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Research Guides

Research in Bibliography, Textual Studies & Book History: Researching the History of a Book

Researching a particular book

When researching a particular book, it will help to take a step back and think about the genre of the book and/or place it in the timeline of publication history.

  1. Start with the item itself...is it a critical edition or is there an introduction or notes?
    • Critical editions, notes, and introductory texts are often goldmines for finding information about a publication's history.
  2. Look for a copy of your chosen book at UW Libraries.
  3. Browse the book stacks near your book to find more items. Scan the tables of contents and the indexes for the book title, publisher, etc.
  4. Find a biography.
  5. Research the publisher.
  6. Find book reviews.

Find a biography

Find a biography using Wikipedia, UW Libraries Search, or Gale Literature Resource Center.  Biographers often include circumstances around the publication of the book.

Research the publisher

You might find a book or article about the person and/or the publishing house that edited the book.  Look them up in UW Libraries Search, and do a Google search as well.

UW Libraries Search - Advanced Search

  • Search for the publisher (or editor)'s personal name if you have it.
  • If you search by publishing house, make sure you specify the publisher as a subject, using the Advanced Search. (Click "any field" and choose "subject")

Wikipedia may also contain good information about the publisher:

  • Look for the source list, and search for these sources in UW Libraries Search to verify the information.

Find book reviews

Book reviews can give you ideas on how a book was received at the time of publications. You can find book reviews in newspapers, magazines, literary journals, on the web, and by using book review indexes. We have a guide to help you find them on the Libraries website.

Book reviews research guide

  • Use the resources for Current Book Reviews if your book was published more recently.
  • Otherwise use the guidance under "Locating Reviews of Older Books".
  • Review the tips for finding book reviews and things to keep in mind.