Research Guides: History: United States: Getting Started

Why Use Reference Sources?

Reference sources include encyclopedias, handbooks, and dictionaries. They are a great place to begin your research, since they can help with the following:

Offer ideas for possible research topics
Give you background information on your topic
Define unfamiliar terms
Suggest keywords to use when searching for books and articles
Point you to books and articles on your topic, via "works cited" lists

Reference Databases

eBooks [GALE] This link opens in a new window
Core electronic reference collection, this collection of online subject encyclopedias provides in-depth articles on a wide range of topics, with an emphasis on the social sciences.
Credo Reference [INFOBASE] This link opens in a new window
Online reference database enables simultaneous searching of 100 scholarly reference works, across all areas of study.
Oxford Reference [OXFORD] This link opens in a new window
Reference database that provides background information on a wide range of topics, particularly in the humanities.
230+ in-depth, specialized titles from Oxford University Presss award-winning Encyclopedias and Companions, and a selection of partner publishers scholarly works.

Start Your Search

Picking a Topic

Use these tips to help you choose a research topic:

To brainstorm ideas to research, try browsing:
- News in your subject area. (Google sociology news to find websites to browse.)
- The table of contents of a book or encyclopedia in your subject area.
Do some initial searching on one or more topic ideas, using our main library search box or Google.
Refine your topic based on what you find:
- Maybe you found a slight variation or different direction you want to go in.
- Tons of results? Consider narrowing your topic to focus on a smaller aspect of it.
- Hardly any results? You may need to broaden your topic and make it less specific.
In the end, choose something you're interested in.

If you want to discuss topic ideas, stop by the Reference Desk to chat with a librarian.

General Search Tips

These search tips work in our library databases and Library Catalog:

Combine keywords using AND and OR.
- Use AND for searching different ideas within your topic. E.g. youth AND homelessness
- Use OR for searching with synonyms of your keywords. E.g. (youth OR teen) AND homelessness
Abbreviate words with multiple endings using an asterisk (*). E.g. homeless* to search both homeless and homelessness
Search specific phrases using quotation marks. E.g. "Runaway and Homeless Youth Act"
Change your search terms around to get different results.