Literary Research and the British Eighteenth Century Strategies and Sources [Paperback]

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.The 18th century in Britain was a transition period for literature. For the literary scholar, these changes mean that different search strategies may be required to conduct research into primary and secondary source material across the era. This book addresses the unique challenges faced by the scholars of the period, and explores a multitude of primary and secondary resources. In addition, 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 18th century.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 priml“m