Research Guide for Medieval Studies
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Articles


Electronic Resources

Core Resources
International Medieval Bibliography
Citations to journal articles and books related to the Middle Ages, covering Europe, the Middle East and North Africa from 400-1500.  More Info...

ITER: Gateway to the Middle Ages and Renaissance
The online bibliography covers literature pertaining to the Middle Ages and Renaissance (400-1700).  More Info...


Related Resources
Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson)
Includes full text articles in international visual arts journals that cover artists and their works from antiquity to the present.  More Info...

Art Index Retrospective (H.W. Wilson)
Provides citations to articles and reproductions from Art Index, 1929-1984. Covers all forms of art from antiquity to the present.  More Info...

Bibliography of the History of Art
Provides abstracts for articles and books on European and American art from late antiquity to the present.  More Info...

Historical Abstracts
Principal resource for articles on world history from 1450-present.  More Info...

Index Islamicus
Index Islamicus is THE international classified bibliography of publications in European languages on all aspects of Islam and the Muslim world.

Rightly described as 'an indispensable tool for libraries, graduates and undergraduates alike', it provides the reader with an effective overview of what has been published since 1906 on a given subject in the field of Islamic Studies in its broadest sense.

Index Islamicus includes extensive indices of names and subjects carefully geared to this rapidly expanding field of study.
  More Info...

Literature Online - LION
Literature Online features a collection of over 260,000 works of American, English, and Modern poetry, drama, and prose with complementary reference and secondary resources.  More Info...

MLA International Bibliography
Citations to journal articles, dissertations, and books in literature, language, linguistics, and folklore from 1963 to the present.  More Info...


Multidisciplinary Resources
Arts and Humanities Citation Index
Topic and citation searching identify articles published in high impact arts and humanities journals.  More Info...

JSTOR
Contains historical backfiles of full text articles from major research journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.  More Info...

ProjectMuse
Full text articles and ebooks from scholarly presses.  More Info...




Bibliographies


Medieval heresies : a bibliography, 1960-1979 / by Carl T. Berkhout and Jeffrey B. Russell.





Biographies


Electronic Resources

Core Resources
Biography Reference Center (Wilson Biographies Plus Illustrated)
Maintains biographies and obituaries of individuals by name, date of birth, date of death, or country of origin.   More Info...


Related Resources
Grove Art Online (Now Oxford Art Online)
Includes full text of the Grove 34-volume Dictionary of Art.   More Info...

Literature Online - LION
Literature Online features a collection of over 260,000 works of American, English, and Modern poetry, drama, and prose with complementary reference and secondary resources.  More Info...

Literature Resource Center
Provides information on literary figures from all time periods writing in such genres as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, history, journalism, and more.  More Info...




Book Reviews


Electronic Resources

Core Resources
ITER: Gateway to the Middle Ages and Renaissance
The online bibliography covers literature pertaining to the Middle Ages and Renaissance (400-1700).  More Info...


Related Resources
Historical Abstracts
Principal resource for articles on world history from 1450-present.  More Info...




Books/Book Chapters


Finding Books

With Portland State Worldcat, you can simultaneously search Portland State, Summit (a regional catalog of 30+ libraries in Oregon and Washington) and WorldCat (a catalog of libraries worldwide, which also includes thousands of journal articles). The system is designed to display items available at Portland State first, followed by those held in Summit libraries. If an item isn't available from Portland State or a Summit library, you will see results from WorldCat, which can be requested via Interlibrary Loan.

 

Many of our databases identify chapters within books such as the electronic resources listed below.



Electronic Resources

Related Resources
Bibliography of the History of Art
Provides abstracts for articles and books on European and American art from late antiquity to the present.  More Info...

Historical Abstracts
Principal resource for articles on world history from 1450-present.  More Info...

MLA International Bibliography
Citations to journal articles, dissertations, and books in literature, language, linguistics, and folklore from 1963 to the present.  More Info...




Encyclopedias/Dictionaries


Note: you can go directly to Oxford's online Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages.



Electronic Resources

Core Resources
Oxford English Dictionary
The OED covers the history of the English Language. Contains word definitions, pronunciation, history, and language of origin.  More Info...


Related Resources
Grove Art Online (Now Oxford Art Online)
Includes full text of the Grove 34-volume Dictionary of Art.   More Info...

Literature Online - LION
Literature Online features a collection of over 260,000 works of American, English, and Modern poetry, drama, and prose with complementary reference and secondary resources.  More Info...

Oxford Reference Online
Full text subject encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference and handbooks in all disciplinary areas.   More Info...


Print Resources

♦ The Cambridge Economic History of Europe. General editors M. M. Postan and H J. Habakkuk. Cambridge: The University Press, 2nd ed., 1966. HC240 .C312 Reference Shelves.

An authoritative survey of an aspect of society not included in the Cambridge medieval and modern histories. Contents organized in chapters which deal with a well-defined topic (e.g., "Markets and Fairs"). Bibliographies for each chapter appear at the end of the volume. v. 1. Covers the agrarian life of the Middle Ages. Chronology of World History / H.E.L. Mellersh. D11 .M39 1999 4 vols. Reference Shelves. Volume 2 is an extensively revised and updated edition of Chronology of the expanding world, 1492-1762.

♦ Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism. Detroit: Gale Research Co. 1988-2006. PA1 .C355 Reference Shelves

"Excerpts from criticism of the works of world authors from classical antiquity through the fourteenth century, from the first appraisals to current evaluations." Very thorough information on authors, works, and cultural settings, with as much as 100 pages devoted to some works. Extensive up-to-date bibliographies.

♦ Crusades : an encyclopedia / Alan V. Murray, editor.Reference Shelves D155 .C78

♦ Dictionary of the Middle Ages. Joseph R. Strayer, editor in chief. New York, Scribner, 1982-1989. 13 vols. D114 .D5 1982 Reference Shelves

An encyclopedia rather than a dictionary, this well-written, up-to-date source includes people, places, and topics pertaining to the Middle Ages. Some entries are only a quarter of a page in length while others are more than ten pages long. Topics discussed are both specific ("Brewing") and quite general ("Bulgaria"). There is a bibliography at the end of each entry.

♦ Diccionario de historia de España; dirigido por Germán Bleiberg. Diccionario Historia de España, dir. Germán Bleiberg, 3 vols. Reference Shelves REF DP56 D5

♦ Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture: an Annotated Bibliography and Historiography, by W. Eugene Kleinbauer. Reference Shelves. Z5943 .C56 K55 1992

♦ Encyclopedia of Medieval Church Art. Edward G. Tasker; edited by John Beaumont. Reference Shelves. N7943 .A1 T37 1993

♦ Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature / edited by Robert Thomas Lambdin and Laura Cooner Lambdin. PN669 .E53 2000 Reference Shelves.

This is a monumental work of scholarship with 523 well-written entries, each supplemented by a well-chosen bibliography as well as a general bibliography. Essential for academic libraries, this should be considered by public libraries as well. Library Journal.

♦ Encyclopedia of the Crusades, ed. Alfred J. Andrea (Greenwood Press, 2003. Reference Shelves D155 A6

♦ Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, edited by Andre Vauchez Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2000. 2 v. D114 .E53 2000 Reference Shelves.

Arranged alphabetically, this reference work was created by over 600 contributors from a wide range of disciplines. At the end is a table of monarchs, patriarchs, and popes, including Muslim rulers and those from Central Europe.

♦ Encyclopedia of Women in the Middle Ages. Jennifer Lawler. Reference Shelves HQ1143 .L38 2001

♦ Encyclopedia of World Art. N31.E533. 17 volumes. .Reference Shelves.

Published between 1959 and 1987, this massive and comprehensive resource is especially good for in-depth articles, with extensive bibliographies, on broad topics (e.g., Byzantine Art)

♦ Extraordinary Women of the Medieval and Renaissance World : a Biographical Dictionary / Carole Levin ... [et al.]. HQ1143 .E93 2000 Reference Shelves.

This work is "aimed at the "unsung" women who were extraordinary for either their accomplishments or their tragic lives or both. The 70 women covered moved outside what was considered a "woman's sphere" and participated in the religious, political, and social changes that are hallmarks of this period. They lived between the tenth and seventeenth centuries and not all were Western European but also from Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa."

♦ From Justinian to Charlemagne: European art, 565-787: an Annotated Bibliography by Lawrence Nees. Reference Shelves. Z5933.2 .N44 1985

♦ Historical Art Index, A.D. 400-1650 : People, Places, and Events Depicted. This valuable research tool helps one locate art objects (in museums as well as book reproductions) which represent people, places, or events belonging to the period between 400 and 1650. Reference Shelves. N8210.R6 1989.

♦ Historical Dictionary of the Spanish Empire, 1402-1975, ed. J. S. Olson, et al. (1992) Reference Shelves DP56 H57

♦ Key Figures in Medieval Europe : an Encyclopedia / Richard K. Emmerson, editor ; Sandra Clayton-Emmerson, associate editor. Reference Shelves. D115 .K49 2006

♦ Islamic Art and Architecture 650-1250. Richard Ettinghausen, Oleg Grabar, Marilyn Jenkins-Madina. Reference Shelves. N6260.E79 2001

♦ Medieval Art: a Topical Dictionary. Leslie Ross. Reference Shelves. N7850 .R67 1996

♦Medieval England : an Encyclopedia / editors: Paul E. Szarmach, M. Teresa Tavormina, Joel T. Rosenthal. DA129 .M43 1998 Reference Shelves.

An introduction to the society and culture of England from the coming of the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century through the accession of the Tudor dynasty (1485) at the turn of the 16th century." Containing more than 700 entries by more than 300 international scholars, the volume encompasses the fields of Old English and Middle English language and literature, music and liturgy, history, and history of art. According to the introduction, it is designed to be accessible to the general reader as well as to the scholar.

♦ Medieval Folklore : an Encyclopedia of Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs / Carl Lindahl, John McNamara, John Lindow, editors. GR35 .M43 2000 Reference Shelves. 2 vols.

"This two-volume encyclopedia offers an A-to-Z guide to the mundane and supernatural lore of the Middle Ages. Definitive and lively articles focus on the great myths and legends of the age; religious beliefs of pagan, Christian, Muslim, and Jew; key works of oral and written literature; traditional music and art; holidays and feasts; food and drink; and plants and animals (real and mythic). 150 illustrations."

♦ Medieval France: An Encyclopedia, ed. W. W. Kibler, et al. (1995) Reference Shelves DC33.2.M44

♦ Medieval Germany : an Encyclopedia / edited by John M. Jeep. DD157 .M43 2001 Reference Shelves. 2 vols.

Nearly 650 alphabetically arranged entries cover German- and Dutch-speaking Europe from A.D. 500 to 1500. Articles cover "major persons, places, historical occurrences, artistic and technological accomplishments, intellectual developments, and daily life."

 

♦ Medieval Iberia : an encyclopedia / E. Michael Gerli, editor ; associate editors, Samuel G. Armistead ... [et al.] Reference Shelves DP99 M33

♦ Medieval Iconography: a Research Guide. John B. Friedman and Jessica M. Wegmann. Reference Shelves. Z5933 .F75 1998

♦ Medieval Italy : an Encyclopedia / Christopher Kleinhenz, editor. New York : Routledge, 2004. DG443 .M43 2004 Reference Shelves.

Provides an introduction to the many and diverse facets of Italian civilization from the late Roman empire to the end of the fourteenth century.

♦ Medieval Iberia : an encyclopedia / E. Michael Gerli, editor ; associate editors, Samuel G. Armistead ... [et al.]. Reference Shelves DP99 .M33

♦ Medieval Scandinavia : an encyclopedia / Phillip Pulsiano, editor ; Kirsten Wolf, co-editor ; Paul Acker, associate editor, Donald K. Fry, associate editor ; advisers, Knut Helle ... [et al.]. Reference Shelves DL30 .M43

♦ Mythological and Classical World Art Index : a locator of paintings, sculptures, frescoes, manuscript illuminations, sketches, woodcuts, and engravings executed 1200 B.C. to A.D. 1900, with a directory of the institutions holding them. Reference Shelves. N7760.R63 1991.

By the same author as the Historical Art Index, its focus is on Greek and Roman art works.

♦ New Cambridge Medieval History. Cambridge [England] ; New York, NY, USA : Cambridge University Press, 1995-2005.Vol. 1-7. D117 .N48 1995

♦ Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium.This resource is a comprehensive dictionary of Byzantine civilization. It features over 5,000 entries written by an international group of eminent Byzantinists covering all aspects of life in the Byzantine world.

Reference Shelves. DF521.O93 1991. 3 volumes. Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium.

♦ Oxford dictionary of Popes / J.N.D. Kelly.

♦ The papacy : an encyclopedia / Philippe Levillain, general editor. Reference Shelves BX 955.3 .D5313

♦ Women and Gender in Medieval Europe : an Encyclopedia / Margaret Schaus, editor. Reference Shelves. HQ1147.E85 W64 2006

 



Images


The Digital Scriptorium is an image database of medieval and renaissance manuscripts that unites scattered resources from many institutions into an international tool for teaching and scholarly research. It bridges the gap between a diverse user community and the limited resources of libraries by means of sample imaging and extensive rather than intensive cataloguing.  





Online Books


Click here for a video on how to limit a Library catalog search to electronic books.



Electronic Resources

Core Resources
Early English Books Online (EEBO)
Full text digital facsimiles of titles from the earliest printed works in the English language.  More Info...


Related Resources
Literature Online - LION
Literature Online features a collection of over 260,000 works of American, English, and Modern poetry, drama, and prose with complementary reference and secondary resources.  More Info...


Multidisciplinary Resources
WorldCat (FirstSearch interface)
The WorldCat database contains more than 43 million records describing items owned by libraries around the world. WorldCat contains records for books, journals, musical scores, maps, videotapes, and more.  More Info...




Organizations


Medieval Academy of America

Society for Early English and Norse Electronic Texts

Hill Monastic Manuscript Library (Saint John's University)

Dante S
ocieties

Centers, Academic Departments and Societies

Yale History Department

UCLA Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Centre for Medieval Studies in the University of Toronto

Medieval Institute at Western Michigan University

The Committee on Medieval Studies at Harvard University





Primary Sources


Also see the History guide which has a lengthy section on Primary Sources.


Electronic Resources

Core Resources
Early English Books Online (EEBO)
Full text digital facsimiles of titles from the earliest printed works in the English language.  More Info...


Related Resources
Grangers World of Poetry
13,000 poems in fulltext, 250,000 poetry citations and commentaries, biographies and bibliographies.  More Info...

Literature Online - LION
Literature Online features a collection of over 260,000 works of American, English, and Modern poetry, drama, and prose with complementary reference and secondary resources.  More Info...




Web Resources


   Opall: Online Private Academic Library Link: Consortium of eight private college libraries in Pacific Northwest (including Mt. Angel Abbey Library).

  Internet Medieval Sourcebook (Fordham University: Paul Halsall, Center for Medieval Studies).

  Labyrinth (Georgetown University). A World Wide Web Server for Medieval Studies.

  Middle English Collection (University of Virginia).

  Byzantium: Byzantine Studies on the Internet (Fordham University).

  NetSERF: The Internet Connection for Medieval Resource.



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