This is only a brief selection of our history reference works. For reference works on specific countries and topics (immigration, food, sports...), try using these tricks to search the Library's OneSearch Catalog.
1. Search the catalog of a person or topic. On the search results page, click "Resource Types" on the left sidebar and then narrow your results to "Reference Entries"
2. Use the advanced search to search the catalog for reference books on a specific country, region, or topic. Insert your keywords onto the first line of the search. On the second line write: history. On the third line write: encyclopedia OR dictionary OR reference [and select to search by title].
Reference works are a great place to start your research, especially in a new field or topic of study. Think of these as the Academic Wikipedia. These resources provide peer-reviewed introductory and background information on a topic, where you can learn the language experts in a field use. The content on this page consists mostly of books and databases.
Tips on locating additional reference works are located in the left column of the page. See the United States tab on your left for reference works focusing on United States history and its peoples.
Encyclopedia of Anthropology by
To read some sample entries, or to view the Readers Guide click on "Sample Chapters/Additional Materials" in the left column under "About This Book" "This monumental encyclopedia makes an astonishing contribution to our understanding of human evolution, human culture, and human reality through an inclusive global lens." - From the Foreword, Biruté Mary F. Galdikas, Camp Leakey, Borneo, Indonesia This five-volume Encyclopedia of Anthropology is a unique collection of over 1,000 entries that focuses on topics in physical/biological anthropology, archaeology, cultural/social anthropology, linguistics, and applied anthropology. Also included are relevant articles on geology, paleontology, biology, evolution, sociology, psychology, philosophy, and theology. The contributions are authored by 300 internationally renowned experts, professors, and scholars from some of the most distinguished universities, institutes, and museums in the world. Special attention is given to hominid evolution, primate behavior, genetics, ancient civilizations, cross-cultural studies, social theories, and the value of human language for symbolic communication. This groundbreaking Encyclopedia is a must-have reference work for libraries with collections in anthropology, as well as the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. It will provide students, educators, and a wide array of interested readers with a greater understanding of and deeper appreciation for those facts, concepts, methods, hypotheses, and perspectives that make up modern anthropology and related disciplines.
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology by
Written by leading scholars in the field, this comprehensive and readable resource gives anthropology students a unique guide to the ideas, arguments and history of the discipline. The fully revised and expanded second edition reflects major changes in anthropology in the past decade.
A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology by
This new dictionary provides concise, authoritative definitions for a range of concepts relating to cultural anthropology, as well as important findings and intellectual figures in the field. Entries include adaptation, kinship, scientific racism, and writing culture, providing its readers with a wide-ranging overview of the subject.
Dictionary Plus Archaeology
This dictionary comprises authoritative, highly accessible entries on people, places, and artefacts relating to archaeological finds throughout the world. These entries are supplementary to other archaeology titles in the Quick Reference collection, and are written by specialist authors. The dictionary is an ongoing project, and more entries will be added over time.
Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology by
Archaeology - the study of human cultures through the analysis and interpretation of artefacts and material remains - continues to captivate and engage people on a local and global level. Internationally celebrated heritage sites such as the pyramids--both Egyptian and Mayan--Lascaux caves, and the statues of Easter Island provide insights into our ancestors and their actions and motivation. But there is much more to archaeology than famous sites. Ask any archaeologist about their job and they will touch on archaeological theory, chemistry, geology, history, classical studies, museum studies, ethical practice, and survey methods, along with the analysis and interpretation of artefacts and sites. Archaeology is a much broader subject than its public image and branches into many other fields in the social and physical sciences. This multi-volume work provides a comprehensive and systematic coverage of archaeology that is unprecedented, not only in terms of the use of multi-media, but also in terms of content. It encompasses the breadth of the subject along with key aspects that are tapped from other disciplines. It includes all time periods and regions of the world and all stages of human development. Mostly importantly, this encyclopedia includes the knowledge of leading scholars from around the world. The entries in this encyclopedia range from succinct summaries of specific sites and the scientific aspects of archaeological enquiry to detailed discussions of archaeological concepts, theories and methods, and from investigations into the social, ethical and political dimensions of archaeological practice to biographies of leading archaeologists from throughout the world. The different forms of archaeology are explored, along with the techniques used for each and the challenges, concerns and issues that face archaeologists today. The Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology has two outstanding innovations. The first is that scholars were able to submit entries in their own language. Over 300,000 words have been translated from French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Japanese, Turkish and Russian. Many of these entries are by scholars who are publishing in English for the first time. This compendium is both a print reference and an online reference work. The encyclopedia's second major innovation is that it harnesses the capabilities of an online environment, enhancing both the presentation and dissemination of information. Most particularly, the continuous updating allowed by an online environment should ensure that the Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology is a definitive reference work for archaeology and archaeologists.
Archaeology of Food by
What are the origins of agriculture? In what ways have technological advances related to food affected human development? How have food and foodways been used to create identity, communicate meaning, and organize society? In this highly readable, illustrated volume, archaeologists and other scholars from across the globe explore these questions and more. The Archaeology of Food offers more than 250 entries spanning geographic and temporal contexts and features recent discoveries alongside the results of decades of research. The contributors provide overviews of current knowledge and theoretical perspectives, raise key questions, and delve into myriad scientific, archaeological, and material analyses to add depth to our understanding of food. The encyclopedia serves as a reference for scholars and students in archaeology, food studies, and related disciplines, as well as fascinating reading for culinary historians, food writers, and food and archaeology enthusiasts.
21st Century Anthropology: A Reference Handbook by
21st Century Anthropology: A Reference Handbook highlights the most important topics, issues, questions, and debates any student obtaining a degree in the field of anthropology ought to have mastered for effectiveness in the 21st century.
The Routledge Handbook of Anthropology and Reproduction by
The Routledge Handbook of Anthropology and Reproduction is a comprehensive overview of the topics, approaches, and trajectories in the anthropological study of human reproduction. The book brings together work from across the discipline of anthropology, with contributions by established and emerging scholars in archaeological, biological, linguistic, and sociocultural anthropology. Across these areas of research, consideration is given to the contexts, conditions, and contingencies that mark and shape the experiences of reproduction as always gendered, classed, and racialized. Over 39 chapters, a diverse range of international scholars cover topics including: Reproductive governance, stratification, justice, and freedom. Fertility and infertility. Technologies and imaginations. Queering reproduction. Pregnancy, childbirth, and reproductive loss. Postpartum and infant care. Care, kinship, and alloparenting. This is a valuable reference for scholars and upper-level students in anthropology and related disciplines associated with reproduction, including sociology, gender studies, science and technology studies, human development and family studies, global health, public health, medicine, medical humanities, and midwifery and nursing.
Handbook of Methods in Cultural Anthropology by
The Handbook of Methods in Cultural Anthropology, now in its second edition, maintains a strong benchmark for understanding the scope of contemporary anthropological field methods. Avoiding divisive debates over science and humanism, the contributors draw upon both traditions to explore fieldwork in practice. The second edition also reflects major developments of the past decade, including: the rising prominence of mixed methods, the emergence of new technologies, and evolving views on ethnographic writing. Spanning the chain of research, from designing a project through methods of data collection and interpretive analysis, the Handbook features new chapters on ethnography of online communities, social survey research, and network and geospatial analysis. Considered discussion of ethics, epistemology, and the presentation of research results to diverse audiences round out the volume. The result is an essential guide for all scholars, professionals, and advanced students who employ fieldwork.
Becoming an Anthropologist by
Mars' graphic and often vivid narrative can be read simply as the anecdotal memoirs of an anthropologist. The experiences he recounts are sometimes hilarious, touch occasionally on the dangerous, and are always sensitively and expertly explored. But for those who want to know more, the book's expansive footnotes and references to key sources also offer a stimulating introduction to social anthropology, its theories and its methods. Mars begins by describing his childhood life in a tightly structured working class community during World War Two. He then contrasts this with an account of the hidden underlife of an entrepreneurial, crime-prone seaside resort, Blackpool, where he worked as a spieler (barker). Two years' experience of National Service provides an account of the social organisation of the RAF, followed by discussion of aspects of the organisation of Cambridge University. What follows then is a lifetime spent living and working in different cultures around the world. The results are continual insights gained by comparison and contrasts that illuminate aspects not only of other cultures, but, also, of our own.
The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research by
An text for any researcher interested in the art, science and practice of qualitative research.
Being Ethnographic by
Being Ethnographic is an essential introductory guidebook to the methods and applications of doing fieldwork in real-world settings. It discusses the future of ethnography, explores how we understand identity, and sets out the role of technology in a global, networked society. Driven by classic and anecdotal case studies, this new Second Edition highlights the challenges introduced by the ethnographers' own interests, biases and ideologies, and demonstrates the importance of methodological reflexivity. Addressing both the why and how questions of doing ethnography well, author Raymond Madden demonstrates how both theory and practice can work together to produce insights into the human condition. Filled with invaluable advice for applying ethnographic principles in the field, this fully updated text will give researchers across social sciences everything they need to walk a mile in someone else's shoes.
The Wiley Handbook of Ethnography of Education by
A state-of-the-art reference on educational ethnography edited by leading journal editors This book brings an international group of writers together to offer an authoritative state-of-the-art review of, and critical reflection on, educational ethnography as it is being theorized and practiced today--from rural and remote settings to virtual and visual posts. It provides a definitive reference point and academic resource for those wishing to learn more about ethnographic research in education and the ways in which it might inform their research as well as their practice. Engaging in equal measure with the history of ethnography, its current state-of play as well as its prospects, The Wiley Handbook of Ethnography of Education covers a range of traditional and contemporary subjects--foundational aims and principles; what constitutes 'good' ethnographic practice; the role of theory; global and multi-sited ethnographic methods in education research; ethnography's many forms (visual, virtual, auto-, and online); networked ethnography and internet resources; and virtual and place-based ethnographic fieldwork. Makes a return to fundamental principles of ethnographic inquiry, and describes and analyzes the many modalities of ethnography existing today Edited by highly-regarded authorities of the subject with contributions from well-known experts in ethnography Reviews both classic ideas in the ethnography of education, such as "grounded theory", "triangulation", and "thick description" along with new developments and challenges An ideal source for scholars in libraries as well as researchers out in the field The Wiley Handbook of Ethnography of Education is a definitive reference that is indispensable for anyone involved in educational ethnography and questions of methodology.