Language and Literature: Reference Works
IWU's E-Reference Books - Why Use Them?
Start your research by perusing a reference book to help generate ideas about how to search for or narrow your topic.
You'll find keywords, synonyms and related topics to plug into a search strategy. You might even create an initial outline.
Plus - Reference articles usually offer additional resources in a bibliography you can use to track down more info!
Basic Guides
Harner, James L. Literary Research Guide: an Annotated Listing of Reference Sources in English Literary Studies. New York: Modern Language Association, 2008. 016.8209 H229L
Harner's Guide selectively lists sources for literary research---handbooks, bibliographies, encyclopedias, guides, etc., and subdivides them by national literature and periods. Includes URLs for resources available online as well as print.
Groden, Michael, Martin Kreiswirth and Imre Szeman. The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 2005. Call Number: 801.95 J622G 2005
The JH Guide covers literary theory with in-depth articles on critics, schools, periods, and critical innovations of specific countries. Written by a large body of international scholars the guide is considered the most authoritative in the field.
An Important Biographical/Critical Source
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Dictionary of Literary Biography (Gale)
Call Number: 810.9003 AM25M--A monumental set of volumes each covering a genre, group, or type of writer within a period. Essays are authored by scholars in the field and include biography, criticism and bibliography. --An excellent introduction to an author. There are multiple volumes to this set.
