Background Literature Resources
Why use background or tertiary resources?
- Learn important terms, notable scholars or works, and more information about a topic.
- Bibliographies, further reading, and works cited sections can lead you to secondary sources you can use in your research.
- It's a quick overview of a theme, work, author, or other topic, which can save you time!
- Literature Resource CenterBiographies, topic overviews, work overviews, and bibliographies. English language.
Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America by Over 200 encyclopedia entries on the American history of food. Also includes bibliographic information. Available online and in print.
The Oxford Companion to Food by Encyclopedia that includes anthropological, sociological, and historical approaches to food. Available online and in print.
Encyclopedia of Food by Entries range from 250 to 10,000 words each and are supplemented by 400 photographs and illustrations, sidebars, recipes, menus, timelines, and a comprehensive index. Available online and in print.
Secondary Resources - Databases for Literature Research
- MLA International Bibliography
Citations, abstracts, and full text materials. Includes articles and books. Does not include book reviews. - Humanities International Index
Citations and abstracts for articles, books, reviews, and reference sources in the humanities. Many links to full text articles. - JSTOR
Journal articles. Most items are older than five years. - Project Muse
Journal articles. Most items are recent publications (less than five years old). - America: History & Life
Articles, books, dissertations on United States and Canadian history and pre-history to the 21st century. Indexes publications from 1954 to present. - Historical Abstracts
Articles, book, dissertations on the history of the world since 1450.
Library Catalog Searching - Subject Headings
- Asian Americans: Subject Heading BrowseSee all the subject headings under the Asian American umbrella.
- Food Writing: Subject Heading BrowseSee all the subject headings under the Food Writing umbrella.
- "Food habits > Social aspects."Searches the catalog for all materials that are catalogued with this subject heading.
- "Asian Americans > Social life and customs."Searches the catalog for all materials that are catalogued with this subject heading.
- "Cookbooks."Searches the catalog for all materials that are catalogued with this subject heading.
- "Cooking > Periodicals."Searches the catalog for all materials that are catalogued with this subject heading.
Helpful handouts and links
- Bookmark PasskeyBookmark link that reloads a page with your Cornell credentials, when available.
- Scan RequestsRequest a scan of an article or chapter of book. This can be of items Cornell owns, or items that we do not own!
WayBackMachine
The WayBackMachine is an Internet Archive project that archives webpages including now-dormant websites, deleted webpages, and more.
Land Acknowledgement
Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York state, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' people, past and present, to these lands and waters.
This land acknowledgment has been reviewed and approved by the traditional Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' leadership.
