ENGL 4351 (Dr. Wilcox): Works of Chaucer
Purpose: To acquaint you with materials in Cornette Library and on the World Wide Web that will make research for your assignment easier.
Reference Sources
- Excellent place to start research.
- Provide background information.
- Include basic information sources like dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, chronologies, and research guides.
Subject Dictionaries
- Chaucer Glossary
- PR 1941 .C5 Ref
- The author's purpose is "to explain the meanings of words and phrases in Chaucer's works which are used in ways unfamiliar in modern English." Definitions include a reference to the work in which the word or words appear.
- A Chaucer Dictionary: Proper Names and Allusions, Excluding Place Names
- PR 1903 .D6 Ref.
- "The object in all of the listings is to determine, as nearly as possible, the associations in the poet's mind and his interest in his sources." Each name in the glossary has an annotation which includes a reference to the work in which it appears.
- Chaucer Name Dictionary: Guide to Astrological, Literary, and Mythological Names in the Works of Geoffrey Chaucer
- PR 1903 .D4 1988 Ref.
- Includes "information on personal names in Chaucer's works and on the names of gods and goddesses in their mythological and planetary aspects." The dictionary uses the Chaucerian spellings of the the names.
- Chaucer Handbook
- PR 1905 .F7 1947 Ref.
Subject Encyclopedias
- Oxford Companion to Chaucer
- PR 1903 .O94 2003 Ref
- Over 2,000 "entries on Chaucer's life, his family and friends, his works and the characters in them, his reading and the use he made of it." Most of the entries are relatively brief and include references for the sources.
- Cambridge History of English Literature
- PR 83 .C22
- A multi-volume set. Volume II is subtitled The End of the Middle Ages and contains a lengthy chapter on Chaucer.
Other Reference Sources
- Dictionary of Literary Biography: Volume 146: Old and Middle English Literature
- PS 221 .D5 v. 146 Ref.
- Includes information on Chaucer, an overview of his work, and as is the purpose of this series "to place the figures in the larger perspective of literary history and to offer appraisals of their accomplishments by qualified scholars."
- A Concordance to the Complete Works of Chaucer and the the Romaunt of the Rose
- PR 1941 .T3 Ref.
- One of the major Chaucer concordances. The authors are John S.P. Tatlock and Arthur G. Kennedy; this was published in 1927.
Bibliographies
- The Essential Chaucer: An Annotated Bibliography of Major Modern Studies
- Z 8164 .A43 1987 Ref.
- Guide to twentieth-century Chaucer studies. Includes 925 studies published between 1900 and 1984. Items are listed under the general topic or Chaucerian work dealt with most directly. Many cross-references. Brief annotations
- A Bibliography of Chaucer, 1974-1985
- Z 8164 .B275 1988 Ref.
- A bibliography updating Lorrayne Baird's A Bibliography of Chaucer, 1964-1973. Includes more that 2,500 entries.
- Annotated Chaucer Bibliography, 1986-1996
- Z 8164 .B69 2002 Ref.
- "A compilation of the bibliographical information accumulated over eleven years (1986-96) in the annual journal of the New Chaucer Society, Studies in the Age of Chaucer".
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Books
- Cornette Library's online catalog
- Includes books, government documents, videos, journal titles, etc. available throughout the Library. Suggested searches include:
- a keyword search for your subject, such as Chaucer.
- the general LC subject heading Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
- the LC subject heading for a specific time and place such as Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400 criticism and interpretation.
To determine the most appropriate subject headings for your search, refer to the red Library of Congress Subject Headings near the Reference computers in the Library or search the online Library of Congress Authorities Catalog.
- WorldCat
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- Online catalog for libraries around the world.
- Lists Cornette Library books along with many more in other libraries.
- Search by keyword, author, title, or subject.
- Request books not in Cornette Library through the pre-filled Interlibrary loan form. Allow at least two weeks for the books to arrive.
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Journal, Magazine, & Newspaper Articles
Provide current information
- Library shelves contain more than 1500 bound and current journals.
- Microform (film or fiche) available for dozens of leading newspapers, as well as other periodicals.
- Databases index articles found in journals and magazines.
- Citation only;
- Citation and a short summary of the article (abstract);
- Full text;
- General, covering many kinds of topics, and specialized, for specific disciplines.
- For this assignment be sure to use scholarly sources, not general interest magazines. The differences are important, for citation and for evaluating reliability.
How to Access Databases
- On-campus: In the library or HELC.
- Off-campus: Login with your Buff Advisor username (for example, js123456) and your Buff Advisor password (for example, buffaloes).
- Database citations not in full-text may be located in Cornette Library's online catalog, or the list of online journals.
- Use Interlibrary Loan to request articles inaccessible through Cornette library. Allow up to 3 weeks for articles to arrive.
Which database?
- MLA International Bibliography
- Contains citations about language, literature, linguistics and folklore (culture) for journal articles, books and book chapters, dissertations, bibliographies and conference proceedings.
- Literature Resource Center
- Full-text database that includes biographical, bibliographical, and critical information on some 2,500 literary writers and their works. Use "Advanced Search" to search by author or topic.
Logo
- Displays in most of our databases. Links from a citation to one or more of the following:
- One or more links to full-text of the cited article,
- A link to a pre-set search of the Cornette Library catalog for the cited item,
- A link to a pre-filled Interlibrary Loan request form for the article, or
- A link to various help options.
- For more information see the tutorial Using SFX to Link to Articles
Need Help?
- Ask at the Reference Desk (first floor) or Periodicals Desk (second floor).
- Call 651-2215 during the hours Cornette Library is open.
- Use the "Ask A Librarian" form for electronic reference support.
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Web Sites
- The World Wide Web is an excellent source of information.
- Not everything found on the Web is accurate.
- You must evaluate information on the Web.
Web Guides
- Searchable lists of annotated web sites, discussion lists, and electronic journals that have met specific selection criteria.
- Scout Report Archives
- Scholarly. Keyword or advanced search. Results listed by relevance.
- INFOMINE Scholarly Internet Resource Collections
- Scholarly. Keyword search or browse by general subject area. Can limit to free sites.
- ipl2 - "Information You Can Trust" (merger of Internet Public Library and Librarians' Index to the Internet)
- General public interest. Keyword search, or browse by general topic and subtopic.
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Citing Your Sources
Why must I cite the sources I use for research projects?
- To give credit to the author of the information you use.
- To avoid plagiarism (WTAMU Code of Student Life: Appendix I-Academic Integrity Code)
a serious offense that can result in failure or expulsion. - So that others can verify the information.
- To assist others in doing their own research.
MLA Style
- Dr. Wilcox requires you to use MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
- A copy of this manual is located at the Reference Desk.
- Additional assistance is available from our Citation Basics web page.
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Your Comments
- Suggestions for improvements?
- Particularly helpful items?
- Please email Linda Chenoweth.
Thank you.
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