Research Guides: English Research Guide: Reference Sources

Browse the Reference Collection

Use this guide to browse the Reference Collection for resources on English Studies. Reference materials are integrated into the main stacks and can be found on the second and third floors of the library unless noted on the catalog record:

PE 1591	English language thesauri
PE 1625-1628	English language dictionaries
PN	Literature (General), literary criticism
PQ	French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese lit
PR	English literature
PS	American literature
PT	European literature (those not in PQ)

Reference Recommendations

These are some examples of reference resources on various topics on English Studies. For additional help, please visit the Research Help Desk or Ask a Librarian:

A Handbook to Literature by William Harmon; William Flint Thrall
Call Number: PN41 .H355 2003
ISBN: 0130979988
Publication Date: 2002
Asian American Novelists by Emmanuel S. Nelson (Editor)
Call Number: PS153 .A84 A825 2000
ISBN: 0313309116
Publication Date: 2000
African-American Writers by Shari Dorantes Hatch (Editor), et al.
Call Number: PS153.N5 A3444 2000
ISBN: 0874369592
Publication Date: 2000
American Nature Writers by John E. Elder (Editor)
Call Number: PS163 .A6 1996
ISBN: 0684196921
Publication Date: 1996
The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable by Elizabeth Knowles (Editor)
Call Number: PS163 .A6 1996
ISBN: 0198602197
Publication Date: 2001
MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing by Modern Language Association of America Staff (Created by)
Call Number: PN147 .G444 2008
ISBN: 9780873522977
Publication Date: 2008
Reference Guide to World Literature (e-book) by Gale Research Staff
Call Number: n/a
Publication Date: 2002
African-American Writers (E-Book) by Valerie Smith (Editor)
Publication Date: 2000
British Writers (E-book) by Ian Scott-Kilvert (Editor)
Call Number: PR85 B688
Publication Date: 1983

Online Reference Resources

Gale eBooks
[Gale] Database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. Provides searchable full-text e-book versions of over 3,500 reference works, including multi-volume encyclopedias, biographical collections, business plan handbooks, company history compilations, consumer health references, and specialized handbooks, dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. in a wide range of subject areas.

Cambridge History of English and American Literature: An Encyclopedia in Eighteen Volumes
Made available electronically by Bartleby.com: Great Books Online, the introduction states that "the Cambridge History of English and American Literature is considered the most important work of literary history and criticism ever published on writings in the English language. Compiled over fourteen years, from 1907 to 1921, the Cambridge History contains over 303 chapters and 11,000 pages, with essay topics ranging from poetry, fiction, drama and essays to history, theology and political writing. The set encompasses a wide selection of writing on orators, humorists, poets, newspaper columnists, religious leaders, economists, Native Americans, song writers, and even non-English writing, such as Yiddish and Creole."

Oxford English Dictionary
[Oxford] The authoritative resource on the history, development, and usage of the English language. This comprehensive dictionary not only provides definitions of words, but also provides meanings, pronunciations, and the etymology of both contemporary and historical words.
Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism Online
Provides full text access to literary essays on individual critics and theorists, critical and theoretical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historic periods.
Scribner Writers Series
[Gale] Database of bio-critical essays on the lives and works of notable authors from around the world. Entries include concise essays, citations, and biographical information that places the author's work in personal and historical context.

Encyclopedia Britannica

English Language Dictionaries and Thesauri

English language dictionaries
Click "Search" to see dictionaries.
English language thesauri
Click "Search" to see English language thesauri.

Oxford English Dictionary
[Oxford] The authoritative resource on the history, development, and usage of the English language. This comprehensive dictionary not only provides definitions of words, but also provides meanings, pronunciations, and the etymology of both contemporary and historical words.