Literary Research and the British Eighteenth Century: Strategies and Sources (Literary Research: Strategies and Sources): 12
Author(s): Peggy Keeran (Author)
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Publication Date: 21 Feb. 2013
Language: English
Print length: 328 pages
ISBN-10: 0810887959
ISBN-13: 9780810887954
Book Description
The 18th century in Britain was a transition period for literature. Patronage, either by a benefactor or through subscription, lingered even as the publishing and bookselling industries developed. The practice of reviewing books became well established during the second half of the century, with the first periodical founded in 1749. For the literary scholar, these gradual changes mean that different search strategies are required to conduct research into primary and secondary source material across the era.
Literary Research and the British Eighteenth Century addresses these unique challenges. It examines how the following all contribute to the richness of literary research for this era: book and periodical publishing; a growing literate society; dissemination of literature through salons, private societies, and coffee houses; the growing importance of book reviews; the explosion of publishing; and the burgeoning of primary source material available through new publishing and digital initiatives in the 21st century.
This volume explores primary and secondary resources, including general literary research guides; union library catalogs; print and online bibliographies; scholarly journals; manuscripts and archives; 18th-century books, newspapers, and periodicals; contemporary reception; and electronic texts and journals, as well as Web resources. Each chapter addresses the research methods and tools best used to extract relevant information and compares and evaluates sources, making this book an invaluable guide to any literary scholar and student of the British eighteenth century.
Editorial Reviews
Review
Anyone doing research in the literature of England, Scotland, Ireland, or Wales from 1500 to 1700 should make sure that this falls open at the beginning of a project. Ms. Bowers and Ms. Keeran have surveyed research sources, starting with a commonsensical approach to online investigating as well as the standard library catalogues, print and electronic bibliographies, scholarly journals, web resources, and so much more. With wit, clarity, and style, they guide the reader, novice or pro, through the best print, microform, and web materials for the two centuries roughly covered by the terms renaissance and early modern.
If you get this book, read it straight through, and then consult it often. If the forthcoming volume in this series on British Literature of the Long Eighteenth Century by the same authors comes even close to the quality of this volume, scholars in our field will be doubly well served.
About the Author
Peggy Keeran (MLIS, MA), is a Professor and the Arts and Humanities Librarian at the University of Denver Libraries, and coordinator of the faculty advisory group to the library. She is the co-editor of the Rowman & Littlefield series Literary Research: Strategies and Sources, and has co-authored three of the volumes in the series. She has also co-edited both editions of Research within the Disciplines: Foundations for Reference and Library Instruction and co-authored “Expanding Support for Graduate Students: Library Workshops on Research Funding Opportunities.” Most recently her research interests include collaborations on instruction between Reference and Special Collections, and with her colleagues she co-authored “‘If You Want the History of a White Man, You Go to the Library:’ Critiquing Our Legacy, Addressing Our Library Collections Gaps.”
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