When starting a research query or project, it's a good idea to write down or articulate your goals out loud. It keeps searching focused when you're able to describe the type of information you seek and for what purpose. The resources on this page can help you to take that initial research interest and fill it out with additional keywords. Encyclopedias and dictionaries are full of tidbits of information - people, places, events, and terms - that can open new avenues of inquiry or help focus your research. Watch the video to see this in practice!
Encyclopedias
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance by Call Number: OnlinePublication Date: 20034,300 entries by renowned contributors remain accessible in language and approach and take advantage of the theoretical and historiographical developments in the field.
- Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new windowGuide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words— past and present—from across the English-speaking world. As a historical dictionary, the OED is very different from dictionaries of current English, in which the focus is on present-day meanings. You’ll still find present-day meanings in the OED, but you’ll also find the history of individual words, and of the language—traced through 3 million quotations, from classic literature and specialist periodicals to film scripts and cookery books.
- Grove Music Online This link opens in a new windowGrove Music Online is an essential tool for anyone interested in researching, teaching, or just learning more about music. Written and edited by nearly 9,000 subject experts, Grove’s 51,000 articles offer clear overviews of topics from a scholarly perspective and include extensive bibliographies, which are curated to guide users through existing scholarship. Grove’s 33,000 biographical articles provide life information and detailed works lists for composers, performers, and other important musical figures.
- Grove Art Online This link opens in a new windowThe Grove Dictionary of Art is the unsurpassed authority on all aspects of the visual arts, with 30,000 signed and peer-reviewed articles contributed by nearly 7,000 international scholars. Grove Art features entries on artists, architects, craftsmen, patrons, movements, locations, and periods, as well as bibliographies for further research and thousands of searchable images made available through Oxford’s partnerships with museums, galleries, and other outstanding arts organizations.
- Playbill VaultSee what was or is playing on Broadway, 1946-present
Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion by Call Number: UI Main Reference Collection, FOLIO GT507 .E53 2005Publication Date: 2004From diapers to Dior, saris to serapes, the world of clothing is nearly as vast and as ancient as the human race. Tracing the stylistic and functional threads that unite clothing across time and cultures, as well as delving into the divergent styles and significance of apparel, this A to Z encyclopedia is the essential resource for exploring the relationship between culture and couture.
Critical survey of drama by Call Number: UI Main Reference Collection, PN1625 .C68 2003Publication Date: 2003Eight-volume set contains 613 essays, of which 548 discuss individual dramatists and 65 cover overview topics. The set also contains lists of major dramatic awards, a detailed time line of world drama history, a glossary of dramatic terms and movements, and a bibliography.
Get Help!
Find a Librarian
A great trait of theatre arts is how it encompasses every aspect of humanity, but this means as a student of the art, you'll probably need to find resources on unfamiliar subjects and topics. The Libraries can help! We have subject specialist librarians who are experts on medical, government, historical, educational, psychological, scientific, and just about every other topic you could possibly imagine.
Check out this list of subject specialists to find a librarian who can help you with your research!