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!
- Gale Literature
A literature database combining biographical, bibliographical, and contextual information on authors and their works. - Gale Virtual Reference Library
Multidisciplinary collection of encyclopedias, biographical collections, specialized handbooks, and more. - Oxford Reference
A reference database of 365 online encyclopedia, dictionary, and companion titles published by the Oxford University Press. - Sage Knowledge
A database of reference books published by SAGE covering the social sciences and humanities.
New Dictionary of the History of IdeasHistory of more than 750 complex ideas of concern to people today. In print and online.
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and CriticismIncludes overviews of literary theories, concepts, and methodologies. Available in print and online
Library Catalog Searching - Subject Headings
- September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001: Subject Heading BrowseSee all the subject headings under the September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001 umbrella, as well as related terms.
- "September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001 > Fiction."Searches the catalog for all materials that are catalogued with this subject heading.
- "September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001 > Social aspects"Searches the catalog for all materials that are catalogued with this subject heading.
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. - America, history & life
Resources published from 1964 to present on American and Canadian history. - JSTOR
Journal articles. Most items are older than five years. - Project Muse
Journal articles. Most items are recent publications (less than five years old).
Finding News Articles
- ABYZ News LinksA collection of links to news sites worldwide. Coverage: Mainly the current issue;
- Access World NewsFeatures the text content of over 2,400 U.S. and international newspapers and newswires. Good access to many regional and local newspapers.
- Alt-Press WatchFull-text database of selected newspapers, magazines, and journals of the alternative and independent press.
- FactivaIndexing and full-text articles for major business newspapers and many other news sources.
- Gale OneFile: NewsCoverage and format: around 1980 to date. Includes some international publications and newswires.
- Keesing's World News ArchiveCoverage and format: 01/05/1931 to 04/2016. News digest--- event overviews and background information.
- MideastWire.comCoverage starts in 2005. A daily selection of articles from news sources appearing in 22 Arab countries, Iran and the Arab Diaspora. English translations.
- Nexis UniCoverage: roughly 1980 to date. Includes television and radio. Mainly English and Western European languages.
- ProQuest Historical NewspapersTitles are searchable across any combination of newspapers in this collection. For most titles, another year of coverage is added each calendar year.
- World News ConnectionCoverage from 1995 to 2013. From the U.S. government, this resource provides English translations of international newspaper articles and radio/television broadcasts.
Other helpful guides
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!
Other Research Resources
- 9/11 Memorial and Museum
Also known as the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. - National Security Archive
Documents and other archival declassified materials obtained through the Freedom Of Information Act. - National Museum of American History: Remembering 9/11
Exhibit and resources from the National Museum of American History on September 11 and its aftermath.
Reference Librarian
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.