Example Sources
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African Americans in Sports
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ISBN: 9780765680556Publication Date: 2003-11-30Contains biographical entries, sports and African American Sport Associations. -
Encyclopedia of African American Society
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ISBN: 9781452265414Publication Date: 2005-02-01Contains articles on Track and Field, The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAC), Boxing and many other related topics.
From Reference Source to Search Term
- Reference sources can be a great help with determining the right terms to search.
- Pay attention to important keywords and subjects that you find when scanning reference sources and make note of what they are.
- Not sure where to start? Begin by thinking about the "who," "what," "when," and "where" of your topic.
Reference Materials
What are reference sources?
Reference sources are works that help you locate information about people, facts, and ideas. These sources can help you find the date of an important event, major achievements of an individual or organization, or a definition of a term or concept. They are sometimes called tertiary sources.
Examples include:
Dictionaries/encyclopedias (may also be secondary), almanacs, fact books, Wikipedia, bibliographies (may also be secondary), directories, guidebooks, manuals, handbooks, and textbooks (may be secondary), indexing and abstracting sources.
Finding Biographical Information
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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.
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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.
Encyclopedias
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Credo Reference Unlimited This link opens in a new windowContains bilingual dictionaries and reference works in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
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Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new windowContent of 300+ books published by Oxford University Press.