ENGL 310 - Introduction to Literary Studies
Library Research Guide
Reference Sources
Reference materials include biographies and encyclopedia-type sources that provide a factual overview of or introduction to an author, work, or genre.
Why use reference sources when you need literary criticism?
- identify terminology for themes or concepts you encounter
- gain perspective on the existing scholarly conversation
Use simple searches in these resources such as:
- author's name (e.g. Tananarive Due)
- work title (e.g. My soul to keep)
- genre (e.g. gothic)
Make note of:
- facts: dates, locations, historical events, people
- themes/frames: post-modernism, matriarchy, family, immortality, racial identity
- similar authors or works
- reference lists/further reading
Databases
- Always use the Advanced Search option for more control and options
- Use options to refine the search results to focus on reference sources like:
- Reference books
- Plot summaries
- Biographies
- Work overview
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Literary Reference Center
Paid for by K-State Libraries
Offers full-text reference resources geared primarily toward undergraduate students. In addition to critical reviews of literature and encyclopedias, the Literary Reference Center also provides biographies, book reviews, author interviews, synopses and work overviews, literary journals, classic novels, and classic and contemporary short stories and poems. -
Literature Resource Center
Paid for by K-State Libraries
Provides researchers with unbounding literary resources to support their literary responses, literary analysis, and thesis statements through a wide variety of scholars and critics that ensure all views and interpretations are represented through up-to-date biographies, overviews, full-text criticisms, audio interviews, and reviews on writers from all eras. Use this resource to analyze authors and works throughout time.
Example Reference Books
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Encyclopedia of Allegorical Literature
by
Call Number: PN56.A5 L44 1996 | Hale Library Stack Level EISBN: 0874367816Publication Date: 1996-09-01Entries cover the Western allegorical tradition, as well as selected Indian, Middle Eastern, South American, and African works. -
Dictionary of literary biography
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Call Number: PN451 .D487 | Hale Stack Level EThis multi-volume set provides biographies of authors in American and English literature. While you can use the print volumes, the information is also found in the database, Literature Resource Center. -
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Multiethnic American Literature
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Call Number: PS153.M56 G74 2005 (Dow Center for Multicultural and Community Studies -- Hale 4th Floor)ISBN: 031333059XPublication Date: 2005-10-01This encyclopedia provides more than 1100 biographical and topical entries by more than 300 scholars and reflects the vast cultural diversity of American literature.
