Background Sources
Gathering background information on your topic is a great way to start any research assignment. By looking through encyclopedias, handbooks, and other reference materials, you can usually find the following information very quickly:
- Brief overview of your topic
- Key concepts, people, dates, and events
- Lists of sources for further reading and bibliographies that may lead you to additional sources
Below are a few electronic encyclopedias to get you started. If you're not finding your topic, please feel free to contact me (at heather.stalter@oneonta.edu) as it may be in a more specialized encyclopedia.
Reference Databases
- Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
Search reference sources across disciplines. Includes historical timelines, multimedia, selected magazine articles, notable quotations, and a dictionary and thesaurus.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Search database of encyclopedias and reference sources within the Gale eBooks platform. For multidisciplinary research.
- Salem Science This link opens in a new window
Reference sources currently available: Encyclopedia of Mathematics & Society, Environmental Issues, Encyclopedia of Global Resources, Encyclopedia of Global Warming.