Research typically begins with an examination of primary texts, which are found using the MU Library's Main Catalog.The best place to start in the the catalog is in the Subject search.
You can also try Google Book Search for public domain books that you can download as PDFs or e-reader format. If you discover that your search is too broad, consider using Google's Advanced Book Search to locate only those titles that are full-text.
The best place to find books is in the MU Library Catalog. Common search paths include:
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Search by |
Search examples |
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Keyword |
"Orwell and criticism" |
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Author |
"George Orwell" (books by Orwell) |
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Title |
"Nineteen Eighty-Four" |
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Subject Heading |
"Orwell, George" (books about Orwell) |
Reference Materials
Use the following sources to find reference works on literary genres, bibliographies (historical lists of works produced by a single author), literature from specific ethnic groups or geographical locations, literary companions, and literary history:
Histories/Guides
Oxford Companion to English Literature. PR 19 O94 2000
Oxford Companion to Irish Literature. PR 8706 O88 1996
Shakespeare Companion. PR 2892 H3 1964a
Oxford Companion to Women's Writing in the United States. PS 147 O94 1995
Companion to Southern Lit.:Themes, Genres, Places, People, Movements, and Motifs. PS 261 C55 2002
Voices of Multicultural
Reader's Guide to Literature in English. PR 85 R42 1996
Encyclopedia of the Novel. 2 vols. PN 41 E487 1988
Encyclopedia of World Literature in the Twent. Century. PN 771 E5 1999
Timetables of World Literature. PN 524 K87 2003
Literary Criticism
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism
Poetry
Granger's Index to Poetry. PN 1022 H39 2002
Critical Survey of Poetry. Multiple vols. PN 1021 C7 2003
American and British Poetry: A Guide to the Criticism. PS 303 A44
Companion to Twentieth-Century Poetry. PR 601 C56 2001
Encyclopedia of American Poetry: The Nineteenth Century. PS 316 E53 1998
Last Lines: An Index to the Last Lines of Poetry. 2 vols. PN 1022 .K55 1992
Patterns of Poetry: An Encyclopedia of Forms. Ref. PN1042 .W514 1986
Theater
Critical Survey of Drama. Multiple vols. PN 1625 C68 2003
World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre. Multiple vols. PN 1861 W67 1994
Oxford Companion to the Theatre. PN 2035 O9 1983
