LibGuides: English: finding library resources for assignments: Types of information

A reference resource, such as an encyclopedia, dictionary, guide, or volume of literary criticism, provides general background information on a topic. High quality reference works produced by scholars are an excellent place to start your research, and can give you give a useful overview of a subject.

How to find reference resources

The following resources are available online:

Literary Encyclopedia This link opens in a new window Biographies of major and minor writers; scholarly descriptions of texts written by these authors and critical essays on literary, cultural and historical matters. Covers English, American, German, Russian, Italian, French and Classical literatures, with increasing coverage of other world literature.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window Online dictionaries, reference books and encyclopedia covering general reference, language and quotations and subject topics across, Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences.
Oxford English Dictionary Online This link opens in a new window Fully searchable and regularly updated online access to the OED. Use as a standard dictionary, or for research into the etymology of the English language.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography This link opens in a new window Online reference work for information about people who have helped shape British history, life and culture. The Dictionary offers concise, up-to-date biographies written by named, specialist authors.
Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window Full text access to the Oxford Handbooks in the Archaeology, Business and Management, Classical Studies, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Economics and Finance, History, Law, Literature, Philosophy, Political Science, Religion and Sociology collections.
Very Short Introductions Online This link opens in a new window Concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects.

If you are looking for a particular novel, poem, play, short story or other type of literary work, start with Library Seach.

Many titles will be available in digital format as e-books.

How to find books

Run a search using the Library Search tool:

This type of information is written by researchers and experts in their field. It could include:

journal articles
critical editions of literary works
a book of critical essays
research monograph (a book on a single specialised topic)

You can find books by searching Library Search.

Journal articles

Scholarly or academic journals go through a "peer review" process, where a panel of experts assesses the article before it is approved for publication.

The majority of the journals available via the library are in digital format. This means they are available to you any time, any place and ensures you can access the latest journal issues as soon as they are published.

How to find journal articles

Use the Library Search to find out which articles have appeared in your research area.
Use research databases such as MLA International Bibliography, JSTOR, and others listed in the Key resources section.

We have a small collection of audiobooks. You can access these from your reading list where available:

You can see the full collection here: https://libbyapp.com/library/exeteruk.

Borrow and read using the Libby app. For more information, see this guide.

News sources can be invaluable research resources. They provide contemporaneous accounts of events as they emerge and unfold, affording a snapshot of developments at a point in time.

By using news archive services, you can also engage in historical research by tracing commentary on issues over time, to identify and track changing political, economic and social trends.

How to find newspaper articles

There is a huge amount of news research material available to you at the University. Use the guides below to help you search:

Current news - how to access articles from regional, national and international newspapers and other publications
News archives - how to find historical news sources by country or theme. These sources offer unique perspectives on events, thoughts and concerns of the time and are a rich source of primary source material for research.

TV, film, sound and image sources can all be important research resources.

How to find film resources

Use the Database A-Z List to discover the Film and Sound databases that are available to you.

Key resources include Box of Broadcasts - watch recorded TV and radio programmes from free to air channels, and Kanopy - watch critically acclaimed films, documentaries and foreign language films.

You can also visit the Film subject guide to find out more.

Box of Broadcasts This link opens in a new window An online service for off-air recording, media streaming and archiving of TV and radio programmes from all scheduled free to air broadcast channels. BoB provides a facility for recording, creating clips and playlists of programmes.
Kanopy This link opens in a new window Online video streaming platform. Includes critically-acclaimed movies, inspiring documentaries, award-winning foreign films and more. Films are discoverable via Library Search.