laptop, audio and video equipment, camera, or other tech? Rent it here!

Looking to learn a new skill like citation management, QGIS, or collections research? Check out our calendar of workshops!

Interested in checking out cool exhibitions, meeting authors, seeing new films, and more? Check out the CUL events calendar!

Do you like to read for fun? We have a guide for that!

Stay in the loop about what's happening at the library by following us on social media!

Cornell University Library Instagram

Olin & Uris Libraries on Instagram

Additional Reading

Land Acknowledgement

Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York state, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' people, past and present, to these lands and waters.

This land acknowledgment has been reviewed and approved by the traditional Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' leadership.