Guides: ENG 3311 English Literature through the Sixteenth Century: Reference Databases

Reference Databases for Literature

Dictionary of literary biography This link opens in a new window
Provides nearly 10,000 biographical and critical essays on the lives, works, and careers of influential literary figures from all eras and genres. Coverage is analytic as well as biographical.

Johns Hopkins guide to literary theory & criticism
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism is recognized as the most authoritative and even-handed reference to the intellectual traditions of literary theory, from the margins to the mainstream. When the Guide was first published in a print edition by the Johns Hopkins University Press, it garnered wide acclaim.

Literature criticism online This link opens in a new window
Provides access to twelve literary criticism collections.

Literature resource center
Provides access to biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses of more than 120,000 authors from every age and literary discipline. The information is taken from Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Literary Criticism, Dictionary of Literary Biography, and other resources.
Oxford English dictionary
For more than a century, the Oxford English Dictionary has been the undisputed authority on the history and development of the English language. With more than 2.5 million quotations illustrating how words are used, the OED is a unique source of information on the evolution of words and meanings, from the earliest times to the present day.
Scribner writers series
Includes 15-20 page signed essays on more than 2,000 authors and literary genres drawn from the acclaimed Scribner print series. Each signed article was written by a noted scholar and concludes with a bibliography of primary and secondary sources for further study.
Twayne's authors series
Compares 600 full-text titles fromthe Twayne Literary Masters series, 200 each from Twayne World, US, and English authors.