Research Guides: History: Background Information

Why Get Background Information?

Reasons to Take the Time to Find Background Information:

Identify and understand subject-specific terminology.
Put sources you find in context.
Learn major areas of research and unsettled questions.
Use citation lists to begin your research.

Reference Databases

These databases can give you background information on almost any historical topic, no matter the place or time.

Oxford Reference Library This link opens in a new window
Database of dictionaries, encyclopedias, and companions from Oxford University Press
Full text of dictionaries, encyclopedias, and companions on a variety of subjects, purchased from Oxford University Press. Coverage is especially good in history, biology, environmental science, life sciences, literature, bilingual dictionaries, athletic training & health sciences, political science, and philosophy.

These titles are also available through the OhioLINK Electronic Books Center.
Biography Reference Bank This link opens in a new window
Biographical information on approximately half a million people, from antiquity to the present
Provides biographical information on approximately half a million people, from antiquity to the present, along with thousands of images. BRB offers substantive narrative profiles, each about 2,000 words long, from H.W. Wilson publications and other respected publishers.
The biographies are searchable by name, profession, title, place of origin, gender, race/ethnicity, titles of works, date of birth, date of death, keyword, and presence of images. Daily updates provide up-to-the-minute coverage of newsmakers.

Full-text articles, abstracts, and images gleaned from thousands of magazines and journals cover new names and expand on existing profiles. Book review excerpts and full text reviews help users find and select print biographies.

Sample of Reference Sources for American History

The Oxford Companion to United States History by Paul S. Boyer
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2004
American Decades by Multiple Authors
Call Number: Reference E169.12 .A42
Publication Date: 2011
American Decades explores political, social, and economic developments in the United States from 1900 to 2009 in 11 volumes, which each volume corresponding to a decade.
The Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History by Michael Kazin; Rebecca Edwards; Adam Rothman
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2010
Encyclopedia of African American History by Leslie M. Alexander; Walter C. Rucker
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2010
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States by Suzanne Oboler; Deena J. González
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2005

Sample of Reference Sources for Non-American History

A Dictionary of World History by Anne Kerr; Edmund Wright
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2016
"This wide-ranging dictionary contains a wealth of information on all aspects of history, from prehistory right up to the present day. It includes biographies of key figures in world history, historical summaries for each country, and entries on religious and political movements, international organizations, and key battles and places." (From publisher's summary)
Encyclopedia of the Modern World by Peter N. Stearns
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2008
" The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern World provides information about major world developments from 1750 to the present, with close attention to social, economic, cultural, and political topics." (From publisher's summary)
Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages by André Vauchez
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2005
Provides 3,000 concise and detailed articles on all aspects of the Middle Ages from the fifth to the fifteenth century. It explores art, architecture, religion, law, science, language, philosophy, and theology, as well as cultural, religious, intellectual, social and political history.
Atlas of the Medieval World by Rosamond McKitterick
Call Number: Reference D117 .M35 2004
Publication Date: 2004
In this atlas, pictures of art and architecture accompanying an expertly written text are featured alongside stunning maps covering nearly a millennium of medieval civilizations around the world, capturing the Arab invasions of Europe, the empire of Charlemagne, the African kingdoms of Songhai and Mali, the Crusades, the Viking and Mongol invasions, and the T'ang and Ming empires, among other topics.
Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome by Michael Gagarin
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2010
The Oxford Companion to British History by John Cannon; Robert Crowcroft
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2015
Africana by Kwame Anthony Appiah; Henry Louis Gates
Call Number: Reference DT14 .A37 2005
Publication Date: 2005
This five-volume set covers a vast geographic area and encompasses the complex histories of Africans in Africa and the Americas. Slavery and the struggle for political and economic freedom and equality are central themes, and the roots of African and African-American culture in the histories of individual countries are thoroughly explored.
Encyclopedia of Modern Asia by David Levinson; Karen Christensen
Call Number: Reference DS4 .L48 2002
Publication Date: 2002
This six-volume set does an outstanding job of covering all aspects of modern Asia (economics, religion, technology, politics, education, the arts, environmental issues, international relations, and scientific advances). Recognizing that there is not one Asian culture but many, the editors have been careful to stress both the interrelatedness and the tremendous variance of traditions.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World by John L. Esposito
Call Number: Reference DS35.53 .O96 2009
Publication Date: 2009
This unique reference is a comprehensive encyclopedia dedicated to the institutions, religion, politics, and culture in Muslim societies throughout the world. Beginning coverage in the sixth century and extending it to the present day, the Encyclopedia covers Muslims in the Arab heartland as well as South and Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas.