Develop Your Research Topic
- Choosing Your TopicChoosing a research topic can be tricky. Check out the attached tips, if you're having trouble.
Select Encyclopedias on Slavery
In addition to searching within reference databases try these reference works on slavery.
Find Reference Articles Using Articles+
Find Background and Reference Information
Background information can give you an overview of your topic and introduce you to concepts, trends, vocabulary, events, etc. around your topic. Wikipedia and Google can often be good places to go for some basic background information when used with caution; however, library databases can also help you find detailed and informative background information on your topic.
These databases can help you find background information.
- Oxford African American Studies Center This link opens in a new windowAccess wide-ranging materials that focus on the lives and events that have shaped African American and African history and culture. Comprised of five major encyclopedias and additional reference sources from Oxford University Press.
- American National Biography This link opens in a new windowSource of biographical information of people from different eras who have influenced and shaped American history and culture.
- Credo Reference Unlimited This link opens in a new windowContains bilingual dictionaries and reference works in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
- Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new windowContains online reference works -- see title list for individual works included.