Finding Background Information English Literature Research Guides

Need some biographical information about an author? The Biographical Information for Literary Figures Guide will connect you with a number of biographical resources for literary figures. These resources are helpful in finding background information, particularly if you are just starting to explore your subject. Click on the black arrow to open the chat in a new window. If we're not online, please email us at researchhelp@uri.edu. Please allow 1-2 business days for a response.

Not sure how to start your research? Background and reference sources can help you... Reference books and online tools are great for looking up a quick fact, definition, or date, and they can direct you to more sources. If none of the suggestions on this page fit what you're looking for, try a search in the library catalog (linked below) for your research topic and add "reference", "handbook", "guide", or "companion" to... Don't underestimate the value of reference materials and sources like Wikipedia to help set you up for future research! Use dictionaries to find definitions and the histories of words.

Use thesauri to find synonyms and antonyms. Biographies provide detailed information about an author's life and often situate an author's works within the context of their life. You can also search HoyaSearch to find book-length biographies. This unique historical reference compendium allows instant access to the renowned texts of the Cambridge Histories series. Providing full-text access for all collection content published up to the year 2015, Cambridge Histories Online is an invaluable resource, for undergraduates, graduates, lecturers and researchers alike. Research guides are designed to direct you to other information sources in a particular field.

This page is designed to direct you to some of the major reference sources for literary studies. If you need period- or genre-specific sources, see subject guides to particular periods and genres. Background sources provide foundational information to help get your research started. These are useful sources for getting an overview of an unfamiliar topic or exploring new avenues of a familiar topic. Many of these sources include bibliographies that can point you to additional high-quality, relevant sources. Ref Stacks PN41 .B4 2008 Benét's Reader's Encyclopedia (5th ed.)

Ref Stacks PN41 .C83 1998 Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory (4th ed.) Ref Stacks PN44.5 .Q58 2006 Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms Ref Stacks PN41 .M42 1995 Encyclopedia of Literature Background information is important to crafting a good paper. These sources are great places to start, and should be used to help you better understand a topic or idea. These background sources are also called tertiary sources and are generally not considered peer-reviewed.

Background sources are also great places to look for keywords or popular arguments and pro/con lists. Yes, Wikipedia is a resource for background information! But to make sure that the information you're using is the most accurate, we recommend using these background resources to verify any other information you find. We recommend the following background information resources: Reference sources are useful for finding overviews and background information on a topic, including terminology and key names, dates and concepts. Many reference sources also provide extensive bibliographies that list the important and influential scholarship on a given topic.

We partner with faculty, students, and staff to provide a vital physical and digital center for research, teaching, learning, and other forms of intellectual engagement at The Claremont Colleges. Our Core Values explain why we take such pride in our work. They are the source of our passion, energy, professionalism, and productivity. These commonly shared values guide everything we do: User-centeredness, inclusivity, innovation, collaboration, education, community, discovery, and stewardship. When you need a quick, 1-2 page overview. Focuses on regionally-specific words, usages, and pronunciations.

It's a great source for Americanisms not covered in the OED. "Critical" biographies include discussion of the critical responses to a person's life and works, along with notes for further reading and information on where personal papers or archives are held. Full-length biographical studies provide helpful context about the circumstances surrounding a literary work's production and its immediate reception. Except where otherwise noted, this work is subject to a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which allows anyone to share and adapt our material as long as proper attribution is given. For details and exceptions, see the Harvard Library Copyright Policy ©2021 Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College. Dictionary of Literary Biography (included in Literature Resource Center) Ref.

PN771 .D54. Provides major bio-critical essays writers in English, including non-canonical writers. The Dictionary of Literary Biography Yearbook summarizes publications for the year and also discusses conferences, literary awards, and includes obituaries and interviews. Contemporary Authors (included in Literature Resource Center) Ref. PN771. C586.

This sources provides biographical information and bibliographical reference on a wide-ranging group of writers, including non-literary types such as journalists and academic authors. International in scope. Literature Resource Center - This large database includes electronic versions of major print reference sources, including the Dictionary of Literary Biography, Contemporary Authors, the Scribner’s Writers series, and the Twayne’s author series. Literary Reference Center Plus - This full-text source includes biographical and critical analysis, as well as plot summaries from Masterplots. Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism (Ref. PN81 .J554 2005) - This book includes more than 240 alphabetically arranged entries on specific theorists, critical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods.

Getting background information and general facts about your topic is a good way to start your research. This not only helps you better understand your topic, but it also helps you formulate the boundaries of your research and key terms for your thesis statement. It can be a helpful guide to begin to narrow down your topic into a coherent and specific area. Describes in exhaustive detail the works of America's most important literary writers from the time of the Revolution to 1930. More than 37,000 works are listed, essentially the complete printed record of American literature from the 18th and 19th centuries. This citation-only index provides links to full text via other CofC resources when available.

Contains hundreds of thousands of records, covering monographs, periodical articles, critical editions of literary works, book reviews and collections of essays published anywhere in the world from 1920 onwards. Examines great writers, important works, memorable characters, and influential movements and events in world literature. Integrates easy-to-follow menus that allow users to broaden and narrow their web searches according to author, title, series, awards and other criteria. Step 2 of the research process often involves finding an overview of a topic, checking facts and data, checking dates of significant events, or looking up definitions of specialized terms. Step 2 can also help you test your research question to see if it is too broad or to narrow. Like the roots of a tree, background information is not always visible but it does play an important role in your research.

While Google can be helpful in this regard, you may find some of the UC Merced Reference Databases useful for definitions and background information. Spending time on this step of the process can help give you valuable context that will help you with other steps like searching for research and writing about your topic. Tip: Background information is often called "reference information" in libraries and library databases. Reference information is also called a "tertiary source." Check out this short video (2:23) from Suffolk County Community College Library to understand how primary, secondary, and tertiary sources vary by discipline. Provides access to a collection of reference books including encyclopedias, dictionaries, measurement conversions and more.

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