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Biographical Resources: A Research Guide: National and International Biographies

• Introduction
• National and International Biographies
• Biographical Indexes
• K. G. Saur Indexes & Microfiche
• Subject Biographies
• Dissertations and Theses
• Research Help

International Biographies

• Dictionary of World Biography 5th edition, JSTOR ebooks. Online only . Open access. Comprehensive, short-entry articles about persons worldwide throughout history, both living and dead. Part of the ANU Lives Series in Biography, an initiative of the National Centre for Biography in the History Program in the Research School of Social Sciences at The Australian National University. The National Centre was established in 2008 to extend the work of the Australian Dictionary of Biography
• Dictionary of African Biography Oxford, 2012. Available online and in print (Africana Library Reference CT 1920 .D52 2012) . "From the pharaohs to Frantz Fanon, Dictionary of African Biography provides a comprehensive overview of the lives of the men and women who shaped Africa’s history." --Publisher's description
• Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography Oxford, 2016. Online only . "a comprehensive overview of the lives of Caribbeans and Afro-Latin Americans who are historically significant..., unprecedented in scale, covering the entire Caribbean, and the Afro-descended populations throughout Latin America, including people who spoke and wrote Creole, Dutch, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish."
• Visual History Archive [of the USC Shoah Foundation]. [Los Angeles, CA]: USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education. Online only . Contains more than 54,000 audiovisual testimonies of survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust and other acts of genocide, recorded in 63 countries and in 40 languages since 1994. Most testimonies have been terminologically indexed at one-minute segments. Aside from Holocaust testimony, the resource includes (as of 20 July 2018) testimonies from the Armenian Genocide (1915-23), the Nanjing (China) Massacre (1937), the Cambodian Genocide (1975-79), the Guatemalan Genocide (1978-83), the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and ongoing conflicts in the Central African Republic and South Sudan. Also included are testimonies about contemporary acts of violence against Jews.

National Biographies

These national biographies cover persons no longer living who were prominent in the history of that country (often including its colonial extensions). For exact coverage dates and information on other criteria for inclusion, see the front matter of the individual title. Online versions are regularly updated with new entries.

• American National Biography. Online version of the standard national biography of the United States. Profiles of more than 23,000 notable American women and men from all eras of U.S. history who are no longer alive. The ANB Online features thousands of illustrations, thousands of hyperlinked cross-references, links to select web sites, and archival sources. Articles are updated and added regularly. The ANB supersedes the Dictionary of American Biography , the previous standard national biography of the United States. For persons not listed in the ANB, check the less authoritative, older National Cyclopaedia of American Biography (Olin Library Reference CT 213 .N27) and the K. G. Saur index and microfiche collection of biographical dictionaries.
• African American National Biography Entries integrated into the Biography section of the Oxford African American Studies Center . "Covering African American life for almost five centuries, from the arrival of Esteban in Spanish Florida in 1528 to notable black citizens of the present day, this major reference project collects and resurrects the lives of over 5,000 African Americans." [Introduction] New biographies added regularly.
• The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography Berkshire, 2014. Available online and in print versions Print title: Berkshire dictionary of Chinese biography / 宝库山中华传记字典 (Kroch Asia Reference DS 734 .B47 2014). "In 135 entries, written by some of the world's leading China scholars, the Dictionary takes the reader from the important figures of ancient China to Communist leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping." [catalog summary]
• Diccionario Biográfico Español . Call Number: Library Annex CT 1343 .D52 2009 Madrid: Real Academia de la Historia, 2009-2013. 50 volumes. The premier biographical dictionary of Spain.
• Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Online version of the standard Canadian national biography. Full coverage for individuals who played an important role in the formation of what is now Canada who died between the years 1000 and 1930 or whose last known date of activity falls within these years. Additional biographies cover 1940 to 2000. Annotated bibliographies include substantial listings of archival collections.
• Deutsche Biographische Enzyklopädie . Call Number: Olin Library Reference CT 759 .D48 1995 12 volumes. For an more extensive version of German biography, available online, see Elektronische Allgemeine deutsche Biographie , below. See also Deutsches Biographisches Archiv from K.G. Saur.
• Dictionary of German Biography . Call Number: Olin Library Reference CT 759 .D48 2001 München: K.G. Saur, 2001-2006. 10 volumes. We also have the German language edition. See above.
• Dictionary of Irish Biography. Available online and in print Print title, Dictionary of Irish Biography: From the Earliest Times to the Year 2002 . (Library Annex CT 862 .D53 2009) 9 volumes. Contains over 9,000 signed biographical articles on the careers of Irish men and women who made a significant contribution from the earliest times to the year 2010 in Ireland and abroad in all fields of endeavor. Also includes articles on people born outside Ireland who had noteworthy careers in Ireland. Online articles may be searched by name, gender, birth or death place, birth or death dates, religion, occupation, contributor, or keywords. Articles will be added each year online to cover people who died since the previous update.
• Elektronische Allgemeine deutsche Biographie: Herausgegeben von der Historischen Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek. Also known as Deutsche Biographie . Searchable database for Allgemeine deutsche biographie (ADB) and Neue deutsche Biographie (NDB ). "Certified information on more than 730.000 personalities and families in the German speaking areas from the Middle Ages to the present; namely 50.000 biographies (ADB and NDB) and links to more than 230 online resources (literature, dictionaries, source editions etc.)." [database home page]
• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. A continuously updated online version of the standard print British national biography, Dictionary of National Biography (Olin Library CT 773 .D55 1921 and supplements), which was originally published from 1885-1901 in 66 volumes and updated with decennial supplements. Over 50,000 biographies of people who shaped the history of the British Isles and beyond, from the earliest times to the year 2000 (newer entries in the online version). Portraits and citations to archival collections and major biographies of the subject. See also the K. G. Saur index and microfiche page .

Other National Biographies

• Australian Dictionary of Biography . Online , including entries from the Indigenous Australian Dictionary of Biography . Print volumes through volume 18 (1981-1990): Library Annex CT 2801 .A93. Online version covers persons who died through 1995. Entries for persons who died from 1996 to 2000 are in progress.
• Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland . Call Number: Olin Library Stacks CT 1143 .B61 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff, 1979-1994. In Dutch. 4 volumes. Updated version of Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek , 10 volumes. (Olin Library Stacks Oversize CT1143 .M71 +)
• Chinese Lives: The People Who Made a Civilization . Call Number: Kroch Asia Reference DS 734 .M35 2013 London: Thames & Hudson, 2013. (华夏人生: the people who made a civilization.) Biographical work for major persons in Chinese history. Description from the catalog record .
• Dictionnaire de Biographie Française . Call Number: Olin Library Stacks Oversize CT 143 .D55 Paris: Letouzey et Ané, 1933- In French. 22 volumes plus two supplements so far. List of names covered in each volume .
• Dizionario Biografico degli Italiana . Call Number: Library Annex CT 163 .D62 Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia italiana, 1960-2020. In Italian. 100 volumes. List of names covered in each volume .
• Polski Slownik Biograficzny . Call Number: Olin Library Stacks CT 1230 .P76 Kraków: Skład główny w księg, Gebethnera i Wolffa, 1935- . In Polish. 55 volumes so far. List of names covered in each volume .

Reference Help

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• Last Updated: Jun 12, 2024 4:33 PM
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English: Reference and Biography

• Journal Articles

Reference and Biography

Shakespeare.

The reference sources listed here provide quick information on primarily English and American literature. These can be very broad or very specific in nature:  for example, an encyclopedia on American literature or an encyclopedia on Mark Twain.  The following list is only a sampling of the many resources available, whether in print or online.

American National Biography (Oxford) Authoritative biographies of deceased Americans. 

Biographical Dictionary of Transcendentalism

Bloomsbury Dictionary of English Literature

Cambridge Companions Search for companions to authors, works, theories, etc. (examples:  Allegory, American Gay and Lesbian Fiction, Anthony Trollope)

Chambers Dictionary of Literary Characters

Concise Oxford Companion to African American Literature

Contemporary Authors (incorporated into Gale Literary Sources) Biographical sketches of 20th-century authors who have written in English or have had their works translated into English. 

Critical Survey of Literary Theory Edited by Frank N. Magill Salem Press, c1987 Main Ref PN45 .C74 1987

Dictionary of Literary Biography (incorporated into Gale Literary Sources) "The essays of DLB outline the lives and careers of authors from all eras and genres and summarize the critical response to their work." Personal information, principals works, and further readings also are covered.

Dictionary of Literary Symbols "Explains and illustrates the literary symbols that we all frequently encounter (such as swan, rose, moon, gold), and gives hundreds of cross-references and quotations. The dictionary concentrates on English literature, but its entries range widely from the Bible and classical authors to the twentieth century, taking in American and European literatures."

Dictionary of Literary Themes and Motifs Edited by Jean-Charles Seigneuret Greenwood Press, 1988 Main Ref PN43.D48 1988

Dictionary of National Biography Biographies of deceased British writers.

Encyclopedia of Literary and Cultural Theory

Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English

Encyclopedia of Postmodernism

Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era

Greenwood Encyclopedia of Latino Literature

Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism  The Guide includes... "entries on critics and theorists, critical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods."

Literature Resource Center Biographies,bibliographies, critical essays, work overviews, author-relatedwebsites, and timeline events. LRC is drawn in full, or in part, fromthese titles: Contemporary Authors ; Contemporary Literary Criticism (selected), Dictionary of Literary Biography ; Scribner Writer Series ; Twayne's English Authors ; Twayne's U.S. Authors ; Twayne's World Authors ; and several other sources.

Middle English Compendium "The Middle English Compendium has been designed to offer easy access toand interconnectivity between three major Middle English electronicresources: an electronic version of the Middle English Dictionary, aHyperBibliography of Middle English prose and verse, based on the MEDbibliographies, and a Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse, as wellas links to an associated network of electronic resources."

The New Dictionary of the History of Ideas A venerable dictionary.  Many literary terms, themes and motifs are discussed.

Oxford Bibliographies Online:  American Literature A curated list of core books and articles in the study of American literature.

Oxford English Dictionary

Oxford African American Studies Center

The Oxford Handbook of English Literature and Theology .  Chapters on The Protestant and Catholic Reformations, The Enlightenment, The Victorians, Modernism, etc. as well as specific chapters on Joyce, Hardy, George Eliot, Newman and more.

The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Literature . Chapters on Lyric, Satire, Epic, Tragedy, Pastoral, Realism, etc.

Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature Jay Parini, editor in chief Oxford University Press, 2004 Main Ref PS21.E537 2004

Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature Oxford University Press, 2006 "The Encyclopedia provides comprehensive coverage of literature fromthe Abbey Theatre to Israel Zangwill, covering the entire history ofliterature in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland in themajor literary languages (Anglo-Saxon, English, Welsh, Scots, Irish,and Latin). It includes substantial accounts of individual authors(e.g., Spenser, Pope, Austen) and detailed histories of particularthemes, movements, genres, and institutions, whose impact upon thewriting or the reading of literature was significant (e.g., TheStationers' Company, the sonnet, the School of Night, or the Sublime)" 

Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature

Oxford Reference Online--Literature .  Great for quick, factual look-ups. Includes sources like the The Oxford Companion to American Literature , The Oxford Companion to English Literature , and the The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare .

Poetry & Short Stories

• Short Stories

Locating Poems

In addition to searching under an author's name in the library's catalog, consider these indexes and web sites:

Granger's Index to Poetry H.W. Wilson, 1904- Main Ref PN1021.G72

Index to Poetry in Periodicals Granger Book Co., c1981- Main Ref PS324 .I4 Covers poems published in American magazines and newspapers, 1915-1929

The American Verse Project Volumes of American poetry prior to 1920.

Representative Poetry On-line Early medieval period to the beginning of the twentieth century. From University of Toronto. Unlike many collections of verse on the Web, this one is edited by scholars. Poems tend to be British and American and number over 3,000.

Reference, Poetic Terms and Concepts  

Dictionary of Literary Biography "The essays of DLB outline the lives and careers of authors from all eras and genres and summarize the critical response to their work." Personal information, principals works, and further readings also are covered.

New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics Edited by Alex Preminger and T.V.F. Brogan Princeton University Press, 1993 Main Ref PN1021 .N39 1993

Dictionary of Poetic Terms By Jack Myers and Don Charles Wukasch University of North Texas Press, c2003 Main Ref PN1042 .M93 2003

See also the Journal Articles and  Books & E-books sections.

Critical Survey of Poetry Edited by Philip K. Jason Salem Press, c2003 Main Ref PN1021 .C7 2003 Includes biographies and analysis

Poetry Explication : A checklist of Interpretation Since 1925 of British and American Poems Past and Present By Joseph M. Kuntz and Nancy Conrad Martinez G. K. Hall, c1980 Main Ref PN1022.K8 1980

Guide to British Poetry Explication By Nancy C. Martinez and Joseph G.R. Martinez G.K. Hall, 1991-c1995 Main Ref. PN1022.M34 1991 (v.1 Old English - Medieval; v.3 Restoration - Romantic; v.4 Victorian - Contemporary)

American and British Poetry : A Guide to the Criticism, 1925-1978 By Harriet Semmes Alexander Swallow Press, c1984 Main Ref PN1022.A44 1984

Guide to American Poetry Explication: Colonial and Nineteenth-Century By James Ruppert G.K. Hall, c1989 Main Ref Z1231.P7 R66 1989

Guide to American Poetry Explication: Modern and Contemporary By John R. Leo G.K. Hall, c1989 Main Ref Z1231.P7 L46 1989

The Explicator Cyclopedia Edited by Charles Child Walcutt and J. Edwin Whitesell Quadrangle books, 1966-68 Main Ref PR401 .E9

Locating Short Stories

Index to Best American Short Stories and O. Henry Prize Stories By Ray Lewis White G.K. Hall, c1988 Main Ref Z1231.F4 W52 1988

Short Story Index: An Index to 60,000 Stories in 4,320 Collections Compiled by Dorothy E. Cook and Isabel S. Monro H. W. Wilson, 1953 Main Ref Z5917.S5 C6 Supplement: 1950-1983 Main Ref Z5917.S5 C62 (7 vols.)

Chicorel Index to Short Stories in Anthologies and Collections Edited by Marietta Chicorel Chicorel Library Pub. Corp., 1974 Main Ref Z5781 .C485

Index to Short Stories Compiled by Ina Ten Eyck Firkins H.W. Wilson company, 1915 Main Ref Z5917.S5 F5 Supplement Main Ref Z5917.S5 F5 Suppl

The Standard Index of Short Stories, 1900-1914 Compiled by Francis J. Hannigan Small, Maynard & Company, c1918 Main Ref Z5917.S5 H2

Reference & Criticism

Note: See also articles and books sections.

Columbia Companion to the 20th-Century American Short Story Dictionary of Literary Biography "The essays of DLB outline the lives and careers of authors from all eras and genres and summarize the critical response to their work." Personal information, principals works, and further readings also are covered. Especially good coverage of short story writers. A Reader's Companion to the Short Story in English

Reference Guide to Short Fiction Edited by Noelle Watson St. James Press, c1994 Main Ref PN3373 .R36 1994

Twentieth-Century Short Story Explication ... Shoe String Press, 1961- Main Ref Z5917.S5 W3 and supplements Main Ref Z5917.S5 W33 and supplements Covers 1800-

American Short-Fiction Criticism and Scholarship, 1959-1977 : A Checklist By Joe Weixlmann Swallow Press, c1982 Main Ref Z1231.F4 W43

There are many, many reference sources for all aspects of Shakespeare study -- biographical, theatrical, criticism, textual analysis, etc. Here is short sample:

Biblical References in Shakespeare's Plays . Main Ref PR 3012 S53 1999. 

The Cambridge Companion to Shakespearean Comedy . (e-book)  2002.

A Complete and Systematic Concordance to the Works of Shakespeare . Main Ref PR 2892 S6 1970. Six volumes.

A Dictionary of Shakespeare. (e-book) 1998. 

The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare . (e-book) 2001.

Shakespearean Characterization: A Guide for Students and Actors .  (e-book) 2002.

Shakespeare: from Stage to Screen .  (e-book) 2004.

Shakespeare after Shakespeare:And Encyclopedia of the Bard in Mass Media and Popular Culture . Main Ref PR 2880 S48 2007.

There is no end, it seems, to Shakespeare criticism. You will want to search for books and journal articles-- please refer to the Books and Journal Articles section.  in both cases, you can do a keyword search, for example, for Shakespeare and Hamlet  or  Shakespeare and Women.   Or do a subject search of Shakespeare and browse the subject headings or other phrases to narrow down your search.

Shakespearean Criticism Yearbook: Excerpts from the criticism of William Shakespeare's plays and poetry, from the first published appraisals to current evaluation . Main Ref PR2965 .S43 1984.

General Gateway Sites

Voice of the Shuttle: Web Page for Humanities Research Excellent collection of links from Alan Liu, English Dept, UCSB.

• Literature (English)
• Literature (Other)
• Literary Theory

Full-text Resources

Alex Catalogue of Electronic Texts A full-text indexed collection of classic American and English literature

Online Books Page From the University of Pennsylvania -- access to over 30,000 books on the Web. 

Bartleby Library Literature, reference, and verse.

English Language Resources: The Electronic Text Center A variety of electronic texts and illustrations made available over the Internet from the Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia. Some contents available only to UV students.

Victorian Women Writers Project British women writers of the late 19th century. A collection of anthologies, novels, political pamphlets, and volumes of poetry.

General Internet Sources

The Cambridge History of English and American Literature An Encyclopedia in Eighteen Volumes According to Bartleby.com this source "is considered the most important work of literary history and criticism ever published on writings in the English language. Compiled over fourteen years, from 1907 to 1921."

The Children's Literature Web Guide The Children's Literature Web Guide is an attempt to gather together and categorize the growing number of Internet resources related to books for Children and Young Adults. From the University of Calgary.

Labyrinth: The World Wide Web Server for Medieval Studies A comprehensive resource for Medieval Studies: bibliographies, European cultural studies, pedagogical resources, electronic texts, music.

Luminarium Anthologies of Middle, Renaissance, and 17th Century English literature. A great introduction to the major authors of these periods. Beautiful graphics. Includes biographies, criticism, bibliographies and much more. Very useful as an overview.

Maine Writers Index Over 350 Maine writers, past and present.

New York Times Books (free but registration required to use New York Times' sites.) Includes the complete Sunday Book Review, daily book related news and reviews, a searchable archive of over 50,000 New York Times Book Reviews going back to 1980, and more.

PAL: perspectives in American Literature Covers major movements, narrower themes, and links to individual web pages to nearly 400 authors

The Writers' Workshop Online Resources for Writers (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne) This page links to the many resources produced by this workshop, as well as links to outside resources for writers. Includes the Grammar Handbook, the Bibliography Styles Handbook, and the Writing Process Handbook. Check out their annotated list of "Best Web Sites for Writers."

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• Key Differences

Know the Differences & Comparisons

Difference Between Reference and Bibliography

Reference and Bibliography is an important part of any project under study because it helps in acknowledging other’s work and also help the readers in finding the original sources of information. It not only prevents plagiarism but also indicates that the writer has done good research on the subject by using a variety of sources to gain information.

Read out the article to know the differences between reference and bibliography.

Content: Reference Vs Bibliography

Comparison chart.

Definition of Reference

Reference can be understood as the act of giving credit to or mentioning the name of, someone or something. In research methodology, it denotes the items which you have reviewed and referred to, in the text, in your research work. It is nothing but a way to acknowledge or indirectly showing gratitude, towards the sources from where the information is gathered.

While using references, one thing is to be noted that you go for reliable sources only, because it increases credence and also supports your arguments. It may include, books, research papers, or articles from magazines, journals, newspapers, etc., interview transcripts, internet sources such as websites, blogs, videos watched, and so forth.

These are used to inform the reader about the sources of direct quotations, tables, statistics, photos etc. that are included in the research work.

Definition of Bibliography

At the end of the research report, bibliography is added, which contains a list of books, magazines, journals, websites or other publications which are in some way relevant to the topic under study, that has been consulted by the researcher during the research. In finer terms, it comprises of all the references cited in the form of footnotes and other important works that the author has studied.

The bibliography is helpful to the reader in gaining information regarding the literature available on the topic and what influenced the author. For better presentation and convenient reading, the bibliography can be grouped into two parts, wherein the first part lists out the names of books and pamphlets consulted, and the other contains the names of magazines and newspapers considered.

Types of Bibliography

• Bibliography of works cited : It contains the name of those books whose content has been cited in the text of the research report.
• Selected Bibliography : As it is evident from the name itself, selected bibliography covers only those works which the author assumes that are of major interest to the reader.
• Annotated Bibliography : In this type of bibliography, a small description of the items covered is given by the author to ensure readability and also improve the usefulness of the book.

Key Differences Between Reference and Bibliography

The difference between reference and bibliography can be drawn clearly on the following grounds:

• Reference implies referring to someone or something, that means it provides the list of sources, whose text is used in the assignment or research work. Conversely, bibliography represents the list of all the sources, from which the research has gained some information about the topic, irrespective of the work cited or not.
• References are based on primary sources, whereas bibliography is created on the basis of primary and secondary sources.
• References used in the assignment can be arranged alphabetically or numerically. On the contrary, list of sources used in the bibliography is arranged numerically.
• The bibliography is used to list out everything you go through to obtain the information relating to the assignment, no matter if you specifically cite it in your assignment or not. Now coming to references, it only takes into account those sources which have been cited in the assignment.
• The main objective of adding a reference at the end of the document is to improve credence or support an idea or argument. As against, the bibliography is not used for supporting an argument.
• While reference is used in thesis and dissertation. On the other hand, bibliography is used in case of journal paper and research work.

To sum up, references and bibliography are almost same, but there are only subtle differences between the two, which lies in the items which are included in them. The primary use of references is to get recognition and authentication of the research work, whereas bibliography is appended with the aim of giving the reader the information on the sources relating to the topic.

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November 11, 2019 at 11:22 pm

All of the descriptions and information about the “reference and bibliography” and the difference between them are useful for the readers. Since both terms are closely related, this is why both terms are sometimes confusing for some people. Thanks for the helpful explanations you have given about the two terms mentioned above.

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March 25, 2021 at 5:23 pm

April 8, 2021 at 3:29 pm

Very helpful However I had a doubt regarding the placement of bibliography. Usually references are placed after the main body and conclusion. But where is bibliography placed?

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I had a doubt regarding the placement of bibliography. Usually references are placed after the main body and conclusion. But where is bibliography placed?

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by-og-ruh-fe

A biography is an account or description of a person’s life, literary, fictional, historical, or popular in nature, written by a biographer.

E.g. In the poignant biography of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, the author delves into the complex life of the Apple co-founder, unraveling the intricacies of his visionary mind and creative genius.

Related terms: Dialogue , first person point of view , irony , critique

Depending on the biography, it can consist of simple, direct facts such as those anyone can get access to. This would include information about a person’s birth, family, and family history. There would also be information about a person’s education, friendships, and defining life events and relationships. Other biographies focus on one period of a person’s life, usually one that was particularly important in the wider history of their life.

If a writer has special access to the person they’re writing about, information about that person, or contacts that knew that person, one biography might be more personal and intimate than another.

All the information in a biography is usually conveyed in chronological order. Although it is not unusual for the book to start with an important moment and then go back in time, tracing the person’s important life events.

Types of Biographies

There are several different kinds of biographies that fall under the larger category of “biography”. These include historical biography, fictional, literary, reference, and popular. Fictional biography is one of the most creative. It tells the story of a fictional character as if they were a real person. Examples include  The Real Life of Sebastian Knight  by Vladimir Nabokov and  Nate Tate  by William Boyd.

Examples of Biographies

Example #1 orlando  by virginia woolf.

This book is one of the best examples of fictional biography. It was published in October of 1928 and tells the story of a poet who changes sex from a man to a woman and lives a lifetime over centuries.

Example #2 Alice Walker: A Life by Evelyn C. White

Alice Walker: A Life  is a wonderful example of a traditional literary biography. It traces the life and accomplishments of the activist and author of The Color Purple  Alice Walker.

Autobiography

An autobiography is the largest of the categories. This is is the story of someone’s life written by the person who lived it. Sometimes the writer will need assistance from a  ghostwriter, or a professional writer who helps them get the writing in order while they provide the information. There are many different kinds of autobiographies . Some, such as  David Copperfield  by Charles Dickens are semi-autobiographical or include characters and events that closely mirror the events of a writer’s life.

Example of an Autobiography

The diary of a young girls by anne frank.

This slightly unusual autobiography is a compilation of personal writings from the young Anne Frank in Dutch. It was written during the period that Anne and her family were in hiding for two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. While she died in 1945 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, her diary was retried and published. It has since been translated into more than 60 languages.

Example of a Semi-Autobiographical Novel:  Burmese Days by George Orwell

In this book, Orwell takes a look at his life through the story of a fictional character in a very real place that the writer knew well. It is set in 1920s British Burma and follows John Flory. The novel was inspired by the time that Orwell spent in the Indian Imperial Police in the same region, between 1922 and 1927.

A memoir is similar to an autobiography as it is written by the person whose life it is about. But, a memoir focuses on memories rather than life facts. it might take a narrower view, focusing only on one period of time with a particular intent.

Example of a Memoir

Dreams from my father by barack obama.

This famous memoir was published in 1995 long before Obama became president of the United Staes or even before he was elected to the Illinois senate. He recounts his upbringing and how it set him apart from his contemporaries.

Home » Genre » Biography

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All terms defined are created by a team of talented literary experts, to provide an in-depth look into literary terms and poetry, like no other.

Cite This Page

Baldwin, Emma. "Biography". Poem Analysis , https://poemanalysis.com/genre/biography/ . Accessed 13 June 2024.

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Reference Examples

More than 100 reference examples and their corresponding in-text citations are presented in the seventh edition Publication Manual . Examples of the most common works that writers cite are provided on this page; additional examples are available in the Publication Manual .

To find the reference example you need, first select a category (e.g., periodicals) and then choose the appropriate type of work (e.g., journal article ) and follow the relevant example.

When selecting a category, use the webpages and websites category only when a work does not fit better within another category. For example, a report from a government website would use the reports category, whereas a page on a government website that is not a report or other work would use the webpages and websites category.

Also note that print and electronic references are largely the same. For example, to cite both print books and ebooks, use the books and reference works category and then choose the appropriate type of work (i.e., book ) and follow the relevant example (e.g., whole authored book ).

Examples on these pages illustrate the details of reference formats. We make every attempt to show examples that are in keeping with APA Style’s guiding principles of inclusivity and bias-free language. These examples are presented out of context only to demonstrate formatting issues (e.g., which elements to italicize, where punctuation is needed, placement of parentheses). References, including these examples, are not inherently endorsements for the ideas or content of the works themselves. An author may cite a work to support a statement or an idea, to critique that work, or for many other reasons. For more examples, see our sample papers .

Reference examples are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Chapter 10 and the Concise Guide Chapter 10

Related handouts

• Common Reference Examples Guide (PDF, 147KB)
• Reference Quick Guide (PDF, 225KB)

Textual Works

Textual works are covered in Sections 10.1–10.8 of the Publication Manual . The most common categories and examples are presented here. For the reviews of other works category, see Section 10.7.

• Journal Article References
• Magazine Article References
• Newspaper Article References
• Blog Post and Blog Comment References
• UpToDate Article References
• Book/Ebook References
• Diagnostic Manual References
• Children’s Book or Other Illustrated Book References
• Classroom Course Pack Material References
• Religious Work References
• Chapter in an Edited Book/Ebook References
• Dictionary Entry References
• Wikipedia Entry References
• Report by a Government Agency References
• Report with Individual Authors References
• Brochure References
• Ethics Code References
• Fact Sheet References
• ISO Standard References
• Press Release References
• White Paper References
• Conference Presentation References
• Conference Proceeding References
• Published Dissertation or Thesis References
• Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis References
• ERIC Database References
• Preprint Article References

Data and Assessments

Data sets are covered in Section 10.9 of the Publication Manual . For the software and tests categories, see Sections 10.10 and 10.11.

• Data Set References
• Toolbox References

Audiovisual Media

Audiovisual media are covered in Sections 10.12–10.14 of the Publication Manual . The most common examples are presented together here. In the manual, these examples and more are separated into categories for audiovisual, audio, and visual media.

• Artwork References
• Clip Art or Stock Image References
• Film and Television References
• Musical Score References
• Online Course or MOOC References
• Podcast References
• PowerPoint Slide or Lecture Note References
• Radio Broadcast References
• TED Talk References
• Transcript of an Audiovisual Work References
• YouTube Video References

Online Media

Online media are covered in Sections 10.15 and 10.16 of the Publication Manual . Please note that blog posts are part of the periodicals category.

• Facebook References
• Instagram References
• LinkedIn References
• Online Forum (e.g., Reddit) References
• TikTok References
• X References
• Webpage on a Website References
• Clinical Practice References
• Open Educational Resource References
• Whole Website References

• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Geography & Travel
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts

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