Part One:
To see the full possibilities of MLA style in professional form, from parenthetical citations to explanatory notes and a complete Works Cited Page, return to your copy of the PMLA essay. Read it thoroughly, noting the styles of citation and reference, and the way the information from the references is used to establish  authority in the text. Look at the formatting in the Works Cited of the kinds of cited sources, paying particular attention to more complex ones like multivolume works, nonprint media, and professional serials.

Part Two:
Despite the electronic revolution in reference materials, reserach libraries remain rich in helpful reference books. From the extensive list below, choose 3 reference works  that are most relevant to your research interests.  If none looks applicable to your interests and research needs, substitue your own reference works in print.

Write a brief essay that answers these questions about each selected resource: 1) what is the target audience for the information? 2) what is the most helpful aspect of this resource for you? 3) what is one significant limitation of the resource?

     Bibliographies:

MLA International Bibliography of Books and Articles on the Modern Languages and Literatures. For pre-1963 entries.

     Contemporary Critical Theory: A Selective Bibliography.

     Shakespeare Criticism

     Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature

     Twentieth-Century Science Fiction Writers

     Bibliography of American Literature

     Catalogs:

     The British Museum General Catalogue of Printed Books.

     The National Union Catalogue, Pre-1956 Imprints. Microfiche ed.

     (ESTC) A short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland and of English books printed
     abroad, 1475-1640. Eds. Pollard and Redgrave.

     Encyclopedias:

     Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics (PEPP)

     The Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

     Encyclopaedia of Psychology

     Encyclopaedia of British Women Writers

    Encyclopedia of Southern Culture.

     Encyclopedia Britannica

     Encyclopedia of Contemporary Film and Television

     Cambridge Historical Encyclopedia of Great Britain and Ireland

     International Encyclopedia of Linguistics

     Encyclopedia of World Art

     Encyclopedia of Religion

     Indices and Abstracts:

     Dissertation Abstracts International.

     The New York Times Index

     The Times Index (London Times)

     The Education Index

     Shakespeare Index: An Annotated Bibliography of Critical Articles

     The Film Review Index

     Short Story Index

     Granger’s Index to Poetry

     Dictionaries:

     The Oxford English Dictionary (OED).

     Dictionary of National Biography (DNB).

     Dictionary of American Biography (DAB).

     Dictionary of Literary Biography (DLB)

     Dictionary of the Middle Ages

     New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians

     New Grove Dictionary of American Music

     The Dictionary of Classical Mythology

     The Oxford Classical Dictionary

     The Anchor Bible Dictionary

     Guides and Handbooks:

     A Reference Guide to English Studies. Ed. Michael Marcuse

     Prentice Hall Guide to English Literature. Ed. Marion Wynne-Davis.

     Handbook of Research on Teaching the English Language Arts

     Histories:

     Oxford History of English Literature

     New Cambridge History of American Literature. Ed. Sacvan Bercovitch.

     Columbia Literary History of the United States

     American Studies:

     American Literary Scholarship: An Annual

     American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide

     The Oxford Companion to American Literature

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