LibGuides: English Literature: Home

Top Library Research Tools

Ready to dive into your research?

Below are links to the top reference tools, scholarly databases with journal articles, and other library resources. If you'd like to go deeper with your research, use the tabs along the side.

Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
The definitive record of the English language, provides in-depth etymologies and usage of words over time.
MLA International Bibliography
Find literary criticism, scholarly journal articles, book chapters, essays on major works of literature and authors. Search interface through EBSCO. Tutorial on how to use MLA.
JSTOR
The name stands for "journal storage" – a massive interdisciplinary archive of scholarly articles and books, going back to the 19th century.
Literature Online (LION)
A wonderful collection of reference articles (biographies, encyclopedias) on authors and literary movements, scholarly journals in literary studies, and original texts. Includes the long-standing ABELL index.
Project MUSE
An interdisciplinary collection of scholarly journal articles and ebooks, with strong collections in the humanities.
Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism
Excellent scholarly synopses of key literary theories, criticism, theorists/critics, and philosophers, from Plato and Aristotle to the present.