This guide is designed to tie in with the two class writing assignments: first, to write a book review, and second, to write an essay on an aspect of Medieval Spain. To identify a book to review, see the list on the FINDING BOOKS tab or follow the suggestions on how to locate an appropriate book in the catalog. For the essay, search the history and full-text databases for relevant journal articles that focus on your particular topic of interest. If you need additional material beyond what is available in Geisel Library, use our Interlibrary Loan service to request books and articles from other libraries.
Reference sources include encyclopedias, handbooks, and dictionaries. They are a great place to begin your research, since they can help with the following:
For the book review assignment, reference materials can offer brief overviews of important leaders, places, or events mentioned in the book that you are reviewing. This context can help deepen your understanding of the author's major points. For the essay assignment, reference sources provide basic background information on your topic and help you identify keywords to search in the article databases. Some reference resources provide bibliographies at the ends of each entry or volume, which will point you to additional books and journal articles worth exploring.
Medieval Iberia: An Encyclopedia
REF DP99 .M33 2003
Dictionary of the Middle Ages
REF D114 .D5 (14 vols.)
Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages
Lower Lvl REF D114 .E53 (2 vols.) ( also available online)
