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.
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.
Statistics Resources
Reference Sources
TOPIC DATABASES
- Gale In Context: Global Issues This link opens in a new windowCombines overviews, viewpoints, reference, news, and scholarly material into one search platform for researching a wide variety of global issues.
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowContains reports and analysis on issues in the news including health, social trends and issues, criminal justice, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. Great resource for background information on current news, hot topics, and social issues. Coverage back to 1923. Coverage: 1991-
- Europa World Plus This link opens in a new windowCovers political, economic and statistical information about more than 250 countries and territories, as well as international and regional organizations. A starting point for any kind of country research. Coverage: Details not available
SUBJECT ENCYCLOPEDIAS
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
- Oxford Handbooks Online: History This link opens in a new window
- Cambridge Histories This link opens in a new window
The Oxford Handbook of European History, 1914-1945 by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9780199695669Publication Date: 2016
Routledge Handbook of Contemporary European Social Movements: Protest in Turbulent Times by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9781351025157Publication Date: 2019
The Oxford Handbook of the Ends of Empire by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9780198713197Publication Date: 2019
Europe, 1789-1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9780684313597Publication Date: 2006
Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and ReconstructionCall Number: ONLINEISBN: 9780684313658Publication Date: 2006
Separatist Movements: A Global Reference by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9781604265699Publication Date: 2011
STATISTICS
When looking for statistics, think about who would be have been interested in gathering that data at that time period. Governments are often a good starting point, but religious organizations or non-governmental organizations might also have been involved in gathering data.
International Historical Statistics by Call Number: Main Stacks - Reynolds 8; HA1107 .M5 1998ISBN: 1561592366Publication Date: 2000
- Statistical Abstracts of the World This link opens in a new windowThe date coverage for countries in this source varies, so for historical statistics you may need to utilize other sources, some of which are listed under the Primary Sources tab.
History & Social Science Librarian
