Background Literature Resources
Why use background or tertiary resources?
- Learn important terms, notable scholars or works, and more information about a topic.
- Bibliographies, further reading, and works cited sections can lead you to secondary sources you can use in your research.
- It's a quick overview of a theme, work, author, or other topic, which can save you time!
- A Dictionary of Gender Studies
Definitions of terms related to the field of gender studies. Available online.
Encyclopedia of Activism and Social JusticeInterdisciplinary encyclopedia focused on topics and concepts related to activism and social justice. Available online.
The Encyclopedia of the GothicEntries on scholarship and thought related to the gothic from over 100 leading scholars on the topic.
The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies, 5 Volume SetResource for students and scholars in the overlapping areas of gender, feminist, queer, masculinity, and sexuality studies.
The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic MonstersOver 200 entries about monsters in film, literature, and television. Includes cross-listings for entries and further information to see how monsters are related.
Secondary Resources - Databases for Literature Research
- MLA International Bibliography
Citations, abstracts, and full text materials. Includes articles and books. Does not include book reviews. - Humanities International Index
Citations and abstracts for articles, books, reviews, and reference sources in the humanities. Many links to full text articles. - JSTOR
Journal articles. Most items are older than five years. - Project Muse
Journal articles. Most items are recent publications (less than five years old). - Performing arts periodicals database
Covers arts and entertainment (dance, film, television, drama, etc.). Each full text in the file contains an abstract. - GenderWatch
Interdisciplinary database that is especially helpful for social sciences related topics. - Historical abstracts
Selected full text. Chiefly scholarly. Chiefly secondary sources. Covers history of the world (except North America) since 1450 C.E. Multilingual.
Library Catalog Searching - Subject Headings
- Feminism: Subject Heading BrowseSee all the subject headings under the Feminism umbrella.
- "Feminist theory."Searches the catalog for all materials that are catalogued with this subject heading.
- Monsters: Subject Heading BrowseSee all the subject headings under the Monsters umbrella.
- "Horror films > History and criticism."Searches the catalog for all materials that are catalogued with this subject heading.
- "Gothic fiction (Literary genre), English > History and criticism."Searches the catalog for all materials that are catalogued with this subject heading.
Helpful handouts and links
- Bookmark PasskeyBookmark link that reloads a page with your Cornell credentials, when available.
- Scan RequestsRequest a scan of an article or chapter of book. This can be of items Cornell owns, or items that we do not own!
Reference Librarian
Land Acknowledgement
Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York state, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' people, past and present, to these lands and waters.
This land acknowledgment has been reviewed and approved by the traditional Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' leadership.