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History: Find Background Information
Background Information databases
- Very Short Introductions Very Short Introductions are published by Oxford University Press and offer concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects. This collection includes over 600 e-books on topics in arts and humanities, history, law, literature, medicine and health, religion, science and mathematics, and social sciences.
- Oxford Reference Online: Premium Access to more than 170 full-text Oxford dictionaries and reference works. There are over 1.5 million dictionary definitions with the dictionary updated continuously.
- Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology Updated 3 times a year, the Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology brings together over 2,000 articles and specially commissioned entries in order to clearly define the discipline of sociology for researchers and students.
- Oxford Bibliographies Online: African American Studies Oxford Bibliographies offer in-depth research guides and overview articles within academic subjects. Topic areas in the African American Studies bibliography include art, music, drama, and culture; history; individuals; law; literature; politics; religion; and sports.
- Gale eBooks A database of encyclopedias, reference sources, and full-text eBooks that cover multiple disciplines.
- CQ Researcher CQ Researcher provides original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news.
Finding background information sources in the library catalog
To find background information on a topic, conduct a search in the OSU Library Search. Then use the Reference Entries box under refine my results to see entries from academic encyclopedias and dictionaries.
You can also do an Advanced Search, combining your keyword(s) with one or all of the following terms:
encyclopedias OR dictionaries OR handbooks OR companion
