The definitive anthology of Scottish ballads, where Burns is regarded as the preeminent figure, is Francis James Child's collection The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. Initially published by Houghton Mifflin in ten volumes from 1882 to 1898, Dover Publications released a condensed five-volume reprint in 1965.

In 1971, Greenwood Press reissued the renowned multi-volume work Scottish Poetry of the Eighteenth Century, originally published in 1896. Edited by George Eyre-Todd, this collection features the finest writings of Burns and his contemporaries, many of whom are not well-known to modern readers.

Thomas Carlyle, a notable Scottish historian born in 1795, a year before Burns' death, wrote an extensive essay on Burns. While some modern readers may find it complex, it offers valuable historical context. This essay, titled An Essay on Burns, was published by Charles E. Merrill Co. in 1910 and has since been released in various editions.

For contemporary students seeking historical context on Burns's ballads, The Penguin Book of Ballads, edited by Geoffrey Grigson and published in 1975, is a useful resource.

In 1997, the University of Iowa Press published Robert Burns and Cultural Authority, a collection of eleven essays by literary critics discussing the poet's relationship to social issues, including “Burns and God” and “Burns and Sex.”

In the 1760s, Scottish poet James MacPherson released several volumes purportedly translating ancient tales about the legendary Scottish folk hero, Ossian. Scholars suspect these stories were MacPherson's own creations. Those interested in Scottish literature from Burns's era can explore The Poems of Ossian and Related Works (The Ossianic Works of James MacPherson), edited by Howard Gaskill and published by Edinburgh University Press in 1996.

Alan Bold greatly facilitated the study of Robert Burns by publishing A Burns Companion in 1991 through St. Martin’s Press. This comprehensive book provides biographical details and literary criticism covering the poet's entire career.

Although written for children, Auld Lang Syne by Joanne Findon and Ted Nasmith serves as an insightful introduction to Burns and 18th-century Scotland for all ages. The book imagines life in that era from the poet’s perspective. It was published in 1998 by Stoddard Kids Publishing.