History Guide

Why Use Reference Sources?

Reference sources are designed to provide users with an overview of, or introduction to, a topic.

Encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks,  and chronologies are examples of reference sources. Some reference sources have brief entries on a topic, while other reference sources offer lengthy essays.

Reference sources can help you:

  • get an overview of a topic
  • identify key people, places, and themes
  • see a timeline or chronology of important events
  • develop a list of search terms
  • identify primary sources
  • pinpoint significant authors
  • develop a bibliography of useful books and articles

Find Reference Sources

Search the EMU Library's collections for history reference sources.

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Reference Book Databases

Two collections of reference ebooks that include history titles and topics:

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