About Background Information
Reference sources are designed to give you an overview or introduction to a topic.
Encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and chronologies are common examples. Some reference sources provide short entries, while others include longer, essay-style discussions.
Reference sources can help you:
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Gain a broad understanding of a topic
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Identify key people, places, and themes
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View timelines or chronologies of major events
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Develop effective search terms
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Locate relevant primary sources
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Recognize important authors and scholars
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Build a bibliography of useful books and articles
Find Background Information in Esearch
You can use Esearch to find background information from online reference sources.
1. Go to Esearch and type in your search terms. The example below shows a search for materials about the Cold War.
Important: Make sure you are searching for "Everything.".
2. Review the options to refine your search results on the left-hand side of the screen. Find the "Content Type" section.
3. Select the content type “Reference Entries.”
4. Click the Apply Filters button.
The list of results will be articles and book sections from online reference books available through the EMU Library.
Background Information in Library Databases
Two collections of reference ebooks that include history titles and topics:
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Gale Ebooks This link opens in a new windowIncludes dozens of reference works in the social sciences.
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SAGE ReferenceReference sources on many subjects, including African American Studies, Gender Studies, History, Politics, Social Issues, and Sociology.
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All EMU Library Reference DatabasesExplore all the databases focusing on background information offered by the EMU Library.