Using encyclopedias/reference sources
A reference source is a great place to get an overview of your topic. By carefully reading a detailed reference article you can get a solid grounding on the facts or background of an event, person, or time period. You can gather keywords, names, and dates for further searching, and use the bibliography to start gathering your secondary sources. For this project you will most likely be using an Encyclopedia as your reference source.
In the column on the left below you will find links to encyclopedias that will have general entries on countries as well as topic specific ones.
In the middle column are reliable websites that have detailed profiles of Middle Eastern countries.
The right column gives you some ideas for getting the most out of your reference source(s).
Finding a reference source
These encyclopedias are available as eBooks and we have print copies in the library. Click on the links below to go straight to the eBooks.
Gale Middle East collectionThis collection of 9 encyclopedias has both country specific entries as well as topic specific ones.- Oxford ReferenceThere are several encyclopedias in this collection that might be useful for your research as they cover the Middle East and Islam.
- Britannica AcademicNote that this has more detailed information than the Britannica you can Google.
Nations and NationalismCheck out this encyclopedia for an in-depth discussion of nation formation for some of your countries.- Oxford Research EncyclopediasHas some reference articles, particularly concerning Islam.
Women in World History
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World HistoryIf your topic focuses on women, try searching your country in this encyclopedia for historical background (note that the encyclopedia was published in 2008 so won't be up to date). There are entries for Turkey and Egypt as well as North Africa and Islam.
Make sure you search in the box on the left side not the top search box.Palgrave Handbook of Women's Political Rights
If your topic focuses on women in Turkey, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Morocco, Jordan, Tunisia, Israel, or Armenia, please see one of the librarians for access to this book.
Websites
- CIA World FactbookContains a lot of data and background information about each country.
- Nations OnlineThis site has a country profile and many useful links. You may need to use Google Translate on some of the links.
Citing a reference source
If you are citing a reference article from an online encyclopedia, make sure you use the 'database' tab in the Noodletools Reference Source citation.
Herrerra, Linda. "Education." In Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa, edited by Philip Mattar, 756-62. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. Gale Ebooks.
Guiding questions
These guiding questions will help you get the most out of your encyclopedia articles:
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Who is mentioned in this article? Include names of key people, political parties, organizations, etc.
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When and where does this article cover? Note if this article covers a specific location and time period.
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What events, concepts or ideas are in this encyclopedia article?
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How does this encyclopedia article connect to other things you know, such as what was in your current event story?
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What do you need to know more about after reading this article and what search terms could you use to find what you need?
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Look at the bibliography and identify what other potential sources you could look for. Note the names and authors of books and articles from the bibliography or further reading.
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Summarize what you think this article is saying. You can write this as a bulleted list.
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What stood out for you in this article. What ideas does this article generate that you want to explore further?