Challenge Library Guide: Background Information
Online Subject Encyclopedias
Scholarly subject encyclopedias provide background information about specific topics. Entries or articles, written by scholars or subject experts, include bibliographies or suggested readings that will lead to more information on your topic.
You can use subject encyclopedias to identify keywords for your research in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
Background Information Video
This three-minute video shows how to find background information
Selected Online Scholarly Encyclopedias - History
- Cambridge Histories OnlineProvides the Cambridge Histories series online that covers ancient to modern history.
- Oxford Reference OnlineContains full text subject encyclopedias, reference works, dictionaries, and handbooks in all disciplines.
- Sage eReferenceContains full text encyclopedias and reference books in the social sciences and humanities. Search by keyword or browse by topic.
CQ Researcher (CQ = Congressional Quarterly)
- CQ Researcher
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Offers reports on key issues in the U.S.Congress from 1923 to the present. Includes a searchable archive by keyword, date, or subject.
Background Information about Countries
A guide to countries of the world by Publication Date: 2016
International Encyclopedia of Geography by Publication Date: 2017
- Europa World and/or the Regional Surveys of the WorldCovers political and economic information about countries and territories, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
Search for Subject Encyclopedias (PSU Only)
Very Short Introductions - Oxford University Press
- Very Short IntroductionsProvides concise introductions on a diverse range of topics in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences.
Selected Online Scholarly Encyclopedias
Encyclopedia of race, ethnicity, and society by Publication Date: 2008
International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences by Publication Date: 2015
Routledge encyclopedia of philosophy by Publication Date: 2001 - present
The Sage encyclopedia of political behavior by Publication Date: 2017
Selected Online Scholarly Encyclopedias - Science
Encyclopedia of Ecology by Publication Date: 2018
Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy by Publication Date: 2008
Encyclopedia of Science Technology and Ethics by Publication Date: 2004
