Documenting the sources you use in your research paper is a key part of the research and writing process. Complete and accurate citations to the books, journal articles, primary sources, and other items you use will allow readers to verify your sources and explore them further if they'd like to learn more about the issues you've raised.
In the field of literature, the standard citation style is the MLA (Modern Language Association) Style:
Background or "reference" sources are a great place to start in building your bibliographies. These are scholarly encyclopedias, handbooks, bibliographies, and similar sources that will often contain lengthy essays with background information on a topic and overviews of the relevant scholarship. Citations to the secondary literature will always be included, and often so too will citations to primary sources.
Ashgate Research Companion to Modern Imperial Histories
Includes key reference series such as the Cambridge Companions and Cambridge Histories. Individual titles include The Cambridge Companion to Transnational American Literature and The Cambridge Companion to Asian American Literature.
A large collection of annotated bibliographies arranged by subject. Includes articles such as "Militarism" (Military History module), "Vietnam War Literature" (American Literature module), "Settler Colonialism" (Anthropology module), and "Settler Colonialism" (Literary and Critical Theory module).
A useful set of volumes with detailed and informative articles on scholarly research. Includes many literature and history titles.
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History
A scholarly encyclopedia with helpful articles that always include a discussion of the literature and suggestions for finding primary sources. Examples of articles include "Memorializing Incarceration: The Japanese American Experience in World War II and Beyond" and "Asian American Literature, U.S. Empire, and the Eaton Sisters."
James Kessenides, Kaplanoff Librarian for American History, james.kessenides@yale.edu
Yale Library licenses many collections of digitized historical materials that may be helpful, depending on your research topic. Here are just a few examples: