Literary criticism
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1. Why is literary criticism often hard to understand?
2. What are some techniques to use to narrow a search in a large database?
3. What does a “double-blind peer-review” process mean?
4. Why are works available on the web not as reliable as ones available through your library?
5. What should you use secondary sources for?
Sample Solution
Literary criticism is often hard to understand due to its complexity and multidisciplinary approach which requires familiarity with several different fields such as philosophy, aesthetics, literary history, linguistics and anthropology (Murfin and Ray 2009). These theories seek to explain the underlying meaning or intent of a work while also providing insight into how it relates to broader cultural issues. As such, each individual’s interpretation may vary widely depending on their background, education level or preconceived notions about certain topics that are discussed in a particular text. Therefore, understanding these criticisms can be difficult since one must possess an advanced level of knowledge when attempting to decipher them (Potter 2013).
To narrow down search results in large databases there are several techniques that can help make searching more efficient. One method is using Boolean operators (AND, OR) which allow users filter out irrelevant content by combining search terms with connected words like “and,” “or” or “not” (Laine 2019). This allows for greater control over the results since searches can be tailored towards specific criteria thus making it easier to find what you need without going through every single document within database. Another option involves narrowing your focus by choosing relevant keywords associated with topic being researched before even beginning the query (Kaneshiro 2015). Doing this reduces amount time spent scrolling through unwanted material since items related directly to inquiry should come up first making the job much simpler. Lastly, limiting parameters defined by user within engine itself can also prove to be useful especially when dealing with keyword dense archives where specificity becomes increasingly important narrowing down list potential documents(Chen 2017). By following both of these steps, it should be possible to reduce number pages returned from original query thus allowing researchers to efficiently find what they need without having to waste too much time reading unnecessary information.
Literary criticism often uses complicated language and requires an intimate knowledge of the text that is being critiqued. It can also refer to different aspects of writings, such as symbolism or metaphor, which some readers may not be familiar with. Moreover, sometimes literary criticism does not provide clear answers about what a text means but instead opens up questions for further exploration and debate.
