Literary Research and the British Eighteenth Century Strategies and Sources

The eighteenth century in Britain was a transition period for literature. Patronage, either a benefactor or through subscription, lingered even as the publishing and bookselling industries took hold and blossomed. Although the practice of reviewing books was well established during the second half of the century, the first review periodical wasn't founded until 1749. For the literary scholar, these gradual changes mean that different search strategies may be required to conduct research into primary and secondary source material across the era. Literary Research and the British Eighteenth Century addresses these unique challenges faced by scholars of the period. It examines how book and periodical publishing, the growing literate society, the dissemination of literature through salons, private societies, and coffee houses, the growing importance of book reviews, the explosion of publishing, and the burgeoning of primary source material available through new publishing and digital initiatives in the twenty-first century, all contribute to the richness of literary research for this era. The volume explores primary and secondary research resources, including general literary research guides; union library catalogs; print and online bibliographies; scholarly journals; manuscripts and archives; eighteenth-century books, newspapers, and periodicals; contemporary reception; and electronic texts, journals, and Web resources. 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 eighteenth century.