Canadian Literature Guide Ask Us

When searching for journal articles, an indexing and abstracting database is usually the best place to begin. Below are some recommended databases for research in Canadian Literature. For other databases, check the Article Databases page of the library website.

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When researching a new topic it is often necessary to get an overview, explanations of unfamiliar terms, or brief factual information. The print and electronic resources listed below include selected reference materials (dictionaries, encyclopaedias, handbooks, guides, and standards) for the field of Canadian Literature. To find additional reference materials, check the library catalogue (UNB WorldCat) or our Encylopedias, Etc database.

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To search for books at UNB Libraries, first use the library's online catalogue, UNB WorldCat, below. UNB WorldCat contains records for books, ebooks, audiovisual materials, and much more, both at UNB and at libraries around the world. 

Bibliographies list publications that have been written about a particular subject, including books, journals, government publications, etc. Annotated bibliographies provide concise summaries of what has been published in a given area.

• Bibliography of Canadian Bibliographies
  HIL-REF Z1365 .A1 L6 1994
• English-Canadian Literary Anthologies:
  An Enumerative Bibliography
  HIL-REF PS8071 .L43 1997
• Ethnic and Native Canadian Literature:
  A Bibliography
  HIL-REF PS8075 .A1 M57 1990
• The Brock Bibliography of Published Canadian Plays in English, 1766-1978
  HIL-REF PS8305 .B77
• A Comprehensive Bibliography of English-Canadian Short Stories, 1950-1983
  HIL-REF PS8187 .W44 1988

Accurate, properly formatted footnotes, reading lists, and bibliographies are hallmarks of good academic research. Through citing, you acknowledge the source of any ideas you mention in your writing, document your research, and provide the information your readers need to track down your sources.

Numerous citation styles exist, and each specifies what elements are required (title, author, journal name, etc.) and how the citation should be formatted. The standard citation style for English Literature is MLA, but your instructor may require or recommend that you use another. Consult your course syllabus or check with your instructor to be sure of using the correct citation style for your assignment.

Use these resources for guidance on proper citation:

• The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) guide to MLA 9th edition
• MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 8th edition
  HIL-REFDSK LB2369 .M52 2016    or    HWK-REF LB2369 .G52 2016
• I Wish I'd Said That: Plagiarism, Quoting, & Citing Sources

As of spring 2021, the MLA Handbook is in its 9th edition; however, there are only two differences between the 8th edition and 9th edition for citation:

1) in works cited entries for MLA 9th edition, you should write the DOI number for a journal article from a database as a web address, e.g. https://doi.org/10.1162/tneq_a_00903, and use a permalink only if no DOI is provided.         

2) the works cited entry for a film should begin with the title of the film, rather than the director's name. If you streamed the film, include just the name of the streaming service, not a URL. E.g. 

Black Panther. Directed by Ryan Coogler, Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Pictures, 2018. Netflix. 

Full-length biographies of individuals may be found by using UNB WorldCat, our library catalogue. The most efficient way of finding such works is usually to choose a Subject search and then enter a person's name followed by the word "biography", as in the following example:

Do not give up if you do not find anything on your subject. There may be a biographical sketch in an encyclopedia, directory, or periodical article. Web users may check the Britannica Online or The Canadian Encyclopedia, available online at: Encyclopedias, Etc (http://www.lib.unb.ca/eresources/index.php?sub=refmat).

Information on literary authors may be found in Contemporary Authors. The series index is shelved with the Contemporary Authors series in the HIL Reference section. The call number is CT220 .C65.

You may wish to use an index to biographical works. They indicate which resources hold information about a person. Some examples are:

General biographical works contain listings of persons from many fields and are sometimes limited by country and sometimes limited to people who are living. In many cases they contain brief entries concerning education, positions held, etc. A few examples are:

Newspapers and journals can also contain valuable biographical information. There are many indexes that will locate articles. A few examples are:

Other places to check include books written about the author's genre. For example, there might be biographical information on Conan Doyle in a history of the mystery novel. Biographies of writers may contain biographical information of other writers of the same era. Information on D. H. Lawrence may be found in an Ezra Pound biography. You should also check UNB Libraries' Book Reviews Guide. Please remember: Ask the Reference staff for assistance!

The staff members of UNB Libraries are always happy to provide assistance or instruction. Library staff are available to answer your questions in person at the information desk, by telephone, email, or through UNB Libraries' virtual reference service. For more details, including service hours, see Ask a Librarian.