Chinese Bibliography 

Students who are are about to begin doing research using Chinese materials have a lot to learn. Not just which are the best dictionaries and other reference tools to use, but how to actually use them. Are they arranged alphabetically or by radical. What the heck is the Four Corner system? Is it still relevant?

Rather than striking out blindly on your own using Google or Baidu, please learn from the researchers who have prepared a careful path for you. Here are two excellent resources for you to consult.

Alvin P. Cohen.  Introduction to Research in Chinese Source Materials. New Haven CT: Far Eastern Publications, Yale University, 2000. 751 pages. Twenty years of students at UMass used drafts of this text in their Chinese bibliography course. It is a time tested book that provides a wealth of details about the contents of important reference tools, their strengths and weaknesses, and how to use them.  Available: UMass East Asian Reference Z3101.A2 C64 2000

Benjamin Elman teaches Classical Historiography for Chinese History at Princeton University. He has created a website for his students, which includes bibliographies of important sources for bibliographies, biographies, geography, etc.

Once you know what you are doing and simply want a convenient way to find out if there is an online source, please consult the Internet Guide for Chinese Studies.