Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream: Getting Started

• Look up your keywords in the indexes to subject encyclopedias.

• Read articles in these encyclopedias to set the context for your research.

• Note relevant items in the bibliographies at the end of the encyclopedia articles.

• Additional background information may be found in your lecture notes, textbooks, and reserve readings.

Reference Sources

Once you have chosen a topic for your paper, use general reference sources to get background information on William Shakespeare, the play you are reading this semester, and Elizabethan times .

Reference books such as the encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks are a good starting point for your research because they help you become better acquainted with Shakespeare, his world, and his work.

See the lists below for selected reference sources available online and in print.  

Here are some of the library's online reference resources which can help you get some background information on your topic.  These resources are available both on and off campus.

Here are some reference books that are located in the library's Reference area. Although they cannot be checked out, students are able to photocopy pages.