Tips
Encyclopedias are great for:
- choosing a topic
- quick self-education
- perspective on a topic
- variant spellings, vocabulary, terminology
- bibliography
Oxford Reference
- Oxford Bibliographies Online (OBO)Annotated bibliographies of primary and secondary sources written by top scholars in the field.
- Oxford Research Encyclopedias (OREs)Extremely high quality set of online encyclopedias covering all disciplines, time periods, global in coverage.
- Oxford Very Short Introductions Online100 page introductions (with blbliography) on topics in Arts, Humanities, Medicine, Health, Sciences, Mathematics, Social sciences, and Law.
- Oxford Handbooks Online: Scholarly Research ReviewsThe complete texts of the Oxford handbooks in Archaeology, Business and Management, Classical Studies, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Economics and Finance, History, Law, Linguistics, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Religion online.
Cambridge Histories Online & Cambridge Companions
- Cambridge Histories OnlineExcellent resource. Full text. Chapters as pdfs. Extremely high quality essays with rich footnotes and bibliography
- Cambridge Companions OnlineCompanions are highly recommended.
Encyclopedias
Oxford research encyclopedias: Asian historyPublication Date: 2016Covers Asian history in its broadest definition, from prehistory to the present and into the future. Provides access to state-of-the-art research and also connects readers to the full range of internet resources for research and teaching, including audio, visual, video materials, digitized archives, and other primary sources.
Encyclopedia of the IncasCall Number: Olin Library Reference (Non-Circulating) Oversize F3429 .E495 2015 +Publication Date: 2015In this A-to-Z encyclopedia, Gary Urton and Adriana von Hagen, together with over thirty contributors, provide a broad introduction to the fascinating civilization of the Incas, including their settlements, culture, society, celebrations, and achievements.
The Mongol Empire: a Historical Encyclopedia [2 Volumes]Publication Date: 2016Covering the rise and fall of the Mongol Empire, this essential reference presents the figures, places, and events that led this once-beleaguered region to rise up to become the largest contiguous empire in history. In the 13th century,
Trade, Travel, and Exploration in the Middle Ages: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2000Covers the peoples, places, technologies, and intellectual concepts that contributed to trade, travel and exploration during the Middle Ages, from the years A.D. 525 to 1492.
Medieval Islamic Civilization vol. 2Publication Date: 2005Covers the socio-cultural history of the regions where Islam took hold between the seventh and sixteenth century.Encyclopaedia of Islam
15,000 signed articles covering the entire Islamic world, past and present. Entries include biography, history, geography, religion, institutions, manners and customs, tribes, industries, science, and terminology.
More Medieval Encyclopedias
- Trade, Travel, and Exploration in the Middle Ages: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2000Covers the peoples, places, technologies, and intellectual concepts that contributed to trade, travel and exploration during the Middle Ages, from the years A.D. 525 to 1492.
The Oxford Handbook of Women and Gender in Medieval EuropePublication Date: 2013
Women and Gender in Medieval Europe: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2006Examines the daily reality of medieval women from all walks of life in Europe between 450 CE and 1500 CE, i.e., from the fall of the Roman Empire to the discovery of the Americas. Masculinity in the Middle Ages is also addressed.
The Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature in BritainPublication Date: 2018Represents all the literatures of the British Isles including Old and Middle English, Early Scots, Anglo-Norman, the Norse, Latin and French of Britain, and the Celtic Literatures of Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Cornwall
Medieval England: An EncyclopediaPublication Date: 1998All aspects of life and culture in medieval England-art, architecture, law, literature, kings, commoners, women, music, commerce, technology, warfare, religion, and many others.
The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon EnglandThe only reference work to cover the history, archaeology, arts, architecture, literatures, and languages of England from the Roman withdrawal to the Norman Conquest (c.450 - 1066 AD)
A Companion to Ostrogothic ItalyPublication Date: 2016Syntheses of recent scholarship on key topics, from the Ostrogothic army and administration to religious diversity and ecclesiastical development, ethnicity, cultural achievements, urbanism, and the rural economy, the Ostrogothic provinces beyond the Italian lands, gender and the Ostrogothic court, and Ostrogothic Italy's environmental history.
Medieval Italy: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2003Online edition:
Volume I : A-K, Volume II : L-Z Cross-disciplinary resource on literature, history, the arts, science, philosophy, and religion in Italy between A.D. 450 and 1375.- Medieval Islamic Civilization: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2005Online:
Volume I : A-K, Volume II : L-Z Two volumes, illustrated. Covers fields such as Arabic languages, Arabic literature, architecture, art history, history, history of science, Islamic arts, Islamic studies, Middle Eastern studies, Near Eastern studies, politics, religion, Semitic studies, theology, and more. 
Medieval Scandinavia: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 1993Religion, education, politics and law, culture and material life, history, literature, and art. A valuable and absorbing volume for students of the Norse sagas, the Viking age, and Old English history and literature, and more.
The Oxford Dictionary of ByzantiumPublication Date: 1991Three-volume, comprehensive dictionary of Byzantine civilization.
Medieval France: an EncyclopediaISBN: 0824044444Publication Date: 1995Covers the political, intellectual, literary, and musical history of the country from the early fifth century to the late 15th.
Medieval Iberia: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2002Focuses on the Iberian kingdoms from the fall of the Roman Empire to the aftermath of the Reconquista.
Medieval Jewish Civilization: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2002Medieval Jewish civilization, from the fall of the Roman Empire to about 1492.
New Catholic EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2002
The Oxford Dictionary of SaintsISBN: 019860629XConcise accounts of the lives, cults, and artistic associations of over 1,400 saints.
Encyclopedia of Early ChristianityPublication Date: 2013Bibliographies. Focus on biblical books and philosophical schools, their influence on early Christianity and their use by patristic writers; Jewish and pagan environment of early Christianity; eastern expansion of the faith throughout Asia, including persons and literature; treatment of saints, monasticism, worship practices, and modern scholars;
Medieval Archaeology: An EncyclopediaCall Number: Olin Reference D125.M42x 2001+Publication Date: 2000This is the first reference work to cover the archaeology of medieval Europe. No other reference can claim such comprehensive coverage--from Ireland to Russia and from Scandinavia to Italy, the archaeology of the entirety of medieval Europe is discussed.
Medieval Folklore: An EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2002Articles focus on myths and legends, daily and nightly, customs and activities, religious beliefs of pagan, Christian, Muslim, and Jew, key works of oral and written literature, traditional music and art, holidays and feasts, food and drink, plants and animals (real and mythical)
The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle AgesPublication Date: 2010Four volumes. Key aspects of European history, society, religion, and culture from 500 to 1500. Since neighbouring areas of Asia and North Africa impinged on and helped shape the civilization of the West, relevant aspects ofthe Byzantine Empire, the Islamic dynasties, and Asiatic peoples such as the Avars and the Mongols are included.
Superior to Wikipedia on most topics & disciplines:
Wikipedia?
You already know how helpful it is to get some background information on your research topics. Wikipedia is often the default because it's so easy to find an entry and the entries are often helpful.
That said, the quality and reliability of Wikipedia entries is not something you can count on. In addition, most Cornell instructors will tell you that you cannot cite wikipedia entries.
The rules for a good Wikipedia entry are: No statements of opinion and every statement of fact must be referenced to a source. A Wikipedia entry is only as good as they sources it cites. Follow the source notes to verify the information.
For this course, you may want to browse or search some of the library's online subject encyclopedias. Admittedly, they are not as easy to search, but the quality of the entries is often worth the effort. In addition, the entries are signed by the author and include the citation.