Subject encyclopedias, handbooks and overviews are scholarly, tertiary works written by experts on a variety of topics. Spending a little time with tertiary sources can be an efficient way to locate background information and familiarize yourself with the landscape of Irish literary studies as you begin the research process.

These resources can help you with:

• Understanding the scope of a topic
• Suggesting ideas for narrowing a topic
• Identifying key concepts, terms, dates and names
• Listing subject areas related to a topic
• Recommending sources for further exploration

Remember that tertiary sources are intended to fill in gaps in your knowledge or jumpstart your research; they should not be cited as scholarly secondary sources for your project.

The Cambridge Histories series is an indispensable reference collection with over 300 titles spanning 15 subject areas, including literary studies. Each (often multi-volume) history provides a big-picture perspective of its subject, introduces readers to existing scholarship, and proposes new trends in the field. 

Cambridge Companions are a series of authoritative essay collections that synthesize the most important aspects of a topic. Each volume is edited by a leading scholar in the field and offers essays written by experts. Look for Companions on specific authors, genres, themes or movements, and time periods. The companions below are especially relevant for this course.