duPont Library: English 359: Renaissance Literature I: Getting Started

Get a Better Understanding with Background Sources

The Encyclopaedia of the Renaissance
"The Encyclopaedia of the Renaissance details in its many entries the broad range of events, people, ideas and movements that together have come to represent this era. The encyclopaedia also covers a complete range of general topics." 1988.

Oxford English Dictionary
Widely regarded as the most authoritative and comprehensive dictionary of English in the world. In addition to providing present-day meanings, the OED is a historical dictionary which traces the evolution of words (and the English language) over the last 1500 years through 3 million quotations from a wide range of sources.

Oxford Bibliographies: Renaissance & Reformation
"In contrast to print bibliographies and electronic indexes that simply list citations, this innovative online reference tool will combine the best features of a high-level encyclopedia and the best features of a traditional bibliography put together in a style that responds to the way people do research online." Editor-in-chief: Margaret King

Early English Books Online (EEBO)
Time Period: 1473-1700
Location: North America, Europe
A collection of digital facsimile page images of virtually every work printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and British North America and works in English printed elsewhere from 1473-1700 - from the first book printed in English by William Caxton, through the age of Spenser and Shakespeare and the tumult of the English Civil War.

Sources: Early English Books I (Pollard & Redgrave, STC I), 1475-1640, Early English Books II (Wing, STC II), 1641-1700, Thomason Tracts.
Historical Abstracts
An index of sources of world history from 1450 to the present, excluding the United States and Canada. Covers scholarly periodicals, books, collections, and dissertations, from 1955 to present. Updated monthly. Citations and abstracts only. Up to 6 concurrent users.

Search interface: EBSCOHost.

Polish some of the research skills that will be necessary for research, writing, and presentation across multiple academic disciplines.