 |
 |
 |
 |
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INTRODUCTION
When CERES started in October 1996 its managers prepared a series of guides to electronic resources. These guides have been edited, truncated, and amalgamated into this one. This document is designed to work alongside the HARVEST Digests, the first of which was produced after HARVEST I.vi in June 1997. NB Much of the information below has been digested from the sources described, and often retains their wording.
CONTENTS
Please select from the following menu or scroll through below.
The Bottom Line At The Top: BIDS is very useful indeed. Dry descriptions can tell you far less than an hour's exploring.
Access: BIDS requires users to register and thereby obtain a password. How this is done depends on your institution: in Cambridge, for instance, just ask at the central desk of the UL reading room.
What's there: several databases of which the most relevant one is the Arts and Humanities section of the BIDS - ISI database. This includes a vast collection of journal articles. There is also a Social Sciences Database. The special feature of BIDS is that it is a citation index as well as a bibliography, i.e. for every article you retrieve there is a full list of all the works cited in its notes. This can often speed up the process of finding relevant secondary material. BIDS also offers a service whereby you can order copies of articles from the British Library.
Getting there: BIDS has a website at http://www.bids.ac.uk/ from which you can link to ISI using, for example, Netscape. It also has a telnet connection at telnet bids.ac.uk. Telnet is a very common program which pretty much any networked computer will have. It has numerous forms but generally typing bids.ac.uk either at the relevant prompt, or having used the Connect menu, will do the trick.
Searching: Basic searches on the web version are performed by selecting the Easy Search Form and filling in the boxes. If you've reached BIDS via telnet then you'll have to choose a few numbered options from menus in order to reach the search screen. There are numerous refinements of the search process possible and CERES strongly suggests a careful reading of the HELP sections of BIDS in order to get the best out of it.
Viewing Search Results: again, this can be simple or more refined and the HELP sections are the best way to exploit the capabilities of BIDS fully.
FirstSearch is a selected package of reference databases hosted in Ohio by OCLC Inc., with a mirror site in the UK. The databases are a combination of OCLC's proprietary services plus specialised databases from other producers. Searching is free to end-users who are members of subscribing institutions (though there may be charges for associated services such as printed guides and document delivery).
FirstSearch can be reached via telnet or via the web. Telnet access (UK only) via the NISS gateway at telnet://wwwx25.niss.ac.uk (follow the menu to 'Data services requiring registration'). Better, though, is the web interface. Follow links from your Institution's library, or go direct to http://homer.uk.oclc.org/ or (US/Canada) http://www.oclc.org/.
FirstSearch comprises the following databases:
For more information on OCLC, please see recent coverage in Harvest III.iii here.
NB The Cambridge University server can send you on your way to a whole range of databases and service via a handy start page: http://www.cam.ac.uk/AcadInfoRes.
NISS Gateway
The NISS gateway at http://www.niss.ac.uk/ is a gateway to academic resources aimed at the UK. From here you can gather info
about, and then link to, a wide range of databases and services. Presumably the service will expand.
HENSA Service
MUCH free software (of a very grown-up kind) available via the
HENSA service (particularly the MICROS section). Web yourself
over to http://www.hensa.ac.uk if you want to download copies of handy applications etc.
HUMBUL Gateway
The HUMBUL gateway at the following address:
http://users.ox.ac.uk/humbul/
opens the way to a wide range of Net features.
Institute of Historical Research
Betake yourself to http://ihr.sas.ac.uk for the Institute of Historical Research's guide to web resources etc.
STARTING POINTS
SHAKESPEARE
SPENSER
ELECTRONIC PERIODICALS
OTHERS
The alphabetical list which follows has been compiled from various sources: lists which pertain to other areas of literary research can generally be found on Jack Lynch's pages or at Early Modern Literary Studies (addresses above). All these lists work via e-mail and require only simple e-mail instructions to get started. You can passively observe discussions, or become a frequent contributor.
A couple of caveats: first, joining a list means you will receive more e-mail and dealing with it (even if all you do is delete large chunks) will take time. Second, it is fair to say that the quality of academic content is not always first-rate: it is still generally the case that if a scholar is doing important work in a given area, then an electronic mailing-list is not the obvious place to air it. However, plenty of excellent discussions do take place, and if there is a problem with quality, the question is: do you want to be part of the problem, or part of the solution?
EARLYM-L
A forum for the exchange of news and views about
Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music.
Membership Information: WWW Home Page at
http://www.wu-wien.ac.at/earlym-l/. Contact Gerhard Gonter (gonter@isis.wu-wien.ac.at).
ExLibris
ExLibris
provides an environment for discussing matters related to rare
book and manuscript librarianship, including special collections
and related issues. Membership Information at URL:
http://aultnis.rutgers.edu/texts/exsignon.html.
FICINO
Discussion of the Renaissance and Reformation. FICINO is
an international electronic seminar and bulletin-board devoted to
all aspects of the Renaissance and Reformation. For membership
information, contact Professor William Bowen (editor@epas.utoronto.ca), or go to the FICINO homepage: http://citd.scar.utoronto.ca/CRRS/FICINO.html.
FRAUEN-L
A list for all who study, research,
and teach on matters pertaining to women and gender in early
modern Europe. To subscribe: either 1) send a message to
kzapalac@artsci.wustl.edu or 2) fill out the form attached to the list's webpage at
http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~frauen-l/ .
GEMCS-L
The Group for Early Modern Cultural Studies list is
meant as a forum for the discussion of early modern culture, both
western and eastern. Membership Information: Contact Kevin
LaGrandeur or Jody DeRitter (both at GEMCS-L@vaxc.hofstra.edu) -- under 'subject,' write 'informational question.'
H-RHETOR
An international electronic forum for scholars and
teachers of the history of rhetoric, writing, and communication.
Subscription Address: listserv@msu.edu.
Contact Address: Gary Hatch (gary_hatch@byu.edu).
HUMANIST
Humanist is an international electronic seminar devoted
to all aspects of humanities computing. Its editor is Willard
McCarty (willard.mccarty@kcl.ac.uk) of Kings College, London. Humanist has a home page on the World Wide Web, at http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/.
IATH-L
The main discussion group for the Institute for
Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the University of
Virginia. The purpose of this list is threefold: to function as a
general list for IATH, where local and networked Institute
fellows and their associates may communicate, to provide a forum
for discussion of the disciplinary and professional aspects of
computing in the humanities, and to archive and publish reference
materials and excerpted discussions from this and related lists.
Subscription Address: listproc@jefferson.village.virginia.edu
Submission Address: IATH-L@jefferson.village.virginia.edu.
JOHN_DEE
A list to discuss John Dee. To subscribe, send email
to: listserv@fre.fsu.umd.edu with no subject line and the following line as the body of your message: SUBSCRIBE JOHN_DEE (firstname) (lastname). Post to JOHN_DEE by mailing john_dee@fre.fsu.umd.edu.
LANYER
This list discusses the works of Aemilia Lanyer. To
subscribe, send the message SUBSCRIBE Lanyer (firstname)
(lastname) to listserv@listserv.arizona.edu.
MANTOVANO
An online, ongoing discussion of Virgil and his
influence. Its Home Page can be reached at http://www.virgil.org/mantovano.
Subscription Address: majordomo@virgil.org.
Contact Address: David Wilson-Okamura (owner-mantovano@virgil.org).
MARCAV-L
This list discusses Margaret Cavendish. To subscribe,
send the message SUBSCRIBE MARCAV-L to
MARCAV-L-REQUEST@lists.nau.edu.
MED-AND-REN-MUSIC
Enables those engaged on research into any
aspect of Medieval and Renaissance Music to exchange information.
For membership information, contact Dr. Isobel Preece (med-and-ren-music-request@mailbase.ac.uk).
MILTON-L
The John Milton E-conference is for scholars, students,
and others interested in the life and work of John Milton.
Membership Information: Contact Kevin J.T. Creamer
(MILTON-REQUEST@URVAX.URICH.EDU).
To subscribe to Milton-L, send the message SUBSCRIBE MILTON-L to
Mailserv@urvax.urich.edu.
MILTON REVIEW
Milton-L's sister list; a review of books of
interest to Milton and Renaissance scholars.
To subscribe to Milton Review send the message SUBSCRIBE
MILTON-REVIEW to Mailserv@urvax.urich.edu.
The Milton Review web page, with links to reviews, is found at
http://www.urich.edu/~creamer/review.html.
REED-L
Records of Early English Drama Discussion.
For membership information, contact Dr. Abigail Young (reed@epas.utoronto.ca).
RENAIS-L
Deals with Early Modern History of the
Renaissance and is a forum for debate, discussion, and the
exchange of information by students and scholars of the history
of the Renaissance. Contact James A. Cocks (JACOCK01@ulkyvm.louisville.edu).
RENDANCE
A list for discussion of Renaissance dance. The
RENDANCE WWW Page is located at
http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~andrew/rendance.html. For membership information, contact Andrew Draskoy (andrew@bransle.ucs.mun.ca).
RENFORUM
Will be used as a means of distributing the contents
pages of the journal (see above). It will also tell you how to
receive, download or store the actual journal. To join the list,
send an email to renforum-request@hull.ac.uk with the message (not subject):
subscribe
stop
Online help can be obtained by sending the following message in
the same way:
help
stop
Any other queries relating to the list can be directed to Andrew
Butler (A.M.Butler@english.hull.ac.uk).
RESTORATION CULTURE
Devoted to the discussion of Restoration Culture,
which can include all aspects of cultural expression in the
Restoration period. Subscribers need to send the message
'SUBSCRIBE RESTORATION [YOUR NAME]' to listproc@listproc.bgsu.edu. For more information e-mail the listowner at smorgan@bgnet.bgsu.edu.
SHAKSPER
The Global Electronic Shakespeare Conference. SHAKSPER
is the international electronic conference for Shakespearean
researchers, instructors, students, and those who share their
academic interests and concerns. Membership Information: Write to
the editor, Hardy M. Cook (HMCook@boe00.minc.umd).
SIDNEY-L
Intended to serve as an online forum for scholars and students of Sir Philip Sidney, the Countess of Pembroke, Lady Mary Wroth, and other members of the Sidney family and Sidney Circle. To subscribe, send email to: listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca. In the body of the mail message, type: 'subscribe sidney-l Your Full Name'.
For more information visit the Sidney Journal homepage at http://www.uoguelph.ca/englit/sidney. The list is archived at http://info.uoguelph.ca/archives/sidney-l.html.
SPENSER-L
Intended to serve as an online discussion
of the early English Renaissance, with focus on Edmund Spenser
and his contemporaries: Philip Sidney, Mary Sidney, Fulke
Greville, George Gascoigne, and others. To subscribe, send the
following command to majordomo@darkwing.uoregon.edu in the body
of your e-mail: subscribe SPENSER-L. SPENSER-L's home page is:
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~rbear/list.html.
WITTENBERG
Project Wittenberg and LutherNet are proud to announce a new
electronic mail discussion list, WITTENBERG. The list will
function as a forum for Lutheran Church
History. To subscribe, send a message to Mailserv@CRF.CUIS.Edu.
Leave the subject line blank. The body of the message should be: Subscribe WITTENBERG. You should also send a message to Mailserv@CRF.CUIS.Edu as soon as you're subscribed, with the command 'HELP' as the body of the text.
Back to top. Return to Archive.
