Library

French

Below are suggested resources to use when researching a French topic. For research strategies and techniques, visit the resources linked from the menu at the left.

Getting Started

Before jumping in and looking for research, it is a good idea to have a refined topic and to know a little about it. Start with broad resources like encyclopedias, bibliographies, and handbooks to start to get a sense of what is available on your topic in the universe of information.

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Braun, Sidney David. Dictionary of French Literature.New York: Philosophical Library, 1958.
Reference: PQ41 .B7

Dolbow, Sarah, W. Dictionary of Modern French Literature: From the Age of Reason through Realism. Westport, CT: Greenwood P., 1986.
Reference: PQ41 .D65 1986

Joubert, Jean-Louis, et. al. Les Littératures Francophones depuis 1945. Paris: Bordas, 1986.
Beatley: PQ3809 .L58x 1986

The Concise Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary. Ed. Ormal-Grenon, Jean-Benoit and Natalie Pomier. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2004. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford UP. [3/13/2006]
English-French
French-English

Biography & Bibliography

Sartori, Eva Martin and Dorothy Wynne Zimmerman, eds. French Women Writers: A Bio-Bibliographical Source Book. New York: Greenwood P., 1991.
Reference: PQ149 .F73 1991

Finding Articles

Search the following indexes to find articles on the topic of French. See individual Resources by Subject guides for more specific indexes covering topics within the broader field of French.

Academic Search Complete: Info
Provides full-text articles to over 8000 scholarly publications covering subject areas such as the humanities, social sciences, language and linguistics, arts and literature, medica sciences, and ethnic studies.

Expanded Academic ASAP: Info
Covering all subject areas from the humanities to the social sciences. Includes many full-text articles from scholarly publications as well as news sources and the popular press.

Lexis-Nexis Academic: Info
This is a great resource for finding news articles. This database includes: national and regional newspapers, wire services, broadcast transcripts, international news, and non-English language sources, among others. To find news stories in French, choose "Non-English Language News" from the drop down menu in the "Guided News Search" tab. Then select "French Language News" from the drop down menu in step 2. You can also select the news source!

MLA and LION: Info: MLA and Info: Lion
MLA is the premiere database for conducting journal searches in the topics including literature, linguistics, and folklore. Combined with LION, there is an added benefit of having reference sources, the text of selected works of literature, as well as access the ABELL index. Search MLA simultaneously with LION or limit to just MLA or ABELL. The advanced MLA search will allow users to limit searches to articles published in many foreign languages, including French.

Getting Fulltext

Because not all indexes are fulltext--or 100% fulltext--you may have to elsewhere to find an article for which you have a citation. Consult the resources below to find out how to get access to the articles you need.

Library Online Catalog - to see what Simmons owns in print or electronically

Fulltext Journal Locator (Serials Solutions) just for e-journals, indicates which database covers which years of full-text journals

Interlibary Loan - if Simmons does not have an article electronically or in print

Finding information on Specific Research Topics

For more information on more specific topics within the discipline, contact a librarian.

Biography & Bibliography & Guides

A Critical Bibliography of French Literature
Beatley Reference: PQ 103. C74
In 6 volumes with multiple supplements, this important work includes signed article covering all aspects of French literature beginning with the medieval period through the 20th century.

French Women Writers: A Bio-Bibiliographical Source Book
Beatley Reference: PQ 149 .F73 1991

The New Oxford Companion to Literature in French
Beatley Reference: PQ 41 .H32 1995

Literature: History and Criticism

Charvet, P. E., ed. A Literary History of France.London: Benn, 1967-
Reference: PQ103 .C4, 6 vols.

Larrier, Renée Brenda. Francophone Women Writers of Africa and the Caribbean.Gainesville: U. P. of Florida, 2002.
Reference: PQ3980.5 L36 2002

Internet Resources

Internet Reference Sources

WESS French Studies Web
Organized by academic librarians specializing in French and Francophone studies, provides links to scholarly resources available on the web. Provides links to general resources, which inlude links to news organizations, library and archives, and reference sources (dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps., etc. Also provides links to subjects by discipline, including history, literature, art, etc.

Newspapers:

This is not an exhaustive list, but a sample of newspapers available via the Internet. For a more extensive list, see the WESS French Studies page and click newspapers.

Africa

Afrik.com
Based in Paris, provides current news with an emphasis on newsof interest to Francophone Africa.

Le Monde (France)
select "Afrique" from the "International" menu.

Europe

Le Figaro (France)

La Libre Belgique (Belgium)

Le Monde (France)

North America & Carribean

L'Agence Haïtienne de Presse en Ligne(Haiti)
The Haitian Press Agency, providing access to daily news in both French and English.

Le Devoir (Québec)

Le Soleil (Québec)