Library Home: English Research Guide: Websites and Other Resources

Searching for Primary Literary Sources

American Fiction, 1774-1920
American Fiction, 1774–1920 contains more than 17,800 titles and is comprised of prose fiction written by Americans from the political beginnings of the United States through World War I. It gathers extensive content in one place and allows researchers to explore the development of American literature in a changing culture through novels, short stories, romances, fictitious biographies, travel accounts, and sketches.
Asian American Drama This link opens in a new window Asian American Drama contains 252 plays by 42 playwrights, together with detailed, fielded information on related productions, theaters, production companies, and more. Some 50% of these plays have never been published before. The collection begins with the works of Sadakichi Hartmann in the late 19th century and progresses to the writings of contemporary playwrights, such as Philip Kan Gotanda, Elizabeth Wong, and Jeannie Barroga.
Black Drama: Third Edition This link opens in a new window Black Drama contains approximately 1200 plays from the mid-1800s to the present by more than 200 playwrights from North America, English-speaking Africa, the Caribbean, and other African diaspora countries. Some 440 of the plays are published here for the first time, including a number by major authors.
Black Short Fiction and Folklore This link opens in a new window Black Short Fiction and Folklore brings together 82,000 pages and more than 11,000 works of short fiction produced by writers from Africa and the African Diaspora from the earliest times to the present.
Caribbean Literature This link opens in a new window More than a million and a half Africans, along with many Indians and South Asians, were brought to the Caribbean between the 15th and 19th centuries. Today, their descendants are active in literature and the arts, producing literature with strong and direct ties to traditional African expressions. This literary connection, combined with the tales of survival, exile, resistance, endurance, and emigration to other parts of the Americas, makes for a body of work that is essential for the study of the Caribbean and the Black Diaspora.
Latin American Drama This link opens in a new window Latin American Drama is a one-of-a-kind database with plays written by Latin American playwrights in the 19th-21st centuries. Besides serving as a rich resource for literature scholars, the collection also supports the study of American history, ethnic diversity, immigrations issues, and political history.
Latino Literature: Poetry, Drama, and Fiction This link opens in a new window Latino Literature: Poetry, Drama, and Fiction includes more than 100,000 pages of poetry, short fiction, novels, and more than 450 plays. Nearly all of the content is in copyright, and most of the other items are long out of print or have never before been published. Besides serving as a rich resource for literature scholars, the collection also supports the study of American history, ethnic diversity, immigrations issues, and political history
North American Indian Drama: Second Edition This link opens in a new window North American Indian Drama contains 244 plays by 48 playwrights representing the stories and creative energies of American Indian and First Nation playwrights of the twentieth century. More than half of the works are previously unpublished, and hard to find, representing groups such as Cherokee, Métis, Creek, Choctaw, Pembina Chippewa, Ojibway, Lenape, Comanche, Cree, Navajo, Rappahannock, Hawaiian/Samoan, and others.

Archives of the National Library of France
Bancroft Library Rare Book and Manuscripts Collection, UC Berkeley
British Library’s Digitized Manuscripts Collection
The Clark Digital Collections and Projects, UCLA
Digital Bodleian Available digitized content from the Bodleian and other Oxford Colleges
Digital Library of the National Library of Spain
Digital Vatican Library
Gallica Digital library of the National Library of France and other cultural institutions.
J. Paul Getty Center Manuscript Collection

Domain Names

The credibility of online information can be difficult to verify. We always recommend that you evaluate a website with the information provided in this guide, and not automatically rely on a website based on its domain name.

Common Domain types

.com Most common domain, anyone can create a website using this

.gov Generally used for government sites

.edu Associated with an academic institution. Still use caution, sometimes student work can be represented on .edu sites

.org Initially created for organizations and associations. Use caution, anyone can use to put out information

.net Common domain name, anyone can use to put out information

Evaluating Websites

AUTHORSHIP

Who authored the website? Are they an authority on the subject? If the author is an organization, what do you know about its purpose?

ACCURACY

Verify the accuracy of the information from non-web sources before using in your research. Is the site edited well? Are there basic spelling or grammatical errors? Is it written for a specific audience? Does the information fit in with other sources you have found on the topic? Does the author use footnotes, citation, sources to verify its information?

CURRENCY

Is the website updated and maintained?
How current is the information?
Understand that "Last updated" could include simple stylistic changes, colors, or layout. Not necessarily content changes.

CONTENT

Does the information meet your research needs?
Is the information basic or advanced?
Is coverage of the topic complete or does it leave out important information?
Does it offer different perspectives?
Is there a bibliography? Are the sources mentioned relevant and credible?
How does the content compare to other resources on the topic?

PURPOSE

Does the site present fact or opinion?
Is the purpose of the site to inform? To sell? To persuade?
Does the site show multiple sides of an issue? Bias does not necessarily mean you must reject a source, but be sure that you can identify it.
Who is the intended audience? Advanced researchers? Young students? Members of an organization?
Is there advertising?