If you need |
Then try these |
Which you'll find here |
Factual summary of events and issues to get up to speed (e.g., key players, relevant dates, major events, etc.). Ease of Wikipedia with the authority and accuracy of an academic book. | Subject-specific encyclopedias |
Sage Reference Online Gale Virtual Reference Library Sage Encyclopedia of Political Behavior |
Broad, but in-depth, overview | Books | Library Catalog |
Analysis of a particular aspect of an issue, trends that have resulted from an event, application of theory to events, etc. | Scholarly articles | Subscription databases |
Facts and details about events as they happen | News |
News websites and aggregators Newspaper Source database |
Statistical data | Government agencies, think tanks | Targeted Google searches |
Subject-specific encyclopedias are a great source of information to develop a better understanding of a topic, issue, or problem. These are written by experts for those who are new to a topic. They provide authoritative, academic treatments of subjects in an accessible way. For these databases of encyclopedia entries, keep your search terms fairly broad.
Look at article titles, but also at the encyclopedia it appears in to get a sense of what the coverage will focus on.
Or use these related research guides: