Reference Sources
Consulting good reference sources is an essential part of the research process. Reference sources give you a quick overview of new topics, and they can also help you identify search terms, related subjects and important background information that will make your paper better.
Reference sources include encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, handbooks, atlases, etc.
Print Reference
Print Reference sources include encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks and atlases. Here are a few that are useful for studying western civilization.
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Chronicles of the middle ages
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Call Number: 940.1 MATTHEWPublication Date: 2003A beautifully illustrated overview of the history of the Middle Ages in the west from the fall of the Roman Empire to 1500. -
Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World
Call Number: R 956.04 ENCYCLO 2004ISBN: 0028656032Publication Date: 2003Islam and the Muslim World looks at Islam's role in the modern world, doing so in the context of the religion's history and development over the last 13 centuries. Containing thematic articles, biographies of key figures, definitions, illustrations, maps and more, this new encyclopedia fills a need in this key area of religious studies. -
Terry Jones' Medieval Lives
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Call Number: 909.07 JONESPublication Date: 2004An overview of the Medieval world from Terry Jones of Monty Python fame. -
Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages
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Call Number: R 940.1 BUNSONPublication Date: 1995Fact-filled A-to-Z entries on the events, figures, and ideas of the period that stretched from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the dawn of the Renaissance -
Medieval Warfare Source Book
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Call Number: 355.0294 NICOLLEPublication Date: 2004A two volume reference work covering warfare in the Middle Ages. -
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The Middle Ages
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Call Number: 909.07 HANAWALPublication Date: 1999An easy-to-read, illustrated overview of the Middle Ages. -
New Cambridge Medieval History
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Publication Date: 2005A 7 volume set covering the history of Europe from 500-1500.
eBook. Click image to access -
Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
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Call Number: R 949.503 OXFORD 1991Publication Date: 1991A 3 volume set with short entries about all things Byzantine. -
The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation
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Call Number: R 270.603 OXFORD 1996Publication Date: 1996A four volume set. -
The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades
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Call Number: 909.07 OXFORDPublication Date: 2001-05-24Essays include: The Crusading Movement, 1096-1274; Architecture in the Latin East, 1098-1291; and The Military Orders, 1312-1798.
Online Reference
In addition to our print collection, we have a growing number of online reference works and databases. Here are some recommendations.
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Encyclopedia Britannica This link opens in a new windowWhile EB is a general encyclopedia, it is a great place to start to get an overview of your topic and find links to further reading and recommended websites.
It is a great and more reliable alternative to Wikipedia. -
History Reference Center This link opens in a new windowHistory Reference Center is the world's most comprehensive full text history reference database designed for secondary schools, public libraries, junior/community colleges, and undergraduate research. The database features full text for more than 1,990 reference books, encyclopedias and non-fiction books from leading history publishers.
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Historical Atlas of the Islamic World
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Publication Date: 2004Includes an article on Muslims in North America. eBook available in Gale Virtual Reference. Click image to access.
