Literary Research and the British Eighteenth Century ─ Strategies and Sources

The eighteenth 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 twenty-first 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; eighteenth-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.

Peggy Keeran is professor and the Arts and Humanities Reference Librarian at the University of Denver Penrose Library.

Jennifer Bowers is assistant professor and the Social Sciences Reference Librarian at the University of Denver Penrose Library.

The authors are co-editors of the series Literary Research: Strategies and Sources and the authors of Literary Research and the British Romantic Era: Strategies and Sources (Scarecrow, 2005) and Literary Research and the British Renaissance and Early Modern Period: Strategies and Sources (Scarecrow, 2010).