Reference works are "[works] designed to be consulted when authoritative information is needed, rather than read cover to cover. Reference [works] often consist of a series of signed or unsigned "entries" listed alphabetically under headwords or headings, or in some other arrangement (classified, numeric, etc.). The category includes almanacs, atlases, bibliographies, biographical sources, catalogs, concordances, dictionaries, directories, discographies and filmographies, encyclopedias, glossaries, handbooks, indexes, manuals, research guides, union lists, yearbooks, etc., whether published commercially or as government documents." (source This link opens in a new window)
Reference works are particularly helpful when you're starting your research. Here are the library databases that contain the most helpful reference works for this assignment:
Daily Life through History This link opens in a new window (Bloomsbury/ABC-CLIO)
You can browse by time period or subject. Use the button labeled Browse By to select which one you want to browse by.
To search, enter your keywords into the search field.
Oxford Academic This link opens in a new window
To search, enter your keywords into the search field.
On the search results page, click on the check box labeled All content I have access to under the heading Availability on the left side of the page. This way, all of the results will have the full text.
Oxford African American Studies Center This link opens in a new window
This is a reference database; it contains entries from several specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries.
To browse, click on the link named Era near the top of the page. In the dropdown menu that appears, click on the links named
1866-1876: Reconstruction
1877-1928: The Age of Segregation and the Progressive Era
1929-1940: The Great Depression and the New Deal
To search, enter your keywords into the search field.
On the search results page, click the check boxes labeled Available and Free under the section named Availability, then click the Update button. This way, all of the results will have the full text.
African Americans and Reconstruction: Hope and Struggle, 1865-1883 This link opens in a new window (Readex)
To browse, click on the dropdown menu named Suggested Searches below the search field. Click on the topics and subtopics that you're interested in.
To search, enter your keywords into the search field.
African Americans and Jim Crow: Repression and Protest, 1883-1922 This link opens in a new window (Readex)
To browse, click on the dropdown menu named Suggested Searches below the search field. Click on the topics and subtopics that you're interested in.
To search, enter your keywords into the search field.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library)
To search, enter your keywords into the search field.
Use the filters on the right side of the results page to narrow down your results.
If you have any questions, please contact me This link opens in a new window. 😃