Cornell University Cornell University Library Guides - English 1185: Rights and Fictions

Reference Sources for English Literature and Shakespeare

Reference sources -- both in print and online -- can provide information and overviews of a subject, providing historical context, identifying key events and people, and describing important concepts. A good reference source might also contain a core bibliography of books and journal articles worth looking for. This list highlights some reference material of particular relevance for this class.

Language & Literary Terms

Abrams, M.H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 9th ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage, 2009. Olin Ref PN41 A184 2009: "For clarity, concision and elegance Abrams has few peers and no superiors; plain spoken but not simplistic, his essays on critical methods are the best short treatments in the business." (Choice)
A Dictionary of Human Rights, by David Robertson. London ; New York : Europa, 2004. 2nd ed. Olin Ref K3239.3 R67 2004
Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism c1997- .: A full-text searchable database of articles on individual critics and theorists, critical and theoretical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods. It also treats related persons and fields that have been shaped by or have themselves shaped literary theory and criticism. Each entry includes a selective primary and secondary bibliography. Paper edition (2005) in Olin Reference: Olin Ref PN81 J554 2005 +.
Oxford English Dictionary Online: The greatest dictionary of the English language, its aim is to present in alphabetical series the words that have formed the English vocabulary from the time of the earliest records down to the present day, with all the relevant facts concerning their form, meaning, pronunciation, and etymology. Over 400,000 entries. The most important use of this dictionary is for historical information about a word. This online edition is more up-to-date than the printed Second Edition, and represents the latest progress towards the Third Edition. Second ed. in Olin Ref PE 1625 M98 1989, and Uris Ref PE1625 M978 1989

Encyclopedias and Guides

Basic Documents on Human Rights.edited by Ian Brownlie and Guy S. Goodwin-Gill. 4th ed. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2002. Olin Reference K3238 A1 B76x 2002
Cambridge Historical Encyclopedia of Great Britain and Ireland. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1985. Uris Ref DA 34 C17+; also Olin Ref: An illustrated overview of British history. Provides chapters of about forty pages each dealing with the major periods in British history, for example, "Reformation and Inflation, 1450-1625."
Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America, editors, David Schultz and John Vile. Armonk, NY: Sharpe Reference, c2005. 3 v.Olin Ref JC599 U5 E53 2004+: Covers concepts and issues related to the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and its application to issues of race, gender, and related classifications. Entries include selected bibliographies.
Encyclopedia of Human Rights. 2nd ed. 1996. Olin Ref + JC 571 E61 1996: Provides an overview of human rights concepts, activities of international organizations, and practices in 150 countries. Includes a glossary of human rights terms and lists of instruments and other documents.
Encyclopedia of Philosophy.Donald M. Borchert, editor in chief. Detroit : Macmillan Reference USA, c2006. 2nd ed.: Containing material from hundreds of highly distinguished contributors representing the world’s top universities and institutions, the second edition has a truly global perspective. It contains more than 2,100 entries -- including more than 450 new articles. Among the many topics covered are African, Islamic, Jewish, Russian, Chinese, and Buddhist philosophies; bioethics and biomedical ethics; art and aesthetics; epistemology; metaphysics; peace and war; social and political philosophy; the Holocaust; feminist thought; and much more. Additionally, the second edition also features 1,000 biographical entries on major figures in philosophical thought throughout history. Print copy at Olin Ref B51 E56 2006 +
Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment edited by Alan Charles Kors. New York : Oxford University Press, c2005.: This resource covers the Enlightenment from 1670 to 1815. Includes information on North America, and Brazil, and Iberian, Russian, Jewish, and Eastern European cultures as well as Western Europe. Print copy at Olin Reference B802 E53 2003+
Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements. Edited and revised by Anthony Mango. 4 vols. 3rd ed. New York : Routledge, 2003. Olin Ref KZ4968 O84x 2003+: This 4-volume work offers a comprehensive overview of the United Nations and the UN system, including entries on intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations with connections to the work of the UN. Also included are the texts of 50 declarations of the UN General Assembly and the texts of major human rights instruments. Articles are arranged alphabetically and most entries conclude with a list of sources for further reading.
International Encyclopedia of Human Rights : Freedoms, abuses, and remedies. by Robert L. Maddex.
Washington, D.C. : CQ Press, c2000. Olin Ref JC571 M3243x 2000 +: "Giving the broadest scope to the terms human rights and freedoms, this reference encompasses constitutional rights and freedoms as well as those addressed in international and regional agreements."
Literature Resource Center [Farmington Hills, MI] : Gale Group, c1999-.: "The Literature Resource Center (LRC) is a complete literature reference database designed for the undergraduate student. LRC combines biographical, bibliographical, and contextual information to deliver a complete reference/resource package on authors and their works (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, history, and journalism). Centering on respected Gale sources, including Contemporary Authors, Dictionary of Literary Biography, and Contemporary Literary Criticism, this data set is augmented with full-text, excerpted, and commissioned critical material illuminating an oeuvre or era... LRC [also] offers the Encyclopedia of Literature,... The Scribner Writer Series, and The Twayne Authors Series: Twayne's US Authors, Twayne's English Authors and Twayne's World Authors, providing literary criticism, history and influence of literary movements, and the development of literary genres for approximately 200 authors.
Oxford Companion to Politics of the World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy: The Routledge Encyclopedia provides an excellent update to the older Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The Routledge Encyclopedia's coverage of ethics is noticeably better, making this a first choice for ethicists. Articles are followed by brief bibliographies. Print edition at Olin Ref B51 R68 1998. The online version of the 10-volume Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy can be browsed by philosophical themes, philosophies, historical periods, and religions. Full text entries can be searched by keyword, title, contributor, or bibliography.