Research Resources:
Subject Research Guides:
Literatures in English:
Current Secondary Bibliographies and Indexes
Use to locate criticism, scholarship, and literary theory. Most of these are annuals; a few
are updated more frequently.
**MLA International Bibliography. (1921-1996).
Also available online (1926-1962).
ALEXANDER REF Z 6511.M62
Abstracts of English Studies. (1958-1991).
Includes brief, non-evaluative summaries of articles and books on English and American literature (and other English-language literatures).
ALEXANDER REF Z 2011.A27
American Literary Scholarship. (1963+).
Unlike the MLA, ALS
does not merely list bibliographic citations; instead, it features bibliographic essays by scholars who
analyze critical trends and evaluate major studies. Arranged by periods and genres, and featuring
chapters on major figures like Melville and Dickinson. Annual, but usually two years or more behind.
Now available online, through
Project Muse, from 1998 onward.
ALEXANDER REF PS 3.A47
Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature. (1920-1996).
Focuses on English and American literature, and for those areas, nearly as comprehensive as MLA. Divided into chronological periods, and then subdivided by author. Also includes sections on language, bibliography, folklore, computing in the humanities, etc.
ABELL is now available through the Rutgers subscription to Literature Online (LION).
ALEXANDER REF Z 2011.M689A
Annual Bibliography of Victorian Studies. (1976+).
Similar to the Eighteenth Century in its interdisciplinary approach (though focusing only on Britain) but much
more timely. Retrospective searching is made easier by a number of five-year cumulations.
ALEXANDER REF Z 2019.A641
Arts and Humanities Citation Index. (1978+).
Though difficult to use, a good index for interdisciplinary topics.
Indexed by author and title keyword, and also allows citation searching--checking for who has
cited a classic critical or scholarly text. Semi-annual, with annual cumulations.
Now available online as part of the
Web of Science.
ALEXANDER REF AI 3.A76
The Eighteenth Century: A Current Bibliography. (1970+).
A continuation and expansion of English Literature 1660-1800, A Bibliography of Modern Studies
(Ref. Z 2011.E6) which included criticism and scholarship published from 1926 to 1969. Covers history,
philosophy, religion, science, fine arts, etc., as well as literature in America, Britain, and the Continent.
Many of the entries are annotated, some quite extensively. A wonderful interdisciplinary bibliography, but its usefulness is limited by increasingly
slow publication--1999 is the most recent volume as of 1/05.
ALEXANDER REF Z 2011.E61
Essay and General Literature Index. (1900+).
Indexes collections of essays. Very selective, but a useful adjunct to the more comprehensive indexes. Semi-annual, with annual and quinquennial cumulations.
ALEXANDER REF AI 3.E752
Film Literature Index. (1973+).
Good coverage of film periodicals, both
popular and more scholarly. Quarterly plus annual cumulations. MLA also covers film.
ALEXANDER REF PN 1993.F53
Humanities Index.
ALEXANDER REF AI 3.R472 (1974-1998).
Index to Black Periodicals. (1950+).
Covers roughly 40 scholarly and popular titles. Selective, but of some use.
ALEXANDER REF AI 3.O4.
International Bibliography of Theatre. (1982-1999).
Focuses more on performance than on drama as literature, but still of use for some students.
ALEXANDER REF PN 1561.I6835
International Index to Film Periodicals. (1972+).
Another source for film criticism and scholarship, with better coverage of foreign films and critics.
ALEXANDER REF PN 1993.I49
Poole's Index to Periodical Literature, 1802-1906.
A subject and author index to nearly 500 British and American periodicals. Flawed, but still tremendously useful.
ALEXANDER REF AI3.P7.
Wellesley Index to Victorian Periodicals, 1824-1900. 5 volumes.
Indexes prose contents of 43 major periodicals. No real subject indexing (though see
Poole's); rather, the tables of contents for individual issues, chronologically arranged,
with bibliographies of contributors. An invaluable source for Victorianists.
ALEXANDER REF Z 2005.H6.
Year's Work in Critical and Cultural Theory. (2000+).
Evaluative essays
on recent cultural and theoretical works. Available online as of 2006.
Now available online: link to
IRIS, search by title, and follow electronic access link.
ALEXANDER REF PN 80.Y43
Year's Work in English Studies. (1919-1994; 2000+).
Features selective and evaluative bibliographic essays on English and American literature. Available online as of 2006.
Now available online: link to
IRIS, search by title, and follow electronic access link.
ALEXANDER REF PE 58.E58AY
Year's Work in Modern Language Studies. (1929+).
Similar to Year's Work in English Studies in format, but devoted to non-English language literatures. Very useful for those involved in comparative studies.
ALEXANDER REF PB 1.Y39
