Guide to English Language & Literature

Research Guides

These guides will introduce you to the methods and sources most frequently used in literary research. They should be consulted as the first step in any research project. Look in other sections of this guide for additional materials.

• Altick, Richard and John J. Fenstermaker.
  The Art of Literary Research, 4th. ed. New York: Norton, 1993.
  HODGES PR56.A68 1993

An excellent guide to research techniques in literary studies. Good introduction for graduates and undergraduates.

• Balay, Robert, ed.
  Guide to Reference Books, 11th. ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 1996.
  HODGES Reference Desk Z1035.1.G89 1996

General bibliography to reference materials, including literature and other topics.

• DeMiller, Anna.
  Linguistics: A Guide to the Reference Literature, 2nd. ed. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2000.
  HODGES Reference P121.D65 2000

Best available guide to essential sources in linguistics. Available online to UT users through NetLibrary.

• Gibaldi, Joseph, ed.
  Introduction to Scholarship in Modern Languages and Literatures, 2nd. ed. New York: Modern Language Association, 1992.
  HODGES PB35.I57 1992

Collection of essays describing various fields and theoretical approaches to language and literary study. What do literary scholars do and how do they do it?

• Harner, James L.
  Literary Research Guide: An Annotated Listing of Reference Sources in English Literary Studies, 4th. ed. New York: Modern Language Association, 2002.
  HODGES Reference Desk PR83.H37 2002

The pre-eminant bibliography of reference tools in English-language literary studies. See description and notes on future revisions at http://www-english.tamu.edu/pubs/lrg.

• Marcuse, Michael J.
  A Reference Guide for English Studies. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990,
  HODGES Reference PR56.M37 1990

Somewhat broader in scope than Harner (includes citations to "notable" individual literary works), not as up-to-date, however.