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An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary 1v. and suppl. [RR PE279.B7]
Entries provide definitions and examples of use. See "Explanations
of References" in the preface for help in abbreviations. Consult both the
main volume and the supplement.
Oxford English Dictionary 20v. plus 3 volumes of
Additions Series [RR PE1625.087 1989]
Entries outline the history of a given word, from the date of
its introduction to the present. Entries illustrate how meaning, pronunciation,
and use have evolved over time.
OED Online
Contains the complete text of the 20-volume Second Edition and
its 3-volume Additions Series. St. Olaf has a subscription to this resource.
A Guide to the Oxford English Dictionary [RR PE1617
.049 B47 1993]
A great source explaining the various nuances of the OED.
MLA
International Bibliography
The online version of MLA, produced by the Modern Language Association.
MLA provides access to scholarly research in over 3000 journals and series.
Also covers monographs, essays, working papers, proceedings and other formats.
Subjects include literature, language, linguistics and folklore.
A Bibliography of Publications on Old English Literature
[RR PR173 .G69 1982]
Begin with the Table of Contents => Part Two: Old English
Poetry. The list of abbreviations follows the preface.
Guide to British Poetry Explication 4v. [RR PR311
.M34 1991]
Use Volume 1: Old English - Medieval
The New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature
5v. [RR PR57 .N4 1969]
Contains citations to primary sources and secondary criticism.
Especially useful as a supplement to the Norton Anthology when searching for
an authoritative text. Volume 1 covers 600 - 1660.
Old English Literature: A Select Bibliography [RR PR166 .R65 1970]
Old English Wisdom Poetry [RR PR215 .P7 1998]
From the series Annotated Bibliographies of Old and Middle English
Literature.
Old and Middle English Literature - Goldentree Bibliographies
[RR PR1505 .M32 1968]
"A guide to scholarship in important areas of English literature
and culture before 1525."
Biography and Genealogy Master Index
An on-line index to biographical encyclopedias and dictionaries.
Dictionary of World Biography [RR CT104 .D54 1998]
Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages 2v. [RR D114 .E53
2000]
See, for example, entry titled Poetry, Medieval. You may also
want to look at Dictionary of the Middle Ages 13v. plus index [RR D114 .D5 1982]
British Authors Before 1800: Biographical Dictionary [RR PR105 .K9]
The Critical Temper: A Survey of Modern Criticism on English and
American Literature from the Beginnings to the Twentieth Century
5v. [RR PR83 .C75]
Use Volume 1: From Old English to Shakespeare.
THE GALE SERIES:
Dictionary of Literary Biography [RR PN451 .D4---]
Covers writers, movements, and periods. Scholarly essays by
authorities. Selective bibliographies. See especially: v. 146: Old and Middle
English Literature.
Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism (CMLC)
[RR PA1 .C55--]
Excerpts from criticism of the works of world authors from classical
antiquity through the 14th century, from the first appraisals to current evaluations.
Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800 (LC) [RR PN86
.L56 --]
Critical discussion of the works of 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th
century novelists, poets, playwrights, philosophers, and other creative writers.
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of The English Language [RR PE1072 .C68 1995]
The Cambridge History of the English Language [RR
PE1072 .C36 1992]
See especially v. 1: The Beginnings to 1066; and v. 2: 1066-1476.
Bridge catalogs resources available at St. Olaf and Carleton libraries. Use Bridge to search for books (including subject-specific bibliographies and biographies) and periodicals, but not chapters within books or articles within periodicals.
Search Bridge by Title, Author, Keyword or Subject. Some relevant subject headings:
You may request materials housed at Carleton directly from Bridge.
Any item not owned by St. Olaf may be ordered through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) provided you allow enough time.
Remember to evaluate each site critically for authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage.
| Ask: | Look for: | |
| Authorship | Who wrote the page? Does the author have appropriate education, training, or experience to write with authority (credibility) on this topic? | Linked biographical statements, resumes, or other background about the site author. If no individual author is named, consider the reputation of the organization associated with the site. |
| Coverage | Is the topic explored in depth? Is there considerable content on the page? Are entire articles or items provided or just excerpts from larger works? Does the site point you to other sites? | Sources documented with footnotes or links. Balance of text and images. |
| Objectivity | Is the presentation biased (one-sided) or balanced (both pro and con viewpoints provided)? Are claims and arguments supported (with documentation) or unsubstantiated? | References to alternative points of view. Factual documentation od arguments. |
| Currency | When was the page written or last updated? Is the site well maintained (eg.are links functional or broken)? |
Page creation or revision dates. "What's New" page that describes when content was updated. Press releases or other dated materials. |
| Recognition | Do others recognize the value of this site, either in reviews or by linking to it? | Other sites that link to a site you are evaluating. Reviews of the site. |
Based on "Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask." UC Berkeley - Teaching Library Internet Workshops. 7Jan. 2005. 14 Feb. 2005. <http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html>, and "Evaluating Web Sites." The Ohio State Univeristy Libraries. 14 Feb. 2005. <http://gateway.lib.ohio-state.edu/tutor/>.
A few good review sites that evaluate web contents:
Librarians' Index to the Internet --"A searchable, annotated subject directory of more than 14,000 Internet resources selected and evaluated by librarians for their usefulness to users."
Infomine: Scholarly Internet Resource Collections -- "A virtual library of Internet resources relevant to faculty, students, and research staff."
The Scout Report Archives -- "A searchable and browseable database containing critical annotations of carefully selected Internet sites and mailing lists."
A few good sites to try include The Voice of the Shuttle: Medieval Studies, maintained by the University of California, Santa Barbara, and History of the English Language from the University of Vermont, and Literary Resources on the Net , a searchable "collection of annotated links to sites on the Internet dealing especially with English and American literature"
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers Sixth Edition [RR LB2369 .G53 2003]
For an online guide to cite your sources, consult Assembling a List of Works Cited in Your Paper.
For more detailed information on documenting sources from the Web, see MLA Style
Choose MLA Style => Frequently Asked Questions => How do I document sources
from the World Wide Web in my works-cited list?