Scholarly literature
This section guides you through finding writings by scholars who discuss literary works and their historical, cultural and social contexts. These are often known as secondary works.
There are two main ways to discover secondary works: via Library Search and specialist bibliographical databases.
Library Search
Library Search is the Library's main catalogue and a great starting point for your study and research. Use it to find individual books and journal articles, and books and journals on your subject.
For advice on using Library Search to find books and articles, refer to the tutorial below or contact me.
Bibliographical databases
Bibliographical databases, sometimes known as subject indexes, provide records of scholarly books, articles, conference papers and doctoral theses. They enable you to do deeper, richer research, and are particularly useful for longer essays and dissertations/theses.
Use of Library Search to find key books on your subject is recommended before you turn to bibliographies/indexes to do more in-depth research.
- MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
Index of scholarly writings in languages, literatures, linguistics and related areas such as translation. Provides references to books, chapters, articles, theses. Highly recommended for Modern Languages research.
- International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS) This link opens in a new window
The International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS) is an essential online resource for social science and interdisciplinary research. IBSS includes journal articles and to books, reviews and selected chapters dating back to 1951. It is unique in its broad coverage of international material and incorporates over 100 languages and countries.
- Oxford Bibliographies Online This link opens in a new window
Authoritative guides to scholarship on a wide range of subjects, written and reviewed by leading academic experts.
- International Medieval Bibliography (IMB) This link opens in a new window
An index of scholarly research on history, literature and culture from 400 to 1500AD. Geographical coverage includes North Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new window
JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources.
- Project Muse This link opens in a new window
Covers literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, etc. Contains current full text scholarly journals which cover these fields and a significant collection of recent scholarly books.
- EThOS (Electronic Theses Online Service) This link opens in a new window
UK’s national thesis service providing records of all doctoral theses awarded by UK Higher Education institutions and free access to the full text of as many theses as possible. Please note: UK theses not available on EThOS can be requested via the Inter-Library Loan service.
- ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window
Includes citations to dissertations and theses from 1861 to the present day. Full-text is available for most dissertations added since 1997. The official digital dissertations archive for the Library of Congress, it also includes UK & Ireland content.
New additions to the collections
Vénus Noire: black women and colonial fantasies in nineteenth-century France
Even though there were relatively few people of color in postrevolutionary France, images of and discussions about black women in particular appeared repeatedly in a variety of French cultural sectors and social milieus. In Vénus Noire, Robin Mitchell shows how these literary and visual depictions of black women helped to shape the country's postrevolutionary national identity, particularly in response to the trauma of the French defeat in the Haitian Revolution.
Developments in French politics 6
This new version of a leading textbook on French politics offers expert analysis of recent national and international events, discussing their significance for France itself as well as for Europe and the wider world. It covers a wide range of current challenges facing the country under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron and considers how issues such as immigration, multiculturalism and gender and sexual politics fit with wider patterns in global politics.
Ethics and Aesthetics in Contemporary African Cinema
Since the beginnings of African cinema, the realm of beauty on screen has been treated with suspicion by directors and critics alike. James S. Williams explores an exciting new generation of African directors, including Abderrahmane Sissako, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Fanta Régina Nacro, Alain Gomis, Newton I. Aduaka, Jean-Pierre Bekolo and Mati Diop.
Contemporary Fiction in French
Our global literary field is fluid and exists in a state of constant evolution. Contemporary fiction in French has become a polycentric and transnational field of vibrant and varied experimentation; the collapse of the distinction between 'French' and 'Francophone' literature has opened up French writing to a world of new influences and interactions. In this collection, renowned scholars provide thoughtful close readings of a whole range of genres, from graphic novels to crime fiction to the influence of television and film, to analyse modern French fiction in its historical and sociological context.
Les Haïtiens en France
Chap. I. Une société ambivalente -- Chap. II. Approche méthodologique -- Chap. III. Une classe moyenne en diaspora -- Chap. IV. Le vécu de Tailleurs représenté -- Chap. V. Le somatisé de Tailleurs -- Chap. VI. Des Haïtiens en France.
Locations of printed collections
Using the MLA International Bibliography
Bibliographical database tutorial
This interactive tutorial guides you through the process of using databases optimally to find information on your topic. It should take about 30 minutes to complete.