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 the Twentieth-Century English Novel by 
The Cambridge Companion to British Poetry, 1945-2010 by 
The Cambridge Companion to Modern British Culture by 
The Cambridge Companion to Modernism by 
The Cambridge Companion to George Orwell by This collection includes Scribner literature titles that focus on different aspects of world and genre literature. World literature titles include African Writers, Latin American Writers, Ancient Writers, and more. For example, African Writers is a 2-volume set that covers 65 African writers from seventeen countries writing in English, French, Portuguese, Arabic, and indigenous languages. Authors span the late 19th century to the present and include such figures as: Najib Mahfuz, Wole Soyinka, and Nadine Gordimer. Genre titles include Mystery and Suspense Writers, Science Fiction Writers, Writers for Young Adults, and more. For example, Mystery And Suspense Writers is a 2-volume set on mystery, detective, and espionage fiction and covers in 84 articles some of the most influential and popular writers of the genre, including Elmore Leonard, Sue Grafton, and Patricia Cornwell.
Twayne's Author Series is devoted to in-depth critical introductions to the lives and works of major writers of the world within the context of the time period in which they lived. This online series features the content of more than 600 books that comprise three print series --United States Authors, English Authors and World Authors--and is an ideal starting point for research papers on literary works and figures, special projects and presentations. Users can quickly gain results by searching for a specific author, combining search criteria for a more complex search, or exploring thematic and chronological topics.
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.
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Offers over 430,000 full-text biographies from sources such as Biography Today, Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, American Reference Library, Encyclopædia Britannica, and more.
This link opens in a new windowThe 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.
Gale Literature Resource Center provides researchers with unbounding literary resources to support their own literary responses, literary analysis, and thesis statements through a diversity of scholars and critics that ensure all views and interpretations are represented. The database features primary works in a variety of genres, up-to-date analysis, biographical information, overviews, full-text literary criticism, and reviews that encourage interdisciplinary approaches, information literacy, and the development of critical thinking skills.
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.
English Author Dictionaries (The XVIth - the XXIst Cc.) by 
A Handbook to Literature by 