LibGuides: History: Secondary Sources: Reference Materials

Chicago Manual of Style

The OED and Britannica

Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
Call Number: PE 1625 .O87 1989 (ref) and ONLINE
Includes definitions, etymologies, and quotations.
Britannica Online
Call Number: Online
Encyclopedia Britannica and Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.

Reference Materials

If a subject is new to you, or if you would like an overview of a topic, basic factual information, or sources for further reading, you may want to consult reference materials. The sources listed here are located in the reference collection (main floor, southeast corner), in Bizzell Memorial Library's stacks or online via the library's website (click on title to access).

Search Discover Local (the catalog) to find other reference works. Try using words like "encyclopedias," "dictionaries," and "bibliographies" with your topic. For example, search world war encyclopedias.

Boxes on this page:

Biography
Chicago Manual of Style
Geography and Historical Statistics
Not So Typical Subjects!
The OED and Britannica
Subject Encyclopedia and Dictionaries

Subject Encyclopedias / Subject Dictionaries

The following titles are examples of reference works covering most of the regions around the world, throughout many eras.

Print copies are in the reference collection (main floor, northeast corner) or in the Bizzell stacks. To access the online resources, click on the title.

Ancient Europe, 8000 B.C.-A.D. 1000: Encyclopedia of the Barbarian World
Call Number: Online
Examines the diverse peoples of early European civilization through a series of 212 essays, presented in chronological order. Coverage includes prehistoric origins through the early Middle Ages (8000 B.C. to A.D. 1000). Includes maps, photos, and chronologies.
Cambridge Histories Online
Call Number: Online. Many individual titles in print also; search catalog.
Contains over 300 volumes published since 1960 from the renowned Cambridge Histories series. Includes American, British, economic, and regional history, as well as religious studies, warfare, literary studies and more.
Dictionary of American History
Call Number: E 174 .D52 2003 (ref) and online
Revised edition of a classic reference work includes more than 4,000 entries on American history.
Dictionary of the Middle Ages
Call Number: D 114 .D5 1982 (ref)
Over 5000 commissioned articles. Covers 500 AD to 1500 AD. Geographical scope limited to the Latin West, the Slavic World, Asia Minor, the lands of the caliphate of the East, and Muslim-Christian Areas of North Africa. Published from 1982-1989.
Encyclopaedia Judaica
Call Number: DS 102.8 .E496 2007 (ref) and online
Provides an exhaustive and organized overview of Jewish life and knowledge from the Second Temple period to the contemporary State of Israel, from Rabbinic to modern Yiddish literature, from Kabbalah to "Americana" and from Zionism to the contribution of Jews to world cultures.
Encyclopaedia of Islam
Call Number: Online
Provides access to the 2nd edition and the ongoing 3rd edition. (Encyclopaedia of Islam Three.)
Encyclopedia of American Social History
Call Number: HN 57 .E58 1992 (ref)
Includes essays on major issues in American social history, such as race, ethnicity, social class, ethnic subcultures, space and place, regionalism, work and labor, popular culture and recreation, family history, etc. (Online version requires creating a user name and password.)
Encyclopedia of Ancient History
Call Number: D 54 .E53 2013 v.1-13 (LL1, east)
Over 5,000 original entries spanning the late Bronze Age through the seventh century CE. Entries extend to all Mediterranean civilizations, including the Near East and Egypt, and represent an unprecedented level of coverage of the ancient world.
Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture
Call Number: Online
Provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary view of Latin American history and culture from prehistoric times to the present. Covers cultural issues and includes numerous biographical profiles of important figures in politics, letters and the arts.
Encyclopedia of Modern Asia
Call Number: Online
A six-volume survey of modern Asia, defined as extending from Japan in the east to Turkey in the west, and from Kazakhstan in the north to Indonesia in the south. Presents more than 2,600 alphabetically arranged entries covering such subjects as countries, cities, regions, natural features, religions, social issues, languages, people, events, customs, politics, and economics.
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
Call Number: F 694 .E63 2009 (ref) and online
Contains articles written by leading scholars in the field and is published by the Oklahoma Historical Society. The online edition is presented by the Oklahoma State University Library Electronic Publishing Center.
Encyclopedia of Russian History
Call Number: Online
Provides a comprehensive discussion of Russia's people, politics, economics, religion, and social systems; and is designed to complement the study of comparative politics, world history, geography, literature, arts and culture and world cultures. Entries span the period from the earliest beginnings of the Russian nation to the rise and fall of the Soviet Union.
Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World
Call Number: Online
A six-volume survey of European history from 1450, the beginning of the print revolution, to 1789 and the French Revolution. Presents over 1,000 alphabetically arranged entries covering the period's most significant personalities and meaningful developments in the arts, religion, politics, exploration, and warfare.
Europe, 1789 to 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire
Call Number: Online
A five-volume survey of European history from the onset of the French Revolution to the outbreak of World War. Alphabetically arranged entries cover the period's most significant personalities and meaningful developments in the arts, religion, politics, exploration, and warfare.
Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction
Call Number: Online
A multi-volume survey of European history from the beginning of World War I in 1914 to the present, presented through alphabetically arranged entries that focus on the period's scientific, social and cultural history as well as the political, military and economic developments.
New Catholic Encyclopedia
Call Number: BX 841 .N44 2003 (ref) and online
This 15 volume, second edition features revised and new articles. Among the 12,000 entries in the encyclopedia are articles on theology, philosophy, history, literary figures, saints, musicians and much more.
New Dictionary of the History of Ideas
Call Number: CB 9 .N49 2005 (LL1, east) and online
A six-volume survey of the history of Western thought and culture, presented through 700 alphabetically arranged entries. Each entry explores the origin, cultural interpretations, and historical themes of such subjects as beauty, love, feminism, diversity, and social capital, among many others.
New Encyclopedia of Africa
Call Number: Online
Addresses the entire history of African cultures from the pharaohs and the ancient civilizations of the south through the colonial era to the emergence of 53 independent countries, some of them newly emergent in world commerce and others deep in conflict. Covers issues facing the continent such as global development, the AIDS crisis, and international terrorism.
Oxford Bibliographies Online
Call Number: Online
In depth research guides to Atlantic History, Medieval Studies, Islamic Studies, Renaissance and Reformation, Classics, Latin American Studies and more. Expert recommendations on the best works available in the field.
Oxford Classical Dictionary
Call Number: DE 5 .O9 2003 (LL1, east)
An authoritative one-volume guide to all aspects of the ancient world. (Online version requires creating a user name and password. May have limited number of users.)
Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages
Call Number: D 114 .O94 2010 v.1-4 (ref)
Covers all key aspects of European history, society, and culture from 500 to 1500 A.D., as well as the Byzantine Empire, Islamic dynasties, and Asiatic peoples of the era. It is designed both for medievalists, who need a detailed and reliable reference tool, and for students and general readers seeking an accessible guide to the period.
Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt
Call Number: DT 58 .O94 2001 v.1-3 (ref) and online
Entries from all disciplines on the topic of ancient Egypt. Among the multitude of subjects covered are religion and mythology, medicine, art, archaeology, sociology, trade and commerce, dialects, and agriculture.
Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World
Call Number: DS 35.53 .O96 2009 (ref) and online
Scholarship on all aspects of the world's fastest-growing religion and the areas it affects: society, politics, economics, everyday life, culture, and thought. Covers the full geographical extent of Islam by focusing not only on the countries in which Islam is dominant, but also on regions in which Muslims live as minorities, such as Europe and the Americas.
Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History
Call Number: HQ 1121 .O93 2008 (ref) and online
A comprehensive 4-volume set covering all aspects of women's history throughout the world from prehistoric times to the present day.

Biography

Print copies are in the reference collection (main floor, northeast corner). To access the online resources, click on the title.

American National Biography
Call Number: CT 213 .A68 1999 (ref) and online
Publication Date: 1999
Biographies of individuals from all eras who have influenced and shaped American history and culture.
The library has licensed this database for 1 simultaneous user, so please close the tab or browser when finished searching.
Biography and Genealogy Master Index
Call Number: Online. (Scroll down to search only BGMI.)
References to biographical material on individuals from all time periods, geographical locations, and fields of endeavor.
Dictionary of American Biography
Call Number: E 176 .D563 (ref)
Biographies of more than 19,000 American men and women from over 700 fields who died through 1980. Newer version is American National Biography, above, although not all entries from the earlier edition are included in the ANB.
Notable American Women, 1607-1950
Call Number: CT 3260 .N5 (ref) and online
Link to volume 1 (A-F), 2 (G-O), or 3 (P-Z).
Covers the lives of exceptional women throughout three and a half centuries of American history.
Notable American Women: A Biographical Dictionary Completing the Twentieth Century
Call Number: CT 3260 .N5725 2004 (ref) and online
Entries on almost five hundred women women who died between 1976 and 1999.
Notable American Women: The Modern Period
Call Number: CT 3260 .N573 (ref) and online
Companion to Notable American Women, 1607-1950. Entries on 442 women.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB)
Call Number: DA 28 .O95 2004 (ref) and online
Biographies of people who shaped the history of the British Isles.
The library has licensed this database for 1 simultaneous user, so please close the tab or browser when finished searching.
Who's Who (Marquis)
Call Number: Online
Biographies of global leaders from every significant field of endeavor. Includes Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in American History, Who's Who in American Art, Who's Who in American Politics. The library has licensed this database for 1 simultaneous user. Please logoff when you are finished searching.

Geography / Historical Statistics

Print copies are in the reference collection (main floor, northeast corner). To access the online resources, click on the title.

Historical Statistics of the United States
Call Number: HA 202 .H57 2006 (ref) and online
Topics ranging from migration and health to crime and the Confederate States of America are each placed in historical context by a recognized expert in the field. Source for quantitative facts of American history. Downloadable and customizable to suit individual areas of interest.
International Historical Statistics: Africa, Asia & Oceania, 1750-2005
Call Number: HA 4675 .M552 2007 (ref)
Includes sections such as population and vital statistics, labor, agriculture, industry, transport, and trade.
International Historical Statistics: Europe, 1750-2005
Call Number: HA 1107 .M5 2007 (ref)
Includes sections such as population and vital statistics, labor, agriculture, industry, transport, and trade.
International Historical Statistics: the Americas, 1750-2000
Call Number: HA 175 .M55 2003 (ref)
Includes sections such as population and vital statistics, labor, agriculture, industry, transport, and trade.

Reference Works on Less Typical Subjects!

Not all of history is war and politics. Here are some titles from less typical subject areas.

Print copies are in the reference collection (main floor, northeast corner) or in the stacks of Bizzell Library. To access the online resources, click on the title.

American History Through Literature, 1820-1870
Call Number: PS 217 .H57 A84 2006 (3rd floor, east) and online
American History Through Literature, 1870-1920
Call Number: PS 217 .H57 A843 2006 (3rd floor, east) and online
The Child: An Encyclopedic Companion
Call Number: Online
Dictionary of Fashion History
Call Number: GT 730 .C86 2010 (main floor, east)
Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion
Call Number: GT 507 .E53 2005 (ref) and online
Encyclopedia of Food and Culture
Call Number: GT 2850 .E53 2003 (ref) and online
Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History
Call Number: TT 957 .S46 2006 (4th floor, east)
Encyclopedia of Kitchen History
Call Number: TX 653 .S57 2004 (4th floor, east) and online
Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in America
Call Number: Online
Encyclopedia of Sports in America: A History from Foot Races to Extreme Sports
Call Number: GV 583 .E64 2009 (main floor, east)
Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History
Call Number: Online
Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion
Call Number: GT 507 .E54 2010 (ref)
Greenwood Encyclopedia of Love, Courtship, & Sexuality Through History
Call Number: HQ 21 .G67125 2008 (2nd floor, east)
Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America
Call Number: TX 349 .O94 2004 (4th floor, east)
Tobacco in History and Culture: An Encyclopedia
Call Number: Online