Research Guides: African American Studies : Reference Works

What are Reference Works?

Reference works:

Provide an overview of your topic
Are often written by scholars or experts in the field
Provide key people, places, events, and terms that you can use to refine your searches
Often offer suggestions for further reading

To find reference materials for your research topic, try a search in Primo that combines your keywords with a term such as "encyclopedia" OR "handbook" OR "bibliography". Example: African American women suffrage encyclopedia

Bibliography of African American Studies

Oxford Bibliographies Online: African American Studies This link opens in a new window
Need help finding a topic? This is a great place to browse research subfields in the discipline. It can also be a great place to identify potential secondary and primary sources within those areas. Note that you will not find the latest research, but you will find highly-reviewed, seminal works in the field.

Online Reference Collections

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Search across hundreds of subject encyclopedias and other reference works. A great place to find background information on almost any research topic. Includes subject trees, pro/con resources, links to scholarly articles and more.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Search across hundreds of subject encyclopedias and other reference works. A great place to find background information on almost any research topic. Includes a topic finder for help with narrowing or broadening your research topic. Coverage: varies
Cambridge Histories This link opens in a new window
Topically focused collections of essays that seek to provide comprehensive analysis of major events, peoples, and ideas in world history.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
Searchable full text of reference books in many subjects. Books can be searched together or individually. Coverage: varies

Select Companions & Handbooks

A Companion to African-American Studies by Jane Anna Gordon (Editor); Lewis Gordon (Editor)
ISBN: 9780631235163
Publication Date: 2006-02-10
A Companion to African-American Studies is an exciting and comprehensive re-appraisal of the history and future of African American studies. Contains original essays by expert contributors in the field of African-American Studies Creates a groundbreaking re-appraisal of the history and future of the field Includes a series of reflections from those who established African American Studies as a bona fide academic discipline Captures the dynamic interaction of African American Studies with other fields of inquiry.