Some Basic Research Tools
Use authoritative dictionaries and reference sources.
Wikipedia might be a handy tool in some cases, but it's not what your professors would call a reliable or authoritative reference source. The library resources listed below provide access to scholarly information on a range of subjects. Use the Library Subject Guides to find many more.
Multidisciplinary Reference Sources
- Oxford Reference OnlineSearchable database of 100 language and subject dictionaries and reference works of Oxford University Press. Each topical division contains searchable versions of the latest editions of published dictionaries and encyclopedias.Covers general reference, language, science and medicine, humanities and social sciences, business and professional subjects.
- Oxford Bibliographies OnlineOffers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on specific topics in a growing range of subject areas. There are at least 50 specific topical bibliographies in each subject area. Each of these features an introduction to the topic. Bibliographies are browsable by subject area and keyword searchable.
- Sage Reference OnlineA database of reference books published by SAGE, including such areas as African American studies, aging & anthropology, business and management, communication and media studies, counseling and psychotherapy, criminology and criminal justice, economics, education, environment, family studies, gender & sexuality studies, geography, health and social welfare, history, politics and international relations, psychology, research methods and evaluation, science, philosophy, and theology, sociology, and urban studies and planning
Subject Encyclopedias
Subject Encyclopedias are great for:
- choosing a topic
- educating yourself quickly
- getting perspective on a topic
- locating variant spellings, vocabulary, and terminology
- bibliographies of critical sources
Background Sources -- Print Books
The Making of Asian America: A History by Call Number: E184.A75 L43 2015 (in Asia stacks)Publication Date: 2015 ( New York : Simon & Schuster)Winner of ALA Asian/Pacific American award for Literature and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2015.
New and definitive history of Asian Americans and their role in American life; how generations of Asian immigrants and their American-born descendants have transformed the U.S.
Atlas of Asian-American History by Call Number: E184.A75 A89 2002 + (REF; in Asia reading room)Publication Date: 2002 (New York : Facts on File)
History of Asian Americans: Exploring Diverse Roots by Call Number: E184.A75 L445 2015Publication Date: 2015 ( Santa Barbara, California : Greenwood, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC)
Dictionary of Asian American History by Call Number: E184.O6 D55 (REF; in Asia reading room)Publication Date: 1986 (Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press) No newer edition yet.
Everything You Need to Know about Asian American History by Call Number: E184.A75 N68 2004 (in Asia Reference) Circulating earlier edition is in Asia stacks at E184 O6 C36 1996)Publication Date: 2004 ( New York : Plume)
Asians in America: The Peoples of East, Southeast, and South Asia in American Life and Culture by Call Number: E184.O6 A866 1998 (In Asia stacks)Publication Date: 1998 (New York : Garland Pub)
Global Asian American Popular Cultures by Call Number: E184.A75 G55 2016 + (in Asia stacks)Publication Date: 2016 (New York : New York University Press)
Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife by Call Number: GR111.A75 E63 2011 + (in Asia Reference)Publication Date: 2010 (Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO)
Asian American Religious Cultures by Call Number: BL2525 .A845 2015 + (In Asia Reference)Publication Date: 2015 ( Santa Barbara, California : ABC-CLIO)
Whiter: Asian American Women on Skin Color and Colorism by Call Number: E184.A75 W45 2020ISBN: 9781479881086Publication Date: 2020 (New York : New York University Press)
Background Sources -- E-Books
Asian Americans: an Encyclopedia of Social, Cultural, Economic, and Political History by Publication Date: 2013 ( New York : Grand Central Publishing)...Three volumes that address a broad range of topics on various Asian and Pacific Islander American groups from 1848 to the present day. Provides up-to-date information about Asian ethnic groups, historical and contemporary events, important policies, and notable individuals. Covers roles of women, distinct socioeconomic classes, Asian American political and social movements, and race relations involving Asian Americans.
Asian American Society: An Encyclopedia by Call Number: (Also in print, E184.A75 A84167 2014 +, in Reference, Asia reading room)Publication Date: 2014 ( Los Angeles : SAGE Publications)4 volumes. Published with the Association for Asian American Studies (AAAS), two volumes of the encyclopedia feature more than 300 A-Z articles examining the social, cultural, psychological, economic, and political dimensions of the Asian American experience. The next two volumes contain approximately 200 annotated primary documents, organized chronologically.
Asian American History and Culture: An Encyclopedia by Publication Date: 2010 (Armonk, N.Y. : Sharpe//Online Reference)
The Oxford Handbook of Asian American History by Call Number: (Also in print, +E184.A75 O94 2016, in Kroch Asia stacks)Publication Date: 2016 (New York : Oxford University Press)
The Columbia Guide to Asian American History by Call Number: (Also in print, E184.O6 C64 2001, Olin Library)Publication Date: 2001 ( New York : Columbia University Press)
Asian American Chronology by Publication Date: 2009 (Santa Barbara, Calif. : Greenwood Press/ABC-CLIO)
Asian American History Day by Day: a Reference Guide to Events by Publication Date: 2018 (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO)
Asian American Culture: From Anime to Tiger Moms by Publication Date: 2016 (Santa Barbara, California : Greenwood, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC)
The Routledge Handbook of Asian American Studies by Publication Date: 2016 (New York, NY : Routledge)
Asian American Studies Now: A Critical Reader by Call Number: E184.A75 A8419 2010 + (Online also: click on title).Publication Date: 2010 (New Brunswick, N.J. : Rutgers University Press)
