Language, Literature, and Criticism
The list below represents several useful resources that will aid you in various areas of your studies and research.
Literary Theory
- Johns Hopkins guide to literary theory & criticism This link opens in a new windowUseful guide to the movements, individuals, and schools of thought in literary theory and criticism.
Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
The library includes many reference works to help you learn about new topics - including encyclopedias of national literature (British, American), genre (essay, poetry, drama), people, etc. To find an encyclopedia or dictionary on your topic, do an advanced search in OneSearch and choose "Subject" from the drop down list and put "encyclopedias" or "dictionaries" in that search box. Then put your topic in a keyword search box.
Bibliographies
The Oxford Bibliography series, selections of which are listed below and in the box to the right, introduce you to the current research in the topic covered.
Each larger volume is subdivided into more topical sections containing a brief essay on the current state of research followed by a bibliography of current essential research.
- Literary and critical theory - Oxford bibliographies This link opens in a new window
Offers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on literary and critical theory. Very useful for introductions to the scholarship of a field and key critical works.
- American literature - Oxford bibliographies This link opens in a new window
Offers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on American Literature. Very useful for introductions to the scholarship of a field and key critical works.
- British and Irish literature - Oxford bibliographies This link opens in a new window
Offers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on British and Irish Literature. Very useful for introductions to the scholarship of a field and key critical works.
- Linguistics - Oxford bibliographies This link opens in a new window
Offers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on Linguistics. Very useful for introductions to the scholarship of a field and key critical works.
- Victorian literature - Oxford bibliographies This link opens in a new window
Offers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on the literature of the Victorian period, which encompasses the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. Very useful for introductions to the scholarship of a field and key critical works.
Bibliographies of the scholarly resources about an author or genre are a valuable source of information - often beyond the bibliography itself. To locate these, check OneSearch for your author/creator or genre followed by the term bibliography in field Subject:
Selected Reference Sources for Related Subjects and Disciplines
- Oxford art online This link opens in a new windowServes as a portal to several important art related resources: Grove Art, Oxford Companion to Western Art, Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Search by terms biographies, subject entries, or images. Oxford University Press.
- New Catholic encyclopediaInformation on all aspects of the Catholic Church, its beliefs, practices, traditions, and relations with other religions and faith groups. Also provides biographical information on notable, deceased Catholics.
- African studies - Oxford bibliographies This link opens in a new window
Offers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on African culture, history, and society. Very useful for introductions to the scholarship of a field and key critical works.
- Biblical studies - Oxford bibliographies This link opens in a new window
Offers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on Biblical studies, including perspectives from fields ranging from archaeology, Egyptology, Assyriology, and linguistics through textual, historical, and sociological studies, to literary theory, feminism, philosophy, and theology. Very useful for introductions to the scholarship of a field and key critical works.
- Cinema and media studies - Oxford bibliographies This link opens in a new window
Offers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on cinema and media studies, including film history, television studies, media studies, critical theory, visual arts, cultural studies, digital culture, game studies, popular culture, and the study of the moving image. Very useful for introductions to the scholarship of a field and key critical works.
- Medieval studies - Oxford bibliographies online This link opens in a new window
Offers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on European and Mediterranean civilization from the 4th to the 15th centuries. Very useful for introductions to the scholarship of a field and key critical works.
- Renaissance and Reformation - Oxford bibliographies. This link opens in a new window
Offers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on the period of the Renaissance and Reformation, which spans roughly from the 14th through 17th centuries. Very useful for introductions to the scholarship of a field and key critical works.
