Research Guides: Literatures in English: Background Research

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Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism
Comprehensive survey of current literary theory, including historical considerations, critics, schools, and movements.
Oxford Reference Online
Collection of high quality reference works and dictionaries.
Reference Universe
Indexes the contents of print and electronic reference works. Good for names, events, keywords, and obscure terms.
Gale eBooks
Database of encyclopedia articles and other specialized reference resources from a variety of disciplines.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Leading encyclopedia for philosophical concepts, written by major scholars in philosophy.

Literary and Critical Theory (Oxford Bibliographies Online)
Peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies and short encyclopedia entries on the subject of Literary and Critical Theory.
American Literature (Oxford Bibliographies Online)
Peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies and short encyclopedia entries on the subject of American Literature.
British and Irish Literature (Oxford Bibliographies Online)
Peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies and short encyclopedia entries on the subject of British and Irish Literature.
Victorian Literature (Oxford Bibliographies Online)
Peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies and short encyclopedia entries on the subject of Victorian Literature.

Gale Literature: Dictionary of Literary Biography
Encyclopedia of critical and biographical information about individuals in every literary field, from the Middle Ages to the present.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Standard biographical work on figures who have shaped British history and culture, worldwide, from the Romans to the 21st century.
American National Biography Online
Biographical profiles of people from all eras who have influenced and shaped American history and culture.
Biography Reference Source (EBSCO)
Provides access to full-text biographies, including the complete full text of Biography and Biography Today.
Literary Reference Source (EBSCO)
Full-text literary database covering all genres and time periods. Includes synopses, critical essays, book reviews, literary journals and author biographies, plus full-text classic novels, short stories and poems.

Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
Historical dictionary covering words from across the English-speaking world by tracing word usage through quotations from a range of international English language sources.
Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE)
Reference work identifying, mapping, and defining American regional expressions and local slang.