Research Guides: Social Research and Public Policy: Background Research

Introduction

Background Research

While you might have a particular research topic in mind, you may not be familiar with the events, people, or issues involved. Using a good secondary source for background research can provide you with that information. This page lists relevant general and economics specific reference databases which include encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and other economics related background resources. Here are several tips when choosing reference materials.

Locate background information or learn key political concepts from a subject encyclopedia such as The Encyclopedia of Philosophy and the Social Sciences.
Search one of the many online reference databases listed below such as Blackwell Reference Online.

Full-Text Online Reference Databases

Cambridge Histories Online This link opens in a new window
Over 250 of these well-known, used and trusted volumes published since the 1960s are available online; covers 14 subject areas, including General History, Regional History, Literary Studies, Philosophy, and Religious Studies.
CQ Press at SAGE Knowledge This link opens in a new window
The CQ Press Library at SAGE Knowledge (formerly the Political Reference Suite of Online Editions) aggregates reference materials, encyclopedias, and primary source documents on legislative history in the United States.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Online collection of dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographical sources, quotations, bilingual dictionaries, and measurement conversions covering topics from the arts to the sciences.
Gale eBooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library) This link opens in a new window
Search across a range of encyclopedias, dictionaries and more.
Oxford Bibliographies This link opens in a new window
Oxford Bibliographies presents constantly updated articles that contain citations (with annotations) and commentaries for sources across the disciplines. Users can search topics and gather relevant journal article and book citations, online resources, data sources, and more.
Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
Oxford Handbooks Online contains the complete text of the Oxford Handbooks series, including titles in business, history, literature, music, philosophy, and more. Oxford Handbooks Online also contains pre-print articles.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text access to dictionaries, language reference, Islamic studies and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press.
Reference Universe (Paratext) This link opens in a new window
Search across a number of reference works to find entries on a topic. Searches across 18-million articles in 40,000 reference books from 750 publishers.
SAGE Knowledge This link opens in a new window
SAGE Knowledge is a social sciences digital library. It includes an expansive range of SAGE eBook and eReference content, including scholarly monographs, reference works, business case studies, handbooks, series, videos, professional development titles, and more.