Literature
From Simmons Library Guides
We have selected these resources to help you find relevant information on your research topic. PleaseAsk a Librarian for help using the resources listed in this guide or for help with your research process.
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Reference and Background Information
Reference sources--like dictionaries and subject encyclopedias--provide overviews of topics and descriptions of concepts and ideas. They can also provide definitions, statistics, and other details. You can use these type of sources to help you narrow your research topic, identify keywords and main ideas to search with in databases, or find data to support your thesis.
Use ''Reference Universe'' to find out which reference sources in our collection have information on your topic:
Literature Resource Center
- Why search here?
- Literature Resource Center includes resources on literary topics, authors, and their works.
- What's included?
- Scholarly articles, topic overviews, book reviews, biographical essays as well as poems and short stories can be found in this resource.
- Scholarly articles, topic overviews, book reviews, biographical essays as well as poems and short stories can be found in this resource.
The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English
Level 1 Reference PR85 .C29 2006
- Why look here?
- The Guide covers literature from all genres and eras from the English-speaking world, including writers from Britain, Ireland, USA, Canada, India, Africa, South Africa, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Australia.
- What's included?
- This source provides brief yet comprehensive discussions of various writers, titles, and literary terms and concepts, arranged alphabetically.
- This source provides brief yet comprehensive discussions of various writers, titles, and literary terms and concepts, arranged alphabetically.
Dictionary of Literary Biography
Level 1 Reference PS129 .D48 1982
- Why look here?
- Each volume (there are four volumes) is dedicated to a different genre, movement, and/or time period.
- What's included?
- Includes literary biographies and criticism of writers.
- Includes literary biographies and criticism of writers.
- Why search here?
- LitFinder is a directory of full-text literature from ancient history to the present day. You can also use it to find information that will help in citing historical literature.
- What's included?
- Full text is provided for over 800,000 works, including autobiographies, ballads, musical works, libretti, paintings and theological works.
- Full text is provided for over 800,000 works, including autobiographies, ballads, musical works, libretti, paintings and theological works.
The Longman Dictionary of Literary Terms: Vocabulary for the Informed Reader
Level 1 Reference PN44.5 .K46 2006
- Why look here?
- Use this guide to clarify the meaning of terms used to describe literature and the terminology of literary criticism.
Click here for other dictionaries of literary and critical terminology.
- Use this guide to clarify the meaning of terms used to describe literature and the terminology of literary criticism.
- What's included?
- Literary terms are arranged alphabetically and are defined along with several examples for each entry.
- Literary terms are arranged alphabetically and are defined along with several examples for each entry.
Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms
Level 1 Reference PN41 .C67 2008 and Online
- Why look here?
- Oxford's Dictionary of Literary Terms provides the reader with an understanding of literary concepts, necessary for the student struggling with literary criticisms that insist on dropping ten cent words.
- What's included?
- Included are definitions for over 1200 words, and, for the phonetically challenged, pronunciations, that are sure to impress professors and party-goers alike.
- Included are definitions for over 1200 words, and, for the phonetically challenged, pronunciations, that are sure to impress professors and party-goers alike.
Masterplots: 1,801 Plot Stories and Critical Evaluations of the World's Finest Literature
Level 1 Reference PN44 .M33 1996
- Why look here?
- Masterplots includes short biographies, critical essays, plot summaries, character explorations, and other details useful for understanding over 1,800 major literary works.
- What's included?
- More works are evaluated in Masterplots II: British and Commonwealth Fiction Series (Level 1 Reference, PR881 .M39 1987) and Masterplots II: American Fiction Series (Level 1 Reference, PS373 .M37 2000).
- More works are evaluated in Masterplots II: British and Commonwealth Fiction Series (Level 1 Reference, PR881 .M39 1987) and Masterplots II: American Fiction Series (Level 1 Reference, PS373 .M37 2000).
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature
Level 1 Reference PS21 .E537 2004
- Why look here?
- This 4-volume work explores the depth and breadth of American literature from the 1600s to the present.
- What's included?
- Each of the 350 entries offers essay-length treatment or American literary topics including authors, works, and movements. The entries analyze the historical and social context and long-term impact if each topic.
- Each of the 350 entries offers essay-length treatment or American literary topics including authors, works, and movements. The entries analyze the historical and social context and long-term impact if each topic.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature
Level 1 Reference PR19 .O95 2006
- Why look here?
- This 5 volume encyclopedia covers the entire history of British literature from the 1600s to the present. The emphasis of the content is on work from the U.K. and Ireland.
- What's included?
- Over 500 signed, cross-referenced essays offer author career biographies, criticism, and analysis of major works, themes, movements, and genres of British Literature.
- Over 500 signed, cross-referenced essays offer author career biographies, criticism, and analysis of major works, themes, movements, and genres of British Literature.
- Click here to see more Library holdings on Literature in the Library Catalog.
Literary Criticism
Use these sources to find out more about literary critics, critical theories, and schools of critical thought.
Literature Resource Center
- Why search here?
- Literature Resource Center includes resources on literary topics, authors, and their works.
- What's included?
- Scholarly articles, topic overviews, book reviews, biographical essays as well as poems and short stories can be found in this resource.
- Scholarly articles, topic overviews, book reviews, biographical essays as well as poems and short stories can be found in this resource.
The Continuum Encyclopedia of Modern Criticism and Theory
Level 1 Reference PN94 .C695 2002
- Why look here?
- Arranged geographically and then by theorist, this work provides succinct explanations of the theories developed and inspired by individuals. The entries also explore critical applications to theory.
- What's included?
- Entries include works cited and lists of suggested further reading.
- Entries include works cited and lists of suggested further reading.
Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theory: Approaches, Scholars, Terms
Level 1 Reference PN81 .E63 1993
- Why look here?
- An exhaustive survey of literary theories, theorists, and terminology presented in a scholarly yet readable format.
- What's included?
- Entries are signed, cross-referenced, and many include source lists for further reading.
- Entries are signed, cross-referenced, and many include source lists for further reading.
Encyclopedia of Feminist Literary Theory
Level 1 Reference PN98.W64 E53 1997
- Why look here?
- Overviews of ideas like "creativity," "eroticism" and "war;" time periods; and literary movements are explored in a literary context through a feminist lens, with an emphasis on feminism in the U.S. and U.K. since the 1970s.
- What's included?
- Includes cross-referenced entries for key feminist ideas, theories, and critics affecting literary theory, with bibliographies for further research. Also includes name, subject, key word, and related topics indexes.
- Includes cross-referenced entries for key feminist ideas, theories, and critics affecting literary theory, with bibliographies for further research. Also includes name, subject, key word, and related topics indexes.
A Glossary of Contemporary Literary Theory
Level 1 Reference PN44.5 .H37 2000
- Why look here?
- Includes over 70 terms used in literary theory and criticism. Useful in explaining and contextualizing often-contested terminology whose usage is unique to the field of literary criticism.
- What's included?
- The literary terms in this source are thoroughly defined and arranged alphabetically.
- The literary terms in this source are thoroughly defined and arranged alphabetically.
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism
Level 1 Reference PN81 .J554 2005
- Why look here?
- The format of this guide is a single, alphabetical list of entries that includes theorist, theories, schools of thought, and major areas of critical application.
- What's included?
- Entries are signed, cross-referenced, and some include citations for further reading.
- Entries are signed, cross-referenced, and some include citations for further reading.
Ohio State Open Access Initiative
www.ohiostatepress.org/index.htm?/books/openaccess.htm
- Why look here?
- The Ohio State University Press, per their Open Access initiative, has put approximately 60 titles online as PDFs. Most of these titles are out of print and are focused on literary criticism.
- What's included?
- Note: "All titles available this way, whether old or new, have gone through the exact same peer review process as our printed books. Any book that carries our imprint — no matter what medium is being used — has been approved by our Editorial Board after a thorough vetting process."
- Note: "All titles available this way, whether old or new, have gone through the exact same peer review process as our printed books. Any book that carries our imprint — no matter what medium is being used — has been approved by our Editorial Board after a thorough vetting process."
Finding Articles
Listed below are suggested databases and indexes for articles on your topic. Since articles are shorter and more narrowly focused than books or reference materials, they are most useful after you have narrowed your topic.
Academic Search Complete, our largest article database, is a great starting place for any of your research.
MLA Bibliography
or
MLA Bibliography Mobile
- Why search here?
- MLA Bibliography includes two parts: MLA Bibliography and MLA Directory of Periodicals, which are both produced by the Modern Language Association. These sources are particularly strong in the areas of literature, language and linguistics, folklore, literary theory & criticism and dramatic arts, but also include other subjects.
- What's included?
- MLA Bibliography provides detailed citations for journal articles, books, essay collections, working papers, proceedings, dissertations and bibliographies. The advanced search function allows users to limit searches by foreign language. MLA Directory of Periodicals is a source for information about a journal, such as contacts, description, scope and submission guidelines.
- MLA Bibliography provides detailed citations for journal articles, books, essay collections, working papers, proceedings, dissertations and bibliographies. The advanced search function allows users to limit searches by foreign language. MLA Directory of Periodicals is a source for information about a journal, such as contacts, description, scope and submission guidelines.
- Why search here?
- Literature Resource Center includes resources on literary topics, authors, and their works.
- What's included?
- Scholarly articles, topic overviews, book reviews, biographical essays as well as poems and short stories can be found in this resource.
- Scholarly articles, topic overviews, book reviews, biographical essays as well as poems and short stories can be found in this resource.
- Why search here?
- JSTOR provides simultaneous access to a wide variety of scholarly journals and monographs in the humanities, social sciences and sciences. Use JSTOR to find historical information rather than current articles.
- What's included?
- Thousands of full-text scholarly articles, some dating back to the 1800s.
- Thousands of full-text scholarly articles, some dating back to the 1800s.
- Why search here?
- Project Muse contains scholarly articles from major journals in the Social Sciences and Humanities.
- What's included?
- Full-text scholarly articles on literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, economics and more.
- Full-text scholarly articles on literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, economics and more.
Contemporary Literary Criticism
- Why search here?
- Contemporary Literary Criticism contains an extensive collection of critical essays on contemporary authors.
- Contemporary Literary Criticism contains an extensive collection of critical essays on contemporary authors.
- What's included?
- Select entries contain a biographical/critical introduction, listing of principal works, and sources for further study.
- Select entries contain a biographical/critical introduction, listing of principal works, and sources for further study.
Magill's Bibliography of Literary Criticism: Selected Sources for the Study of More than 2,500 Outstanding Works of Western Literature
Level 1 Reference PN81 .M245
- Why search here?
- The scope is international, and criticism is from the beginning of time up to 1978, with emphasis on critical work from the 1960s and 1970s. While many of the citations will be duplicated in MLA Bibliography with the addition of newer criticism, the format of Magill's makes identifying key works quite easy.
- What's included?
- This multi-volume work is arranged alphabetically by author. Under each author is an entry for selected works with listings for major critical treatment.
- This multi-volume work is arranged alphabetically by author. Under each author is an entry for selected works with listings for major critical treatment.
Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism: Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Novelists, Poets, Playwrights, Short Story Writers, and Other Creative Writers, 1900-1960
Level 1 Reference PN94 .T83
- Why search here?
- This work presents excerpts of literary criticism on the works of major literary writers, including novelists, poets, playwrights and literary theorists, of 1900 to 1999.
- What's included?
- Each excerpt is prefaced by an annotation that explains the critic's reputation and critical philosophy and provides a synopsis of the excerpt. Every fourth volume is a Topics volume covering major literary movements, trends and other topics. Volumes include author, nationality, topic and title indexes.
- Each excerpt is prefaced by an annotation that explains the critic's reputation and critical philosophy and provides a synopsis of the excerpt. Every fourth volume is a Topics volume covering major literary movements, trends and other topics. Volumes include author, nationality, topic and title indexes.
Open Access Directory - Languages and Literatures
www.doaj.org/doaj?func=subject&cpid=8
- Why search here?
- Identify electronic journals in the fields of Languages and Literatures that are scholarly, peer-reviewed, full text, and accessible without cost.
- What's included?
- Titles of and links to open access journals in Languages and Literatures. This is not a searchable database.
- Titles of and links to open access journals in Languages and Literatures. This is not a searchable database.
Searching the Web
Simmons librarians have created a customized search engine that allows you
to find English Literature information on the free web.
Use this English Literature Google Custom Search Engine box to search all select, quality free web sites at the
same time:
You may also wish to go directly to, or bookmark, the English Literature Google Custom Search Engine
Tips for Searching the Internet:
- Use the advanced search function, which is available from most search engines:
- Limit your search to .edu and .gov sites. These often provide quality research, statistics, and commentary. Sites ending in .org often have good information, too, but are likely to espouse a strong stance or bias on the issues they cover and may not be objective.
Writing Style and Citation
For more information on style and citation for this discipline, please contact the Simmons College Writing Center
Writing Resources
my.simmons.edu/academics/writing-center/resources/styles.shtml
The Writing Center provides online resources for citing your research. If you are unsure of which citation style to use, consult your professor and consider the following:
- Use APA (American Psychological Association) when your topic is in the Social Sciences
- Use ASA (American Sociological Association) when your topic is in Sociology
- Use MLA (Modern Language Association) when your topic is in the Humanities
- Use Chicago/Turabian when your topic is in Literature, History or the Arts
- Use CSE (Council of Science Editors) when your topic is in the Sciences
- Why look here?
- RefWorks is a tool to create bibliographies and in-text citations for research papers.
- What's included?
- RefWorks is a great program for organizing articles, books and other materials gathered during research. For more information, see the RefWorks - Instructions page or Ask a Librarian
- RefWorks is a great program for organizing articles, books and other materials gathered during research. For more information, see the RefWorks - Instructions page or Ask a Librarian