Using Subject Encyclopedias
Subject encyclopedias are a good starting point for researching a topic. The library provides access to hundreds of print and online encyclopedias. The articles in a subject encyclopedia are usually written by a scholar or expert in the field. Using subject encyclopedias at the beginning of your research can help you to define key terms to use in searching the library catalog and databases. Often these resources will include a list of references (books or journal articles) that you can use to identify other sources on your topic.
Course Guide
Gathering Background Information
Use the background sources here, as well as other sources you might encounter, to gather information about your topic and consider what you still need to know before you start researching. You can use this information in searching for primary sources.
- Dates - Places - Names of persons involved - Names of organizations, government agencies, etc. - Names of particular laws or events
Background sources can also help you understand the larger historical context, so that you can determine what primary sources might be most useful or how a particular primary source fits into what was happening at that time.
Reference Sources
SUBJECT ENCYCLOPEDIAS
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Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new windowSearchable full text of reference books in many subjects. Books can be searched together or individually. Coverage: varies
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Oxford Dictionary of National Biography This link opens in a new windowBiographies of deceased people who were British or who impacted the British Isles, including Ireland and colonial America. Coverage: 4th Cent. B.C.E. - 2000
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Gale eBooks This link opens in a new windowSearch 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
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The Oxford Companion to British History
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Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9780199677832Publication Date: 2015-12-15 -
Encyclopedia of the Victorian Era
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Call Number: Main Stacks - Wilson wing, 1st floor; DA550 .E527 2004ISBN: 0717258602Publication Date: 2003-10-01 -
Encyclopedia of the Age of Imperialism, 1800-1914
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Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9780313334047Publication Date: 2007-11-30 -
The British Empire: An Encyclopedia of the Crown's Holdings
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Call Number: Main Stacks - Wilson wing, 1st floor; DA16 S84 1996ISBN: 9780786401772Publication Date: 1996-04-01 -
BIBLIOGRAPHIES
Bibliographies are lists of books (or magazines or articles) about a particular subject. You can search in the library catalog for bibliographies of other countries or other historical eras by adding "bibliography" to your search terms.