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Literature: Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Reference Tools
Most of our reference resources are electronic and bundled within other, larger sources like Literature Resource Center and Oxford Reference.
- Dictionary of Literary Biography This link opens in a new windowThe Dictionary of Literary Biography is an encyclopedia of literary figures with strongest coverage of those working in English. Entries interweave author biography with a discussion of their works and include substantial references for further research. The resource also includes entries for notable screenwriters, journalists, publishers and children's authors.
- Cambridge Companions This link opens in a new windowThe Cambridge Companions is a collection of full-text, scholarly reviewed essay anthologies on a range of topics in literature, the classics, philosophy, culture and religion. The collection is best for searching on particular authors, movements, eras and works.
- Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new windowLiterature Resource Center includes full text access to a wide range of sources for literary research, including peer-reviewed journal articles, book reviews, biographical and topical overview essays and poetry and short fiction from contemporary literary magazines.
- Oxford English Dictionary (OED) This link opens in a new windowThe accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. It includes the meaning, history, and pronunciation of over half a million words.
- Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new windowTwo million digitized entries across Oxford’s Dictionaries, Companions and Encyclopedias, spanning 25 different subject areas.
Choosing a Dictionary or Encyclopedia
Dictionaries and encyclopedias are a great place to start looking for background information about your topic, including:
- An overview of a topic
- Facts and quick answers
- Paths to other sources
- Keywords to use in your searches
- Last Updated: Jul 31, 2023 11:58 AM
- URL: https://libguides.gvsu.edu/english-literature