Video: What Are the Humanities (2:27)
Background Information
Background information is a good place to begin research. You can gather general information about your topic, dates, names, places, and other content that will be useful when you're ready to take a deep dive into your topic.
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Access background information by clicking the blue "Find Facts" button on the library homepage.
Choose a subject area to access the right facts databases for your topic.
Each database will have a search box, filters for refining your search, and tools to save, print, cite.
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Suggested Databases for Background Information
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Credo Reference - All Subjects SearchContains dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, quotations and atlases, plus a wide range of subject-specific titles.
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World News Digest OnlineWorld News Digest includes current news, the Year in Review, World at a Glance, and World Almanac facts and statistics.
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CQ Press LibraryIncludes CQ Global Researcher, CQ Researcher Plus Archive, CQ Almanac, The Contemporary Middle East, The Encyclopedia of Political Science, Encyclopedia of Religion in America, Encyclopedia of U.S. Political History, Historic Documents Series, and Political Handbook of the World.
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eHRAF World CultureseHRAF World Cultures contains ethnographic collections covering 281 cultures, including indigenous peoples and ethnic groups, as well as immigrant cultures in the U.S. and Canada. Comprehensive summaries cover topics such as economy, history and cultural relations, family and kinship, sociopolitical organization, and religion.
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Oxford Islamic StudiesIncludes the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, primary source documents, translations of the Qur'an,with links to an online version of A Concordance of the Qur'an by Hanna Kassis. Timelines covering major events in the Islamic world and images and maps are provided.
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Jewish Studies Source EBSCOOffers a multidisciplinary view into the study of Jewish civilization from its historical origins to the present. Contains full-text articles from leading academic journals and newspapers - including Holocaust & Genocide Studies, Images: A Journal of Jewish Art & Visual Culture, Jewish Political Studies Review, and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency database from 1922 to present - as well as biographies of leading historical and contemporary Jews.
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American Decades 1900 through 1999 - GVRLCross-disciplinary source for documenting and analyzing periods of contemporary American social history (1900-1999).
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Encyclopaedia Judaica - GVRLMore than 21,000 entries on Jewish life, culture, history, and religion, written by Israeli, American and European subject specialists.
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Artstor Digital LibraryThe Artstor Digital Library is a database of images available for educational use from the world's leading museums, photo archives, and artists in one easily-navigated repository. To download Artstor images, users MUST first complete the registration and agree to Artstor terms of use.