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This guide has been designed for ENG 273, “African American Literature.”
Books are written or printed works produced by one or more authors. Individuals or committees with expertise in the field often edit books. Because they provide comprehensive information on their subject at the time of publication, books are very valuable in the research process. For many subject areas this is the best starting point for research. Many books contain valuable bibliographies at end of each chapter or at the close of the book. This provides an excellent entry point into the subject material as well to the authors publishing in a particular field of study.
| African American literature : a guide to reading interests | PS 153 .N5 A3364 2004 |
| The Library of Literary Criticism | REF PR 83 .M73 |
| The Cambridge History of American Literature: 1590-1820 | REF PS92 .C34 |
| The Cambridge History of American Literature: 1820-1865 | REF PS 92 .C34 |
| Identities and Issues in Literature; three volumes. | REF PS 261 .H53 |
| The History of Southern Literature | REF PS 153 .M56 I34 |
Critical Surveys are attempts to “survey” the field of literature for a particular time and place, with attention to high, and even low, points. Such surveys discuss the works of authors who are considered to be the most important, exemplary of the era, widely read, and or critically regarded. Surveys include information on literary forms and styles of the era. Literary Histories describe the significant literary events of each period or era.
| Literary History of the United States | REF PS 88 .L58 |
| Magill's Survey of American Literature; eight volumes. | REF PS 21 .M34 1991 |
| Oxford Companion to African American Literature | PS 153 .N5 O96 1997 |
| Oxford Companion to Women's Writing in the United States | REF PS 147 .O94 1995 |
| Survey of American Poetry; ten volumes. | REF PS 507 .S827 |
Online information databases are large, regularly updated collections of digitized information -- including but not limited to abstracts and full text articles from journals and newspapers, conference proceedings and submitted papers, dissertations, government reports, essays, book chapters, web pages, etc. The content is created by publishers who release print versions, then lease the rights to their information to database vendors. Database records are easy to search and retrieve because the content of each record has been analyzed and assigned appropriate subject headings, keywords, names, etc. New records are regularly downloaded from the producer of each database.
In order to access these resources off-campus, you must first obtain the passwords.
A dictionary is any single or multi-volume work which briefly explains terms and topics related to a specific subject, usually arranged alphabetically. Dictionary entries are usually shorter than those found in an encyclopedia. Dictionaries assist with the understanding of terminology and concepts, suggest synonyms, related terms, and scientific names, and are useful resources to consult when formulating and refining your research strategy. Often illustrations and references to additional resources are included.
| Dictionary Of Literary Characters | REF PR 19.L37 |
| A Glossary of Contemporary Literary Theory | REF PN 44.5.H37 |
| The Poetry Dictionary | REF PN 1021.D78 |
Encyclopedias are among the most widely used reference sources and contain articles of varying lengths covering all fields of knowledge. Typically encyclopedias cover many topics but without going into a great deal of depth on any one thing. Encyclopedias are a good starting point for researching topics that you do not know much about or that are completely new to you. They can give you background information which can help when you move to more in-depth sources later. Specialized encyclopedias may cover just one field or even a sub-unit of that field. Subject encyclopedias can be consulted for detailed or technical information on a subject.
| Encyclopedia of Literature and Science | REF PN 55 .E53 |
| Native American Literatures: An Encyclopedia of Works, Characters, Authors, and Themes | REF PS 153 .I52 W47 1999 |
Handbooks, manuals and guides are resources which supply concise factual and statistical information often in the form of charts, graphs, tables and formulas. These sources have very basic information, with little or no discussion or analysis of the facts they present. They cover a wide variety of topics, and as with other reference sources, these tools may be general or specific to a field, group of people, or era. These sources are frequently updated, which makes them valuable for locating current information. Try searching the online catalog using the keywords of your topic combined with one of the following keywords: handbook, manual or guide.
| MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers | CIRCULATION DESK |
| The Oxford Companion to American Literature | REF PS 21 .H3 |
Journals are scholarly periodicals which publish current research and commentary on their specific field of study. Most scholarly journals are peer-reviewed which means they have been reviewed and verified by a panel of experts in the field.
The link below provides a list of all print journals and magazines and their location currently available here in the Rose Library
Web sites are often a blend of information, entertainment and advertising, and this can make determining the credibility of a web site difficult. However, if you apply specific criteria and ask certain questions about any web site and the information it provides, you have a better chance of finding the best the web has to offer. It is necessary to critically evaluate information found on the web since almost anything can be put online.
The steps to take to evaluate Internet information can be valuable in determining if the information is of academic value. It's very important to learn to evaluate web resources before using them in an academic project; not all resources are reasonable for all purposes!