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Literature Writing Research Reference Sources For Background Informati

Leo Migdal
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literature writing research reference sources for background informati

Bloom's Literature provides biographical information on authors, most studied works of literature, a Character index, featured videos, a Shakespeare Center, strategies for writing essays, resources on literary themes, poems, and timelines. The Literary Encyclopedia publishes biographies of major and minor writers; scholarly descriptions of all interesting texts written by these authors, including those often neglected; and a variety of descriptive and critical essays on literary,... Credo provides access to dozens of authoritative reference books in ebook format related to literature and language. Credo is an excellent source for background and biographical information, as well as information about literary theory, genres, and movements. Gale eBooks provides access to dozens of specialized encyclopedias on subjects in the social sciences and humanities, including literature, history, religion, philosophy, and popular culture. Poetry & Short Story Reference Center provides information on thousands of poets and short story authors and their works across literary themes, forms, techniques, and movements; includes biographies, critical analyses, contextual essays, and explications...

It is useful for background information, but much of the content is not considered scholarly. 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 In most STEM fields, and in most of the quantitative social sciences, the format of articles (or conference papers, especially in computer science) is the most important way to find scholarly information about a... In the humanities and other social sciences, books (also called monographs) are usually more important. Gathering information and evidence from a variety of primary and secondary sources provides more thorough research. Primary sources report raw information and provide first-hand evidence of a topic under investigation.

Examples include interview transcripts, statistical data, scientific reports, and works of art. Primary research analyzes data that is collected in a process; in other words, the author(s) are reporting on something they themselves have done. Secondary sources provide second-hand information and commentary from other researchers. Examples include review articles and academic books. Thus, secondary research describes, interprets, or synthesizes information and data collected from primary sources. A credible source is backed up with evidence and without bias.

It is written by a trusted authority on the subject matter and the claims should be refenced with citations that are easy to find, clear, and unbiased. Looking into the trustworthiness of author's citations can help you to find new sources for your own bibliography. Evaluating source credibility enables you to collect accurate information to support your arguments and conclusions. Background information is general information about a writer, their works, and their social/historical context that can help you better understand specific pieces of literature. The sources below are some library-provided options for finding background information. Some of them may also contain other types of information, but we are highlighting the background information here.

If you encounter an unfamiliar word when reading a piece of literature, the Oxford English Dictionary is an excellent resources. This is especially useful for words that are no longer in common use, and for understanding the history and origins - the etymology - of such words. Background information can be described as the who, what, when, where, and why related to your topic, author, or text. It can help you answer some of the questions from the previous section of this guide, and can often be found in library resources such as encyclopedias, guidebooks, dictionaries, biographies, and bibliographies. Try searching some of the sources below in addition to performing Google or Wikipedia searches. Compare your results, and then refine your topic using this background information.

You can also use background information to draft a list of keywords to search for secondary sources (see next tab of this guide) and to draft your thesis statement / argument. Provides access to full-text biographies, including the complete full text of Biography and Biography Today. Full-text literary database covering all genres and time periods. Includes synopses, critical essays, book reviews, literary journals and author biographies, plus full-text classic novels, short stories and poems. Defines the vocabulary of the first six centuries (600-1150) of the English language. Access note: Must use VPN to access this database from off campus.

Before you jump into looking for detailed sources on specific aspects of your topic, it can be very helpful to understand the broader context of your research. This allows you to discover what is generally known about a topic by doing some background reading. Reading an encyclopedia article or other reference source is a quick way to: Background sources are sources your professor does not want you to cite unless you quote or refer to their information directly in your assignment. They are helpful for foundational knowledge or discovering ways to narrow your topic. Reference sources are considered tertiary sources, and they can help lead you to the primary and secondary sources your professor will want you to cite in your paper.

The following are sources that the library subscribes to and you can be sure that chapters and articles have been edited by experts in the field: CQ Researcher is a complete source for in-depth, analytical reporting on the most current and controversial issues of the day. Focusing on one topic, each weekly CQ Researcher provides extensive background information and discussion of the pro’s and con’s. Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. We have some of the same sources in print in either Ready Reference or Reference stacks on the main floor, in Ellis Library. Just ask for assistance at the Reference Desk.

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Bloom's Literature Provides Biographical Information On Authors, Most Studied Works

Bloom's Literature provides biographical information on authors, most studied works of literature, a Character index, featured videos, a Shakespeare Center, strategies for writing essays, resources on literary themes, poems, and timelines. The Literary Encyclopedia publishes biographies of major and minor writers; scholarly descriptions of all interesting texts written by these authors, including ...

It Is Useful For Background Information, But Much Of The

It is useful for background information, but much of the content is not considered scholarly. 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 ...

Ref Stacks PN44.5 .Q58 2006 Dictionary Of Literary And Thematic

Ref Stacks PN44.5 .Q58 2006 Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms Ref Stacks PN41 .M42 1995 Encyclopedia of Literature In most STEM fields, and in most of the quantitative social sciences, the format of articles (or conference papers, especially in computer science) is the most important way to find scholarly information about a... In the humanities and other social sciences, books (also calle...

Examples Include Interview Transcripts, Statistical Data, Scientific Reports, And Works

Examples include interview transcripts, statistical data, scientific reports, and works of art. Primary research analyzes data that is collected in a process; in other words, the author(s) are reporting on something they themselves have done. Secondary sources provide second-hand information and commentary from other researchers. Examples include review articles and academic books. Thus, secondary...

It Is Written By A Trusted Authority On The Subject

It is written by a trusted authority on the subject matter and the claims should be refenced with citations that are easy to find, clear, and unbiased. Looking into the trustworthiness of author's citations can help you to find new sources for your own bibliography. Evaluating source credibility enables you to collect accurate information to support your arguments and conclusions. Background infor...