Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature

Compiled under the auspices of the Modern Humanities Research Association by an international team of editors, contributors, and academic advisers, the Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (ABELL) is an indispensable reference work for English studies. The electronic database contains more than 960,000 records, from 1892 through to today with regular monthly updates of newly indexed material. ABELL is widely regarded as one of the most important bibliographical sources for English studies. It is the only electronic literary index that covers the critical years of literary output from 1892 through 1962, in addition to offering current records.

The Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (ABELL) has existed as a printed bibliography for over 80 years, and during that time has been acclaimed as a standard reference work for English studies. It is an essential acquisition for any library supporting serious literary research.

ABELL lists monographs, periodical articles, critical editions of literary works, book reviews, collections of essays, and doctoral dissertations published anywhere in the world.

Subject areas covered by ABELL include:

• English language--syntax, phonology, lexicology, semantics, stylistics, dialectology, vocabulary, orthography, dictionaries and grammars; Language, Literature and the Computer
• Literatures written in English--poetry, prose, fiction, films, biography, travel writing, literary theory, and studies of individual authors
• Bibliography--manuscript studies, textual studies, and the history of publishing
• Traditional culture of the English-speaking world including custom, belief, narrative, song, dance, and material culture

ABELL can be searched by keyword, title keyword, subject, author or reviewer, publication details, journal and publication year, or any combination of these terms. The search tools enable the user to construct detailed specialist bibliographies and to assess, in seconds, the number and variety of sources available.

Unique features of ABELL include coverage of book reviews and critical editions of literary works.

Over 30,000 records are added to ABELL annually.

OpenURL and Z39.50 compliancy has been added to ABELL.   In addition, citation management software is supported for exporting references.

Please note:

ABELL is linked to 325+ full-text journals in the Literature Online (LION) database.  These full-text journals are available with a LION subscription and are seamlessly linked into ABELL.