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
The titles below represent just some of the relevant encyclopedias in our collection. To find others, search the online catalog or search within the collections linked below.
- CQ Press Library This link opens in a new windowIncludes Congress Collection, CQ Almanac, CQ Magazine, Encyclopedia of American Government, Politics in America, Public Affairs Collection, Supreme Court Collection, Voting and Elections Collection, Political Handbook of the World, and Supreme Court Compendium.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
- Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Social History by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9780199743360Publication Date: 2012
Encyclopedia of U. S. Political History by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9780872893207Publication Date: 2010
Encyclopedia of Women in American HistoryCall Number: HQ1410 .E53 2015 WEBISBN: 9780765680389Publication Date: 2015
Encyclopedia of American Indian HistoryCall Number: E77 .E48 2008 WEBISBN: 9781851098170Publication Date: 2007
Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in AmericaCall Number: HQ76.3.U5 L57 2004 WEBISBN: 9780684312613Publication Date: 2003
Encyclopedia of American Jewish History by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9781851096381Publication Date: 2007
