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English Research Guide

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Journal Articles | Background & Reference Information | Books & More | Selected Websites | Interlibrary Loan | Further Information

MultiSEARCH ... for articles, books & more
Find Journal Articles

Based on these descriptions, select the database that best meets your needs.

Core Databases
Academic Search Complete, Indexing and full-text, dates of coverage vary by title (many 1975-present). SUNY Connect logo
This interdisciplinary scholarly collection offers information in nearly every area of academic study, including: sciences, social sciences, arts & literature, ethnic studies, and many more. Full-text for over 6,100 titles (5,100 peer-reviewed); indexing and abstracting for 10,600 titles; complete historical coverage and citation searching for select titles.
 
MLA Bibliography, 1926 - present
Literary criticism, languages, linguistics, film, and folklore from over 4,000 journals, books and dissertations published worldwide.
 
JSTOR
Arts & Sciences I, Arts & Sciences II, Language & Literature, and Ecology Collections. An archive of important scholarly journal literature. In most cases, full text of the journal is available from the first issue through issues from a few years ago.
 
General Databases
Arts & Humanities Search, 1980 - present
Also called AH Search, or Arts and Humanities Citation Index. A multidisciplinary database covering the journal literature of the arts and humanities. It indexes 1,144 of the world's leading arts and humanities journals, as well as covering individually selected, relevant items from over 6,800 major science and social science journals.
 
Project Muse Basic College Collection, 1995 - present. Starting date may vary by title
Current full-text coverage of 100+ scholarly journals in a wide range of disciplines, including literature, history, the arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, economics, and many others.
 
Humanities International Complete SUNY Connect logo
Comprehensive indexing of periodicals, books and other humanities resources, plus full text of nearly 900 journals.
 
Specialized Databases
Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts (LLBA), 1973 - present
Covers all aspects of the study of language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. Monitors over 1,200 journals. Also available in paper copy 1967 - 2002 in Penfield.
 
HarpWeek, 1857-1865 SUNY Connect logo
Full text and page images of the popular Harper's Weekly from the Civil War Era (1857-1865).
 
Find Background & Reference Information

Use these sources to focus your topic, build a vocabulary, and find additional sources as you begin your research.

For Brief Definitions or Background
Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia, Ref PS 21 .B46 1996
Classic one vol. encyclopedia of world literature.
 
A Glossary of Literary Terms, Ref PN 41.A184 2005b
Defines terms & theories, gives examples, & points to further reading.
 
Holman. A Handbook to Literature, Ref PN 41 H6 1992
Excellent for students of film, theatre & literature.
 
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism
Provides overviews and introductions to theoretical movements, critics, and theorists. Entries cover literary and cultural theories that may be useful in literary criticism or cinema and screen studies.
 
The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, Ref PN 1021 .N39 1993
A standard reference work.
 
Oxford Companion to (African-American/American/English/Irish) Literature, Reference - check catalog for holdings
 
Oxford English Dictionary
Comprehensive dictionary of the English language, including word origins.
 
Screen Writer's Sourcebook, Ref PN1996.H255 2005
 
For Critical Introductions & Overviews
Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature
Also available in paper copy: Ref PS21 .E537 2004
 
Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature
 
Literature Resource Center SUNY Connect logo
Biographical and selected critical coverage of the most studied authors & works.
 
Contemporary Poets, 7th edition, 2001
 
Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL)
A collection of 100+ reference titles available in full-text electronically. Search the entire collection, or search selected titles using "advanced search."
 
Biography Reference Bank
Information on half a million people, from antiquity to the present. Includes full-text of 100+ volumes of biographical reference books, images, and citations to additional articles and book reviews.
 
Oxford African American Studies Center
Over 7500 articles from core African American reference sources; also including primary source documents, images, maps, timelines, and biographies. Limited to five users -- please remember to log off.
 
Scribner Writers Series
Online as part of the Literature Resource Center (LRC). Some material is only available in the print versions in the Reference Room. Search the library catalog for titles in this series or use the Scribner Writers Series Master Index. (Ref PN452 .S35 1998 ) Located at the Information Desk.
 
Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, 2nd edition, (6v.), 2006
 
Black Literature Criticism: Classic and Emerging Authors Since 1950, Ref PS153.N5 B556 2008
 
Feminist Writers, Ref PN 451 .A1 F46 1996
 
A Biographical Dictionary of English Women Writers 1580-1720, Ref PR 113 B46 1990
 
Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English, Ref PR 9080 .A52 E53 1994 v. 1&2
 
Critical Survey of Poetry, Ref PN 1111 .C934 v. 8 + supplements
 
Critical Survey of Short Fiction, Ref PN 3321 .C7 1993 v. 1-7
 
St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, (5 v.)
Also available in paper copy: Ref E169.1 .S764 2000
 
Encyclopedia of Literature in Canada, Ref PR9180.2 .E64 2002
 
Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20th Century, Ref PN771 .E5 1999
 
Bibliographies & Reviews of Research
Guide to American Poetry Explication, v. 1 - Ref PS 306 .R946 1989; v. 2 - Ref PS 306 .L446 1989
 
American Ethnic Writers, Ref PS 153 .M56 A414 2000 v.1 & 2
 
The Beat Generation, Ref PS228.B6 L27 1998
 
The Essential Shakespeare: An Annotated Bibliography of Major Modern Studies, Ref PR 2894 C479 1993
 
World Shakespeare Bibliography Online
The World Shakespeare Bibliography Online [electronic resource] provides annotated entries for all important Shakespeare books, articles, book reviews, dissertations, theatrical productions, reviews of productions, and more, published or produced between 1964 and 2006.
 
Guide to British Poetry Explication, Ref PR311 .M385
 
The Classical Epic, PA3022.E6 S572 1991
 
American Literary Scholarship, Ref PS 3 A47 + year
An annual, evaluative bibliography.
 
Children's Literature Comprehensive Database
An index of children's literature, ranging from the earliest baby board books to novels and nonfiction for young adults. Includes detailed descriptions and reviews.
 
Books & More

Use Penfield's library catalog to find print and online books and government documents, CDs, DVDs, and more. If the library catalog does not have what you need, use WorldCat or the SUNYConnect Union Catalog to identify titles that you might borrow through our interlibrary loan service (ILLIAD).

Online Book Series for Literature and Authors
Twayne's Author Series SUNY Connect logo NOVEL logo
These books provide biographical, historical, critical contexts for many writers. Use online as part of the LRC and/or search Penfield's catalog for your author and Twayne.
 
Wright American Fiction
An online collection of over 1,700 novels and other works of fiction published between 1851-1875. Available at: (http://www.letrs.indiana.edu/web/w/wright2/)
 
LitFinder SUNY Connect logo
Full-text of thousands of poems, essays, stories, and speeches. Also includes citations for poems, biographies, glossaries, illustrations, and work explanations.
 
Selected Websites

These quality Internet resources have been selected by the librarian specializing in this discipline.

Gateway Sites: excellent, general places to start
Voice of the Shuttle
Excellent general place to start. Award winning site for research in the humanities. Covers literature, creative writing, literary theory, philosophy and much more.
 
Voice of the Shuttle - Literary Theory Journals & Zines
 
Literary Resources on the Net
One of the top web sites devoted to literary criticism, anthologies, journals, and more on English literature. Arranged by topic and period, sites are annotates annotated with respect to their period and topic in history.
 
Yahoo's Literature Site
Leads to hundreds of sites about individual authors and their works.
 
Intute
Provides access and informed descriptions for "the best Web resources" for research: an excellent free guide created in the U.K.
 
Library of Southern Literature
 
Content Websites
Find a Poem
 
Interlibrary Loan

Use the library catalog to determine whether Penfield Library owns the book or journal you need. Please also check the list of available e-journals. If the Library does not own the material, or if the material is not available, you may request it online through our interlibrary loan service(ILLIAD)

Further Information

Ask A Librarian

Citing Your Sources

Evaluating Your Sources