CREDO Tutorial
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Librarian
What is background information?
Background information provides basic facts, history, descriptions and concepts about your topic. Use only the information that you find useful in starting your research. You can always return to your sources if you need more in-depth information as you get deeper into your research topic.
Search Terms
Here are some search terms that could produce useful results:
- Religion
- Faith
- Worship
- Liturgy
- Names of religions such as Christianity, Islam, or Judaisim
- Names of religious figures such as John the Baptist, the Dalai Lama, or Shiva
- Names of sacred places such as Ankor Wat or Mecca
- Religious practices such as prayer, hajj, or sabbath
- Religious holy days such as Eid Al-Fitr, Diwali, or Passover
- Theological terms such as theology, ecclesiology, or eschatology
Recommended background information sources
Begin your research by looking up your keywords in an online dictionary, encyclopedia or reference book.
- Britannica Academic This link opens in a new windowBasic introduction to over 75,000 different topics, including encyclopedia articles, maps, news, definitions, and statistics. Includes a dictionary/thesaurus, media (photographs & selected audio/video files), famous quotations, country profiles, selected websites, and news articles.
- CQ Press Encyclopedia of Religion in America This link opens in a new window
Covers the significant denominations and movements that have originated or flourished in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, from the beginning of European settlement to the present.
- Credo Reference - All Subjects Search This link opens in a new windowContains dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, quotations and atlases, plus a wide range of subject-specific titles. Best used to find out information about religious concepts and individuals.
- Encyclopaedia Judaica - GVRL This link opens in a new windowMore than 21,000 entries on Jewish life, culture, history, and religion, written by Israeli, American and European subject specialists.
- Ancient and Medieval History Online This link opens in a new windowExplores the pre-modern world with in-depth focus on Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Useful for locating information not about the religions themselves, but rather about historical events and individuals that played important roles within a given religion.
- Modern World History Online This link opens in a new windowCovers the people, places, and events in the broad expanse of history-from mid-15th century to the present. Useful for locating information not about the religions themselves, but rather about historical events and individuals that played important roles within a given religion.
- Grove Art Online (Oxford Art Online) This link opens in a new windowIncludes Grove Art Online, Oxford Companion to Western Art, Encyclopedia of Aesthetics and Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Great resource for locating information on religious artwork. Helps answer questions such as "How has Christ been represented in various paintings?"
- Statista This link opens in a new windowWith a team of over 250 statisticians, database experts, analysts, and editors, Statista provides users with an innovative and intuitive tool for researching quantitative data, statistics and related information. Search terms such as "religion," "worship," or "faith."