French Language & Literature: Reference Works
Why Reference Works?
Reference works are an excellent first stop in your research and are incredibly useful for the following:
- Getting an overview of a topic
- Getting topic ideas for a paper topic or narrowing your topic
- Brainstorming keywords for searching and learning the vocabulary used by authors in that area
- Learning the key works on a given topic
- Discovering the key authors on a given topic
Reference works are a good starting off point, but should not be cited in your research as they are not considered primary or secondary sources. The only exception is when reference works contain primary and secondary sources (like collections of documents and essays).
General Online Reference Sources
These are reference works paid for by the library but available online.
- Oxford Art OnlineIncludes full text of the Grove 34-volume encyclopedia, The Dictionary of Art, which contains scholarly articles on the visual arts from prehistory to the present day.
- Oxford Reference OnlineContains full text subject encyclopedias, reference works, dictionaries, and handbooks in all disciplines.
- Sage eReferenceContains full text encyclopedias and reference books in the social sciences and humanities. Search by keyword or browse by topic.
Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
Reference materials such as encyclopedias, dictionaries and bibliographies are excellent ways to begin your research. Reference materials tend to be library use only and unless otherwise noted, are located on the second floor of the library.
General Literature Resources
- Encyclopédie de la littérature byCall Number: Reference (2nd Floor): PN41 .E4714 2003
- Dictionnaire des écrivains de langue française byCall Number: Reference (2nd Floor) : PQ41 .B412 2001 v.1 & 2
- French women writers : a bio-bibliographical source book byCall Number: Reference (2nd Floor) : PQ149 .F73 1991
- New Oxford companion to literature in French byAlso in print PQ41 .N49 1995 (4th Floor and 2nd floor reference)