Finding Reference Books
Reference books can be a valuable source of background information for your research topic. Use Research@UWW to search for books on your topic. After searching, use the "Add Focus: Reference Collection" link on the right hand side of the search results to limit to the Reference Collection. Reference Universe is a tool that allows you to search within reference-type books in the Library. Reference Universe will give you the exact page and volume numbers for the articles on your topic and will link you to the Research@UWW catalog record for the item.
Below are sample background sources for your research.
General
- African American Almanac, Reference Collection, E185 .A37 1997
Find articles on African American history, culture and society. If you're having trouble identifying a topic, start here.
- Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience, Reference Collection, DT14 .A37435 2005
Find articles on African American history, culture and society. If you're having trouble identifying a topic, start here.
- Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History: The Black Experience in the Americas, Reference Collection, E185 .E54 2006
Find articles on African American history, culture and society. If you're having trouble identifying a topic, start here.
Business
- Encyclopedia of African American Business History, Reference Collection, HD2344.5.U6 E53 1999
Find articles on people and topics relating to African American business history.
People
- African Biographical Dictionary, Reference Collection, DT 18 .B76 2006
- Biography Reference Bank Select (EBSCOhost) - Find biographical information on notable people from around the world.
- Black Women in America, Reference Collection, E185.86 .B542 2005
Find biographical information on notable black women in America.
- Contemporary Black Biography: Profiles from the International Black Community, Reference Collection, E185.96 .C668
Find biographical information on notable persons of African heritage worldwide. This 85 volume set comes with indexes for name, occupation, nationality and subject.
- Contemporary Authors (Gale) - Find biographical information on authors.
- Literature Criticism Online (Gale) - Find biographical information on authors and literary criticism of the author's works.
Politics
- Encyclopedia of Minorities in American Politics, Reference Collection, E184.A1 E574 2000
Volume 2 covers African Americans and Asian Americans and offers information on people, events, movements and organizations related to government and politics.
- Encyclopedia of Civil Rights in America, Reference Collection, E185.61 .E544 1998
Find information on civil rights topics.
