LibGuides: FYSEM 110ML: U.S. Multiethnic Literatures: Background Info


Library Research Guides

Why background information?

Encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference resources help you to discover basic information—names, dates, definitions, summaries, etc. These are good places to start when beginning research on an unfamiliar subject, and when choosing or narrowing a paper topic.

Context

Reading a literary work set in an unfamiliar time period or location? Reference works can help provide a brief introduction to countries, their history, and even to specific historical events. Knowing its context can bring an added layer of meaning to a literary work.

Britannica Academic Online - Encyclopedia Britannica
The rich combination of the venerable Encyclopaedia Britannica plus Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, magazines and periodicals, and many other research tools provides the variety of reliable sources that students need to consult when conducting thorough collegiate research. Includes entries on countries with history subsections. Use each articles table of contents to navigate to the parts you need.
Europa World Yearbook
First published in 1926, the year book is renowned as one of the world's leading reference works, covering political and economic information in more than 250 countries and territories. Each country entry has a History section that summarizes its recent history.

Background information on authors, their lives and works

Oxford Reference Online
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A database of dictionaries, language reference, and subject encyclopedias published by Oxford University Press. Includes a number of encyclopedias about literature. Search tips: This is a good source if you're not sure which reference work an author or concept might show up in. Results are entries from multiple sources and tell you the title and word length for each - a good way of scanning for a definition that's from a specific field and of substantial enough detail for your purpses. MHC users only have access to the results/reference works that show a green open lock icon.
Biography in Context (aka Biography Resource Center)
Biography in Context delivers outstanding research support with 600,000+ biographical entries — on more than 528,000 individuals — spanning history and geography.
Dictionary of Literary Biography Complete
Biographical dictionary with essays on the lives, works, and careers of literary figures from all eras and genres.

Literary terms and concepts

Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms
Provides clear and concise definitions of literary terms. Search tip: This reference work is a part of the Oxford Reference database. When you click into this title, scroll down the page that appears and use the "Search within work" search box on the left side of the page to search for a term or use the alphabetical list of entries to browse the work.

Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism
An indispensable resource for scholars and students of literary theory and discourse. Compiled by 275 specialists from around the world, the Guide presents a comprehensive historical survey of the field's most important figures, schools, and movements and is updated annually.