Introduction
Handbooks, guides, and bibliographies about specific composers, genres, or instruments can be excellent tools for your research!
What are they?
- Thorough and comprehensive lists of the major scholarship about a specific topic.
Why use them?
- To help direct your reading and research so you know what's already been published about your topic.
- Remember: Although they are a great place to start, it is important to check when they were published because they may not be up to date on the most current research and scholarship.
Finding Handbooks & Guides Through the Library
Oxford Bibliographies (linked below) is a great online tool that collects peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on a variety of topics. Searching here to see what has been written about the topic you're researching is a great way gather background information and decide what sources to read next.
- Oxford Bibliographies Online This link opens in a new windowOffers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on specific topics in a growing range of subject areas. There are at least 50 specific topical bibliographies in each subject area. Each of these features an introduction to the topic. Bibliographies are browseable by subject area and keyword searchable. Contains a My OBO function that allows users to create personalized bibliographies of individual citations from different bibliographies.
You can also find handbooks, guides, and annotated bibliographies on a variety of topics through the library catalog. We are highlighting several series that are particularly good for world music topics.
Remember that you can always search for similar materials yourself by searching for your topic AND "research guide", "bibliography", or "handbook" in the library catalog.
Browse the recommended series of handbooks and guides for world music listed below for a good place to start!
- Routledge Global Popular Music Series
Provides popular music scholars, teachers, students, and musicologists with a well-informed and up-to-date introduction to different world popular music scenes. The series of volumes can be used for academic teaching in popular music studies, or as a collection of reference works. The series is written by those living and working in the countries about which they write. - Oxford Global Music Series
An innovative introduction to world music that focuses on how people make music meaningful and useful in their lives. - Garland Handbooks of World Music
Comprised of essays from the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Revised and updated, the essays offer detailed, regional studies of different musical cultures from around the world and examine the ways in which music helps to define the identity of different areas.
Recommended Guides
If you're not sure where to start, check out some of the research guides linked below.
Ethnomusicology: a guide to research by Call Number: MPAL Reference Non-circulating ML128.E8 P67This guide is an annotated bibliography of books, recordings, videos, and websites in the field of ethnomusicology. Part One includes handbooks and guides; encyclopedias and dictionaries; indexes and bibliographies; journals; media sources; and archives. Part Two provides a list of current publications in the field that are widely used by ethnomusicologists.
Reference materials in ethnomusicology by Call Number: ML128.E8 N38R31967This book is from the late 1960s and as such is fairly dated. However, it might have good information if you want to do historical research and many of the contents are still valid.
The music and dance of the world’s religions : a comprehensive, annotated bibliography of materials in the English language by Call Number: ML128.S17 R87This book focuses specifically on music tied to religious practices. It covers many different religions and world regions.
