Introduction
Conducting research on philosophical topics and figures can be overwhelming. Where do you begin? The following resources are a few relatively quick ways of becoming familiar with the available body of research.
These resources are presented with a few caveats, which have to do with institutional and societal pressures that affect visibility.
First, whenever you search for resources--in the library or otherwise--what you find is contingent upon how the search engine you use identifies relevant material (in library language, this is broadly called metadata or, more specifically, classification/subject headings). These headings are applied according to very specific rules
A proviso is attached to the following resources and advice: academic libraries (including Emory) typically use Library of Congress Classification and Subject Headings. These systems were created in the early 20th century, and were designed to support a very specific kind of research in philosophy, i.e. a historiographical or historicist approach. Although these systems have been updated and expanded since their creation, they still maintain patterns that identify aspects of work salient to that mode of research--and not others. Thus, if you are interested in, e.g., phenomenological, feminist, deconstructive, critical philosophy of race, or any number of other modes of reading texts, you may find these systems to be of limited to no use.
Handbooks & Compendiums
Handbooks or compendiums on the figure, school, or topic you are researching will often contain essays by scholars in the area on major areas of research and debate. The editor's introduction may also be especially useful, as these generally serve to contextualize the essays in the volume relative both to each other and to broader philosophical discourses.
Handbook series of note include:
Recent Publications
Although there may not be a book specific to exactly the topic you're looking for published within the last few years, familiarizing yourself with what is being put out as scholarly work by major academic publishers is a good way to (1) see what topics are being worked on by scholars in the field and (2) what other, older works are being cited by these scholars.
Examples of major academic publishers include:
Note that it may also be helpful to consult specific publishers for particular areas, e.g. presses that specialize in Continental Philosophy include:
Introductory Articles
A number of encylopedia-type articles aim to summarize main points of a topic, figure, idea, etc. while suggesting possible avenues for further research.
Three peer-reviewed sources online include:
Depending on your area/approach, you may also want to consult more specialized volumes, such as the following:
Feminist Philosophies A-Z (Available Online) by Call Number: HQ1190 .M386 2007ISBN: 9780748621538Publication Date: 2007-03-22"A concise alphabetical guide to the key terms, issues, theoretical approaches, projects and thinkers in feminist philosophy. Feminist Philosophies A-Z covers contemporary material in a number of feminist approaches. It illustrates the complexity, range and interconnectedness of issues in feminist philosophy while making clear the relationship of feminist philosophy to the rest of philosophy as a discipline (epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, social philosophy and metaphysics). Entries are pithy, detailed, informative and are cross-referenced to guide the reader through the lively debates in feminism. This volume is an indispensable resource for philosophers, students, and Women's Studies faculties as well as anyone with an interest in feminist philosophy."
Encyclopedia of Black Studies (Available Online) by Call Number: E185 .E554 2005ISBN: 9780761927624Publication Date: 2004-12-09"The Encyclopedia of Black Studies is the leading reference source for dynamic and innovative research on the Black experience. The concept for the encyclopedia was developed from the successful Journal of Black Studies (SAGE) and contains a full analysis of the economic, political, sociological, historical, literary, and philosophical issues related to Americans of African descent. This single-volume reference is the vanguard of the recent explosive growth in quality scholarship in the field. More than a chronicle of black culture or black people, this encyclopedia deals with the emergence and maturity of an intellectual field over the past four decades. Beginning with the protests at San Francisco State College in 1967 that led to the first degree-granting department of Black Studies, the field's rapid growth over time necessitates an authoritative account of the discipline."
Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy (Available Online) by ISBN: 9780028661377Publication Date: 2008-10-15"The field of environmental ethics is a new but now well-established sub-discipline of philosophy. Emerging in the mid-1970s, the field coalesced with the inaugural volume of the journal Environmental Ethics in 1979 and developed rapidly. By the turn of the century, most colleges and universities offered courses, if not major programs of study, in this important discipline. The Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy addresses the needs of upper high school students, undergraduate researchers, teachers and professors, as well as general readers by examining the philosophical and ethical issues underlying contemporary and historical environmental issues, policies, and debates. More than 300 peer-reviewed articles cover concepts, institutions, topics, events and people, including global warming, animal rights, environmental movements, alternative energy, green chemistry, industrial ecology, and eco-sabotage. Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy joins the suite of other Macmillan applied ethics titles: Encyclopedia of Bioethics and the Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics. Additional features include 200 photographs and illustrations, thematic outline, annotated bibliography, and a comprehensive index."
Companion Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy (Available Online) by Call Number: B121 .C66 1997ISBN: 9780415240383Publication Date: 2000-10-17"The Companion Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy is a unique one-volume reference work which makes a broad range of richly varied philosophical, ethical and theological traditions accessible to a wide audience. The Companion is divided into six sections covering the main traditions within Asian thought: Persian; Indian; Buddhist; Chinese; Japanese; and Islamic philosophy. Each section contains a collection of chapters which provide comprehensive coverage of the origins of the tradition, its approaches to, for example, logic and languages, and to questions of morals and society. The chapters also contain useful histories of the lives of the key influential thinkers, as well as a thorough analysis of the current trends."
American Philosophy: an Encyclopedia by Call Number: B850 .A43 2008ISBN: 9780415939263Publication Date: 2007-12-07Note: this volume is narrower in scope than its title implies. It does not have substantive coverage of: indigenous philosophies, Latin & South American philosophies, philosophies of prominent black & POC Americans (e.g. James Baldwin, Gloria Anzaldua), etc.
"The Encyclopedia of American Philosophy provides coverage of the major figures, concepts, historical periods and traditions in American philosophical thought. Containing over 600 entries written by scholars who are experts in the field, this Encyclopedia is the first of its kind. It is a scholarly reference work that is accessible to the ordinary reader by explaining complex ideas in simple terms and providing ample cross-references to facilitate further study. The Encyclopedia of American Philosophy contains a thorough analytical index and will serve as a standard, comprehensive reference work for universities and colleges. Topics covered include: Great philosophers: Emerson, Dewey, James, Royce, Peirce, Santayana Subjects: Pragmatism, Progress, the Future, Knowledge, Democracy, Growth, Truth Influences on American Philosophy: Hegel, Aristotle, Plato, British Enlightenment, Reformation Self-Assessments: Joe Margolis, Donald Davidson, Susan Haack, Peter Hare, John McDermott, Stanley Cavell Ethics: Value, Pleasure, Happiness, Duty, Judgment, Growth Political Philosophy: Declaration of Independence, Democracy, Freedom, Liberalism, Community, Identity"
Bibliographies
Although they can quickly become outdated, bibliographies--especially annotated bibliographies--provide the researcher with a curated list of books, articles, and other resources that enable focused, informed research. One good online example:
Two disadvantages of bibliographies worth keeping in mind are that they can suffer (more or less) from biases in selection by the author of the article, and they tend to focus on "major issues" and "major works," thus omitting less well-known works that may nevertheless be more relevant to your research.