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Find Background Information

Sources that provide background information not intended to be read cover-to-cover, but rather provide you with more concise information as you begin to explore a topic. These types of sources can help you find:

• Background information about a topic.
• Brief, factual overviews of topics.
• Information about important dates, events, and people associated with a topic.
• Terminology and definitions of terms related to a topic.
• Articles written by authors with expertise in the subject matter.
• Bibliographies of sources for further reading.

Types of sources

Different types of sources answer different types of questions. Listed below are common types of reference sources and the kind of information contained in each:

• Almanac - Compilations of facts and statistics, usually one volume.
• Atlas - Maps and geographical information.
• Biographical sources - Biographical information about individuals.
• Dictionary - Definitions of terms, either general or in relation to a specific subject or discipline.
• Encyclopedia - Comprehensive summaries of factual information, providing more detail than a dictionary.
• Handbook - Concise explanatory information on a topic.

References Sources

The sources listed below are suggested as good starting points for getting started in the various subject areas listed below. This is by no means a comprehensive list of sources. If you do not see a reference book that will help you find information on your topic, Ask a Librarian!

Advertising/Marketing

• The Advertising Age
• The Wiley International Encyclopedia of Marketing

Crime and Law (including Violence and Guns)

• 21st Century Criminology: A Reference Handbook
• Encyclopedia of Murder and Violent Crime
• Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law
• Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Violence

Education

• Encyclopedia of Education
• Encyclopedia of Multicultural Education
• Encyclopedia of the Social and Cultural Foundations of Education
• The Greenwood Dictionary of Education
• Philosophy of Education: An Encyclopedia

Environment

• Climate Change: In Context
• Environmental Encyclopedia
• Water: Science and Issues
• Indigenous People and Environmental Issues: An Encyclopedia

Ethics

• Encyclopedia of Ethics
• The Blackwell Guide to Medical Ethics
• A Companion to Applied Ethics

Fine Arts (Film, Music, Theater, Photography)

• The Cambridge Guide to Theatre
• Companion to Film Theory
• The Faber Companion to 20th Century Popular Music
• History of the American Cinema
• Grove Music Online
• Play Index

Health/Medicine

• Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition  
• Encyclopedia of Public Health
• International Encyclopedia of Public Health
• The Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
• The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine 
• The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets: A Guide to Health and Nutrition

Literature

• Masterplots  
• Book Review Index Online
• Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature 
• Short Story Index  
• Multicultural Writers Since 1945

Media and Communication

• Encyclopedia of Information Communication Technology
• Propaganda and Mass Persuasion: A Historical Encyclopedia, 1500 to the Present
• The Handbook of Rhetoric and Public Address
• Public Opinion and Polling around the World: A Historical Encyclopedia

Political Science

• Crime and the Justice System in America: An Encyclopedia
• Landmark Supreme Court Cases: A Reference Guide
• Encyclopedia of U.S. Campaigns, Elections, and Electoral Behavior

  Popular Culture

• Pop Culture Universe
• American Decades
• St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture

Psychology

• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition (DSM-IV)
• Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology
• Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology
• The Concise Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science

Race, Class, Culture, Sexual Orientation, Gender

• Countries and Their Cultures 
• Encyclopedia of Race and Racism
• Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America
• Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America
• Handbook of the Sociology of Gender
• Fifty Key Concepts in Gender Studies
• Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender
• Encyclopedia of Women and Gender: Sex Similarities and Differences and the Impact of Society on Gender
• Religion and Class in America: Culture, History, and Politics
• Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life

Religion

• Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions
• Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World
• Encyclopaedia Judaica
• New Catholic Encyclopedia
• Religious Holidays and Calendars: An Encyclopedic Handbook
• All Things in the Bible: An Encyclopedia of the Biblical World

Social Problems (National & Domestic)

• Encyclopedia of Sociology
• Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity
• Encyclopedia of Racism in the United States 
• Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and Issues

Terrorism and Intelligence

• Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security
• Encyclopedia of Intelligence and Counterintelligence

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For comments on this page contact: Undergraduate Library

Last modified by: Ashley Booth on 7/18/12