These reference works are designed to give comprehensive introductions to their subjects. They are excellent when you are beginning a research project and need an intellectual map of how to proceed.
To find out the basics -To narrow the topic --Is information available? --To identify significant people--To identify search terms --To learn the theory--To plan your research---To formulate questions
Companions and handbooks are excellent sources to find an overview of a topic, an explanation of unfamiliar terms, or brief factual information on authors, plots, genres, etc. Companions can focus on a theme or even a specific author. Below are just a few examples.
The Cambridge Companion to Modern American Poetry by 
The Cambridge Companion to American Fiction After 1945 by 
The Cambridge Companion to African American Women's Literature by 
The Cambridge Companion to Latina/o American Literature by 
The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature by 
The Oxford Handbook of Medieval Literature in English by 
The Cambridge Companion to the Twentieth-Century English Novel by 
A Handbook to Literature by 
Literary Theory: a Guide for the Perplexed by
This Guide for the Perplexed provides an advanced introduction to literary theory from basic information and orientation for the uninformed leading on to more sophisticated readings. It engages directly with the difficulty many students find intimidating, asking 'What is ''Literary Theory''?' and offering a clear, concise, accessible guide to the major theories and theorists, including: humanism; structuralism; poststructuralism; psychoanalytic approaches; feminist approaches; queer theory; ideology and discourse; new historicism; race and postcolonialism; postmodernism. The final chapter points to new directions in literary and cultural theory.
Literary Analysis: the Basics by
Literary Analysis: The Basics is an insightful introduction to analysing a wide range of literary forms. Providing a clear outline of the methodologies employed in twenty-first century literary analysis, it introduces readers to the genres, canons, terms, issues, critical approaches, and contexts that affect the analysis of any text. It addresses such questions as: What counts as literature? Is analysis a dissection? How do gender, race, class and culture affect the meaning of a text? Why is the social and historical context of a text important? Can digital media be analysed in the same way as a poem? With examples from ancient myths to young adult fiction, a glossary of key terms, and suggestions for further reading, Literary Analysis: The Basics is essential reading for anyone wishing to improve their analytical reading skills.
A Companion to Literary Theory by
Introduces readers to the modes of literary and cultural study of the previous half century A Companion to Literary Theory is a collection of 36 original essays, all by noted scholars in their field, designed to introduce the modes and ideas of contemporary literary and cultural theory. Arranged by topic rather than chronology, in order to highlight the relationships between earlier and most recent theoretical developments, the book groups its chapters into seven convenient sections: I. Literary Form: Narrative and Poetry; II. The Task of Reading; III. Literary Locations and Cultural Studies; IV. The Politics of Literature; V. Identities; VI. Bodies and Their Minds; and VII. Scientific Inflections. Allotting proper space to all areas of theory most relevant today, this comprehensive volume features three dozen masterfully written chapters covering such subjects as: Anglo-American New Criticism; Chicago Formalism; Russian Formalism; Derrida and Deconstruction; Empathy/Affect Studies; Foucault and Poststructuralism; Marx and Marxist Literary Theory; Postcolonial Studies; Ethnic Studies; Gender Theory; Freudian Psychoanalytic Criticism; Cognitive Literary Theory; Evolutionary Literary Theory; Cybernetics and Posthumanism; and much more. Features 36 essays by noted scholars in the field Fills a growing need for companion books that can guide readers through the thicket of ideas, systems, and terminologies Presents important contemporary literary theory while examining those of the past The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Literary Theory will be welcomed by college and university students seeking an accessible and authoritative guide to the complex and often intimidating modes of literary and cultural study of the previous half century.
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The OED includes present-day meanings and pronunciation for 600,000+ English language words, in addition to the history of words and of the language, and information, quotations, and excerpts from classical literature, films scripts, and more.
NOTE: OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY (OED) (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS) IS MOVING TO A NEW PLATFORM ON JULY 18, 2023. A NEW INTERFACE WITH NEW FEATURES AND ACCESSIBILITY WILL BE IMPLEMENTED.
This link opens in a new window This link opens in a new windowSearch 650+ titles including encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, & reference handbooks covering the arts, business, health, history, literature, math, religion, etc. Over 1,000 videos, 300,000 art images, and thousands of images for other subjects.
NOTE:
Credo is launching a new platform later this year! The new platform will bring a sleeker user interface and enhanced features to improve research and instruction.
These are some of the highlights:
Anticipated date of migration is June 26, 2023.
This link opens in a new windowIncludes literary study guides, plot summaries, synopses and overviews, literary criticism, author biographies, book reviews, and author interviews across literary disciplines.
This link opens in a new windowSearch 650+ titles including encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, & reference handbooks covering the arts, business, health, history, literature, math, religion, etc. Over 1,000 videos, 300,000 art images, and thousands of images for other subjects.
NOTE:
Credo is launching a new platform later this year! The new platform will bring a sleeker user interface and enhanced features to improve research and instruction.
These are some of the highlights:
Anticipated date of migration is June 26, 2023.
This link opens in a new windowOffers over 430,000 full-text biographies from sources such as Biography Today, Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, American Reference Library, Encyclopædia Britannica, and more.
