WR 301 Critical Writing in English - Nance: Encyclopedias & Reference Works
Why Reference Works?
Scholarly reference works are useful for the following:
- An overview of a topic
- Topic ideas for a paper topic or narrowing your topic
- Finding keywords for searches
- Bibliographies for further research
Reference works are good starting points for research, but are rarely cited in research as secondary sources.
Resources on Literary Terms, Movements & Historical Context
The Cambridge history of literary criticism by Call Number: Library Shelves -- 4th floor (PN86 .C27 1989 )
A Handbook to Literature by Call Number: PSU Library Reference Collection -- 2nd floor (PN41 .H355 2012 )
Shakespeare's World and WorkCall Number: PR2892 .S56 2001
Essential Online Reference Sources
- Literature Online - LIONIncludes reference works, biographical sketches, bibliographies, and secondary criticism of British and American literary works. Offers full text of some novels, poems, dramas, and prose.
- Literature Resource CenterProvides reference, literary timelines, and articles on authors, journalists, and critics from all literary periods. Covers literary genres such as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, history, and journalism.
- Oxford Bibliographies OnlineIncludes scholarly bibliographies that provide research guidance in several topical areas. Our current subscriptions cover the classics, Jewish studies, Islamic studies, Latino studies, medieval studies, the renaissance and the reformation, British and Irish literature, childhood studies, Chinese studies, cinema and media studies, American literature, education, communication, linguistics, philosophy, public health, and international relations.
- Literature Criticism OnlineConsists of summaries of works, Western literary criticism, and literary movements as well as biographical sketches of authors from the classical period to the present.
- Dictionary of Literary BiographyFull text biographies and critical overviews of writers from all eras and all genres; organized by individual volumes dedicated to specific literary types or time periods.
- The Oxford Encyclopedia of British LiteratureProvides comprehensive coverage of literature from the Abbey Theatre to Israel Zangwill, covering the entire history of literature in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland in the major literary languages (Anglo-Saxon, English, Welsh, Scots, Irish, and Latin). It includes substantial accounts of individual authors (e.g., Spenser, Pope, Austen) and detailed histories of particular themes, movements, genres, and institutions.
- The John Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & CriticismOffers full text articles on critics, and literary theorists as well as critical and theoretical schools and movements.
- Oxford English DictionaryCovers the history of the English language. Contains word definitions, pronunciation, history, and language of origin. The OED is a comprehensive record of the English language and generally regarded as its definitive dictionary.
Shakespeare: the critical heritageCall Number: PR2976 .V5 (v. 1- 6)ISBN: 9780710006295This is one (six volume) title in the Routledge Critical Heritage series.- Critical Insights seriesEach volume focuses on a writer or a particular work and provides an historical overview of the work(s), summaries of critical approaches, etc. Very useful for a basic grounding in a writer or a particular work.
- Cambridge Histories OnlineHundreds of historical encyclopedias covering most areas in the humanities providing historical overviews and analysis.