Research Guides: History Research Guide: Find Background Information

Reference Sources

Below are links to reference sources and collections that are most useful for general historical research. See the related guides for area-specific guides.

Reference Universe This link opens in a new window
Searchable index of the library's entire reference collection, both print and electronic.
Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
Encyclopedias and reference sources on the Gale eBooks platform, including the Encyclopedia of Religion, Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, and the Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture.
Cambridge Companions This link opens in a new window
Scholarly surveys of authors, literary history, culture, and philosophy.
Cambridge Histories This link opens in a new window
Provides political, economic and social history, philosophy, and literature of selected countries and subjects.
Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window
Digitized entries from Oxford's Dictionaries, Companions and Encyclopedias, spanning multiple subject areas.
Oxford Bibliographies This link opens in a new window
Peer-reviewed, annotated bibliographies; our access includes Latino Studies, Medieval Studies, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology.

Tip: What are reference sources, and why would I use them?

Reference sources can include encyclopedias, bibliographies, dictionaries, handbooks, and atlases.

They provide overviews of and background information on a topic
They help you identify or refine your topic
They provide quick, reliable facts
They include bibliographies that will lead you to additional sources of information on your topic

You can find the Library's collection of reference books on Floor 1 of Frost. We also have many online databases that include collections of edited scholarly encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference sources.