Guides: Melissa's Storage Guide: Find Background Information

Research Guides

Research guides are designed to direct you to other information sources in a particular field.

Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism This link opens in a new window
Comprises entries on literary critics and theorists, critical and theoretical schools and movements, the contributions of specific countries and historical periods, and nonliterary fields of inquiry shaped by literary theory and criticism. Entries consist of a critical essay addressing the subject's historical and philosophical importance and a selective primary and secondary bibliography. Also available in print in LAU Ref Stacks at PN81 .J554 2005.

Dictionaries & Thesauri

Use dictionaries to find definitions and the histories of words. Use thesauri to find synonyms and antonyms.

Oxford English Dictionary (OED) This link opens in a new window
July 2023: Off-campus access to the OED is not working in certain browsers. More info.
The largest dictionary and the most complete historical record of the English language. Use for:
--How a word was used in a specific time period
--When a word or phrase (e.g., fagged out) was first used
--Where words come from (etymology)
--Sample quotations using a particular word

Oxford English Dictionary
LAU REF Stacks PE1625 .O87 1989 v. 1-20
Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary
LAU Ref Stacks PE1591 .H55 2009 v. 1-2
Dictionary of American Regional English
LAU Ref Stacks PE2843 .D52 1985

Biographies

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 GEORGE to find book-length biographies.

American National Biography
LAU Ref Stacks CT213 .A68 1999

Provides biographical essays for more than 18,700 men and women -- from all eras and walks of life -- whose lives have shaped the United States.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) This link opens in a new window
An illustrated collection of 50,000 specially written biographies of the men and women who shaped all aspects of Britain's past, from the fourth century BC to the year 2001. Excludes living persons.

Dictionary of National Biography
LAU Stacks DA28 .O95 2004

Literature Resource Center (LRC) This link opens in a new window
Full-text biographical, bibliographical, and critical analysis of world authors and works in all literary genres. Includes the text of the Dictionary of Literary Biography and Contemporary Authors.
Electronic version of such older print reference sources as:
Contemporary Literary Criticism: Ref. PN 771 .C59
Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism: Ref. PN 761 .N56
Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism: Ref. PN 771 .G27
Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism: Ref. PN 610 .C53
Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800: Ref. PN 86 .L53 1984
Shakespearean Criticism: Ref. PR 2965 .S43 1984
Poetry Criticism: Ref. PN 1010 .P499
Short Story Criticism: Ref. PN 3373 .S386
Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature: Ref. PN 41 .M42 1995
Scribner Writers Series
Twayne Authors Series

Using Reference Sources

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.

If you need to use a new reference source, keep the following tips in mind:

1. Read the introduction of the book to find what information is contained in the book, how the information is organized, and how best to use it.

2. Use the indexes and table of contents to help you quickly locate relevant information.

3. If you find a citation to a journal article, use Journal Finder to determine whether Georgetown subscribes to the journal.

4. If you find a citation to a book, use GEORGE to determine whether Georgetown owns the book.

5. If the book or journal isn't available at Georgetown, you may request it from another library.