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E 314

Guide for students in E314 classes

Background Information

Places to start

Background Information can save you time by giving you an overview of your topic. Learn about concepts, vocabulary, and events related to your texts. Background information can help you brainstorm keywords that will bring you better search results in subject-specific databases. You can also find scholarly alternatives to Wikipedia articles in these resources.

Here are some good places to start:

Other options:

  • Find more online encyclopedias purchased by the UT Libraries.
  • Catalog search for your topic and encyclopedia, biography, or bibliography. Ex: "jane austen" AND (encyclopedia OR biography OR dictionary).

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Oxford English Dictionary

Glossaries of Literary Terms

Cambridge Companion Series

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