Studies in Criticism: ENG 4097

Research help for Sue-Im Lee's course, "Studies in Criticism."

Why Use Reference Works?

Young woman sitting at the library using books and laptop Reference works -- like encyclopedias, handbooks, and dictionaries -- provide great overviews and background information.

They help you contextualize your topic and generate questions.
They help identify keywords you can use later when searching for scholarly sources.
They contain bibliographies that lead you to the most respected secondary and most useful primary sources on a topic.

In short, reference works are a great way to begin your research.

Browse Reference Works of Interest

A Dictionary of Critical Theory

A Glossary of Literary and Cultural Theory

Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (2nd ed.)

The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (4th ed.)

Encyclopedia of the Novel

A History of American Literature: 1950 to the Present

The Cambridge History of the American Novel

African American History: A Very Short Introduction

The Columbia Guide to Contemporary African American Fiction

The Cambridge History of African American Literature

The Routledge Introduction to African American Literature

Encyclopedia of African-American Literature

Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present

Asian American History: A Very Short Introduction

The Cambridge History of Asian American Literature

Asian American Literature in Transition, 1930-1965

The Columbia Guide to Asian American Literature Since 1945

The Routledge Companion to Asian American and Pacific Islander Literature

Asian American Literature: An Encyclopedia for Students

Historical Dictionary of Asian American Literature and Theater (2nd ed.)

Asian American Society: An Encyclopedia

Oxford Encyclopedia of American Social History

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Reference sources, like encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks, provide great overviews. They help researchers contextualize their topics and begin to ask the right questions. They also help with generating search terms to use when later searching in research databases.

Moreover, reference works contain bibliographies that lead researchers to the most respected secondary and most useful primary sources on a topic.

In short, reference works are a great way to begin your research.

Oxford African American Studies Center This link opens in a new window
Contains thematic and contextual essays, plus images and maps dealing with African American history and culture drawn from Oxford University Press reference sources.

Densho Encyclopedia
Provides overviews about the history of the Japanese American WWII exclusion and incarceration experience.

Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
Consists of a collection of core reference materials across numerous subject areas published by Oxford University Press.
Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new window
The OED is the guide to the meaning, history, pronunciation, and variant spellings of words, both present and past.
Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) This link opens in a new window
Widely viewed as the American equivalent of the Oxford English Dictionary, DARE represents the full panoply of American regional vocabulary.

Introductory Essays & Topic Overviews

Need some context? These are detailed guides to authors, composers, philosophers, genres, various literatures and other fields of study, providing context and analysis for a thorough introduction.

Cambridge Histories Online This link opens in a new window
Contains introductory essays on world history, plus histories of cultural fields like literature, music and theatre, and even science.
Cambridge Companions [via Cambridge Collections Online] This link opens in a new window
Contains many introductory essays on major writers, artists, topics, and periods.
Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
Contains in-depth, topical introductions and reviews of the key issues and major scholarly debates across many different subject areas.
Very Short Introductions This link opens in a new window
Offers concise introductions to a diverse range of subjects, written by experts in the field who combine facts, analysis, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make challenging topics highly readable.

Literary Theories & Theorists

Still trying to wrap your head around a literary theory or theorist? Then this source is for you!

Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory This link opens in a new window
Contains contextual info on critics and theorists, critical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods.