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Reference Sources

 

When researching a new topic it is often necessary to get an overview, explanations of unfamiliar terms, or brief factual information. The print and electronic resources listed below include selected reference materials (dictionaries, encyclopaedias, handbooks, guides, and standards) for the field of World History. To find additional reference materials, check UNB WorldCat (the library catalogue) or our Reference Materials database.

Key Resources

  • ARTstor
    Artstor is a repository of approximately 300 collections composed of over 2.5 million digital images (and growing), related data and provides tools to actively use those images in a restricted usage environment that balances the rights of the content providers and the needs of the users. The images are drawn from different sources, such as museums, archaeological teams, photo archives, slide collections, and art reference publishers.

    Scholars can examine wide-ranging material such as Native American art from the Smithsonian, treasures from the Louvre, and panoramic, 360-degree views of the Hagia Sophia in a single, easy-to-use resource. The artistic traditions across many cultures embraces architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, and design as well as many other forms of visual culture.

  • Atlas of human migration [HIL-REF GN370 .A85 2007]

    A well-illustrated, comprehensive popular history of how humans have spread out across the world, from it's very beginnings in Africa through to modern migration to Israel and resulting from the Eastern Bloc collapse.

  • Berkshire encyclopedia of world history [HWK-REF HIL-REF D23 .B45 2005 vols. 1-5]

    A comprehensive encyclopedia of world history with 538 articles that trace the development of human history with a focus on area studies, global history, anthropology, geography, science, arts, literature, economics, women's studies, African-American studies, and cultural studies related to all regions of the world.

  • Biographical dictionary of modern world leaders : 1900-1991 [HIL-REF D412.6 .B52 2004]

    Political leaders of every stripe-from the Ayatollah Khomeini to Nikita Khrushchev-can be found in this accessible A-to-Z reference, a companion to Biographical Dictionary of Modern World Leaders: 1992 to the Present. Taking a global approach and covering political leaders from the beginning of the 20th century through the end of the cold war, Biographical Dictionary of Modern World Leaders: 1900-1991 includes approximately 400 detailed narratives outlining the major events and achievements in the lives of many of the 20th century's most influential leaders. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

     

     

  • Wiley/Blackwell Reference Online
    Wiley/Blackwell Reference Online "is a vast new online library giving instant access to the most authoritative and up-to-date scholarship across the humanities and social sciences. With more than 350 reference volumes to be published in Blackwell Reference Online by the end of 2008, it is the largest academic reference collection available online and includes the critically-acclaimed Blackwell Companions and Handbooks, major reference works such as the Blackwell Encyclopedia of Management and the Companion to Syntax, and a whole host of other valuable reference materials such as dictionaries, encyclopedias and concise companions."
  • Cambridge histories online
    This resource, part of Cambridge Core, contains the online versions of over 270 Cambridge Histories publications in the following 15 areas: American History, British History, Economic History, General History, History of Science, History of the Book, Language and Linguistics, Literary Studies, Music, Philosophy, Political and Social Theory, Regional History, Religious Studies, Theatre Studies and Performing Arts, and Warfare. For a complete listing of titles in each area, please refer to the publisher's site, at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/what-we-publish/collections/cambridge-histories
  • Chronology of world history [HIL-REF D11 .M39 1999 vols. 1-4]

    This four volume set, which includes 70,000 events compiled by 27 contributing editors, constitutes the most complete and current chronology of world history ever created.

  • A Companion to Western Historical Thought
    This title is part of the Wiley/Blackwell Reference Online e-book collection available through the Wiley Online Library.
    Permitted Use | Purchased multi-user unlimited access
  • A Companion to World Philosophies
    This title is part of the Wiley/Blackwell Reference Online e-book collection available through the Wiley Online Library.
    Permitted Use | Purchased multi-user unlimited access
  • Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, The
    "Abridged from the acclaimed Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, this Concise version is written by an expert team of 80 international and multi-faith contributors. It contains entries on all the major and many minor religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Shinto, Sikhism, and Taoism. Over 500 entries cover movements, sects, and cults, from Cargo Cults and the New Age movement to Rastafarians and Soka Gakkai. Over 1,000 entries explore the sacred writings of religions worldwide, and short biographies of founders, leaders, gurus, philosophers, mystics, and heretics are given. There are details of sacred sites, customs, religious practices, dogmas, beliefs, traditions, festivals and fasts, and artefacts such as altars, rosaries, icons, and torah ornaments. There are also entries on worldwide religious teachings on abortion, animals, birth control, war, homosexuality, and suicide."
    Collection limited to subscribed 5-user access

Additional Resources

  • A Dictionary of Contemporary World History (6 ed.)
    "This dictionary provides in-depth coverage of the major historical figures and events from 1900 to the present day. Extensive surveys of every country are included with detailed analytical entries covering political and military leaders, political parties, international organizations, and acts of war."
    Collection limited to subscribed 5-user access
  • A Dictionary of World History (3 ed.)
    "This up-to-date dictionary contains clear, concise, and detailed entries covering 4,000 years of world history. It includes biographical entries on hundreds of key figures, from Alexander the Great to Bill Clinton, Elizabeth I to Nelson Mandela, Moses to Tony Blair. There are subject entries on religious and political movements, international organizations, and key battles and places."
    Collection limited to subscribed 5-user access
  • Encyclopaedia of the history of science, technology, and medicine in non-western cultures

    The second edition of this landmark encyclopaedia will contain approximately 1000 entries dealing in depth with the history of the scientific, technological and medical accomplishments of cultures outside of the United States and Europe. The entries consist of fully updated articles together with hundreds of entirely new topics.

  • Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment
    Covering the "long" Enlightenment, from the rise of Descartes' disciples in 1670 to the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in 1815, these 700 articles by leading scholars range from discussions of mercantilism and democracy to the battlefield to the dissemination of ideas in salons and coffeehouses. Breaking conventional geographical boundaries, coverage includes not only Western Europe but also North America, Brazil, and Iberian, Russian, Jewish, and Eastern European cultures.
    Collection limited to subscribed 5-user access
  • Encyclopedia of the Languages of Europe
    This title is part of the Wiley/Blackwell Reference Online e-book collection available through the Wiley Online Library.
    Permitted Use | Purchased multi-user unlimited access
  • International historical statistics [HIL-REF HA155 .M575 2003 vols. 1-3]

    This three-volume set of international historical statistics allows the full breadth of statistical analysis and comparisons across both time and across the world.

  • Oxford Companion to World Exploration, The
    From Antarctica to the North Pole, The Oxford Companion to World Exploration offers information on all topics of exploration worldwide, including advances in navigation, the discovery of the New World, polar expeditions, and the space age. In addition to examining the lives and expeditions of heroic and influential explorers, the book covers navigational and marine sciences and ranges from ancient cultures through modern space exploration. With articles from leading scholars, this landmark set offers students, scholars, and amateurs a treasure of information on this dynamic field of study.
    Collection limited to subscribed 5-user access
  • Oxford encyclopedia of the modern world : [1750 to the present] [HIL-REF D205 .O94 2008]

    v. 1. Aborigines-business -- v. 2. Cairo-dust -- v. 3. Earth Day-heart disease -- v. 4. Hebrew language and literature-luxury -- v. 5. Macau-Oxfam -- v. 6. Pachinko-skyscrapers -- v. 7. Slave rebellions, American-white slavery -- v. 8. Wildlife-Zulu War ; index.

  • Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History, The
    The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History, edited by Bonnie G. Smith, captures the experiences of women throughout history in a far-reaching, four-volume work. Although there has been extensive research on women in history by region, no other text or reference work has comprehensively covered the role women have played throughout world history. With over 650 biographies of influential women and over 600 topical articles covering topics such as geography and history, culture and society, organizations, movements, and gender studies, Women in World History is the definitive reference work in the field.
  • Who's who in the world [HIL-REF CT120 .W5]

    20th-century biographies, 1971-2010

  • Women in world history : a biographical encyclopedia [HIL-REF HQ1115 .W6 1999 vols. 1-17]

    Projected to be 15 volumes upon completion in late 2000 (with an index to follow in mid-2001), this ambitious set will be international in scope and span from antiquity to the 20th century. (The first three volumes are reviewed here.) The scope is generally limited to women born before 1926, except for those active in the women's movement or whose place in history is assured. Initially hatched while the editors were working on Historic World Leaders (1994)--which profiled mainly men--this resource will include more than 10,000 entries varying in length from several pages to brief paragraphs. Frequent sidebars give information on women closely associated with the main entry, and numerous See references address name variations. Although indexes by time period, nationality, and subject would greatly enhance its usefulness as a reference, this set far exceeds recent single-volume international dictionaries (the Larousse Dictionary of Women, LJ 1/97, has about 3000 entries) and is unlikely to have any competitors on this scale soon. Recommended for large public and academic libraries and women's studies collections.Patricia A. Beaber, Coll. of New Jersey, Ewing Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

  • Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim world [HIL-REF BP40 .E525 2016]

    This reference work includes articles on the history, religion, cultural practices, and political economies of Muslims from the seventh-century in West Asia to today's Muslim societies throughout the continents of Asia, Africa, the Subcontinent, Europe, and the Americas.

 

Last modified on June 30, 2023 12:50