Sources for Background Reading
You can find background information in a variety of sources, including:
The web—Google is useful for general searches. Make sure you evaluate an information source for factors such as accuracy, authority, currency, and purpose.
Subject encyclopedias, which provide reliable information on a variety of topics to get a broader understanding and refine your research question. Our library has the following subject encyclopedias that may be useful for your project:
- Ancient Europe, 8000 B.C. to A.D. 1000: Encyclopedia of the Barbarian World This link opens in a new window Examines the diverse peoples of early European civilization through a series of 212 essays, presented in chronological order. Coverage includes prehistoric origins through the early Middle Ages (8000 B.C. to A.D. 1000).
- Art Cyclopedia This link opens in a new window Lists of online museums and image archives available.
- Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
- Encyclopedia of Bioethics This link opens in a new window Covers topics on the ethics of health professions, animal research, population control and the environment.
- Encyclopedia of Education This link opens in a new window
- Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World This link opens in a new window Covers topics such as Islam's role in the modern world in context of the religion's history and development over the last 13 centuries. Contains thematic articles, biographies of key figures, definitions, illustrations, maps and more.
- Encyclopedia of Religion (2nd ed. 2005) This link opens in a new window
- Encyclopedia of Science and Religion This link opens in a new window
- Environmental Encyclopedia This link opens in a new window
- Music Online. The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music This link opens in a new window Use to find descriptions of different musical genres, practices, performances from around the world. Contains the full-text of the print encyclopedia, audio examples, musical illustrations, photographs, and drawings.
- Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window