Reference works and handbooks
Reference works such as encyclopedias, research guides, and bibliographies are an excellent way to find background information and to get an overview of the current scholarship about a topic. (Because of this, they can also help you identify dominant historical narratives.)
Encyclopedia entries summarize the established state of knowledge in a field of inquiry. An encyclopedia entry is like a digest of the secondary sources on a topic, but rarely reflects the most recent developments in scholarship. Encyclopedia entries typically include suggestions for further reading.
(You are using a reference work every time your Google search takes you to a Wikipedia article. Wikipedia is an online, crowdsourced encyclopedia.)
Thematic collections of current scholarship, sometimes called "handbooks," can also be very helpful when you are familiarizing yourself with a topic.
Here are some reference works and handbooks specifically for environmental history and environmental science:
The Columbia Guide to American Environmental History by Call Number: History, Philosophy and Newspaper Library GF501 .M47 2002Publication Date: 2002Covers major themes and debates of the field of environmental history, drawing on climactic and geological data, court records, archaeological digs, and the writings of naturalists, as well as federal and state economic and resource development and conservation policy. Includes a chronology of major event and an extensive bibliography including films, videos, and digital resources.
American Environmental History by Call Number: History, Philosophy and Newspaper Library Stacks GF503 .A445 2003Publication Date: 2003This compilation of seminal essays and primary documents introduces students to the most exciting scholarship and writing on the of environmental history in the United States.
Encyclopedia of Environmental Science by Call Number: Funk ACES Library Stacks Q. 363.7003 M747ePublication Date: 2000A-Z entries cover environmental and governmental organizations and agencies, environmental, terms, scientists and activists, and regulations and legislation.
The Environment Since 1945 by Call Number: Funk ACES Library Stacks 304.20973 L971ePublication Date: 2013Examines numerous controversies in environmental politics and policy since 1945, including the Donora smog event of 1948, building dams in national parks, the passage of the National Environmental Protection Act, the banning of DDT, the Love Canal crisis, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Makah whale hunt, and environmental racism.
The Routledge Handbook of the Political Economy of the Environment by Call Number: SSHEL HC79.E5 R6749 2022 / OnlinePublication Date: 2021Selection of current scholarship that considers ecological issues and crises from the perspective of political economy.
Water in North American Environmental History by Call Number: OnlinePublication Date: 202225 cases studies that explore the range of uses and perceptions of water throughout Canadian, Mexican, and United States history.
You have access to a huge collection of high-quality reference works through the Library. Try these:
- Oxford Reference This link opens in a new windowOxford Reference Online Premium Collection brings together nearly 200 language and subject reference works in a single cross-searchable resource. Works in the collection include an expanding range of key titles in the acclaimed Oxford Companions series, the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, many English-language and bilingual dictionaries, as well as subject encyclopedias and dictionaries in a wide range of subject areas including: Art & Architecture, Biological Sciences, Classics, Computing, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Economics & Business, Food & Drink, History, Law, Literature, Maps, Medicine, Military History, Mythology & Folklore, Names & Places, Performing Arts, Physical Sciences & Mathematics, Politics & Social Sciences, Quotations, Religion & Philosophy, Science.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new windowGale eBooks, formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library, offers a collection of premier reference and handbooks that you can view and search online, covering a variety of subject areas.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowProvides access to a collection of aggregated and integrated reference books from high-quality publishers.
Looking for more reference works on specific topics?
Bibliographies
A bibliography is, in its most literal sense, a list of books. Many students are familiar with bibliographies from writing research papers, where a list of works cited is sometimes called a bibliography.
When you are starting a research project, bibliographies can help you identify books, journal articles, and materials relevant to your topic, including primary sources.
You can find annotated bibliographies of sources related to history and environmental science in Oxford Bibliographies Online or use our Bibliography and Historical Research guide to find additional bibliographies.
- Oxford Bibliographies Online This link opens in a new windowOffers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on specific topics in a growing range of subject areas. There are at least 50 specific topical bibliographies in each subject area. Each of these features an introduction to the topic. Bibliographies are browseable by subject area and keyword searchable. Contains a My OBO function that allows users to create personalized bibliographies of individual citations from different bibliographies.
Biographical information
Basic biographical information can be often be easily obtained using a simple Google search. The biographical encyclopedias listed here may include additional valuable information (such as suggestions for further reading) or they may be worth consulting because of the excellent quality of research on which the entries are based. They may also provide information on individuals with no online presence.
- American National Biography This link opens in a new windowBiographical dictionary of notable American men and women from all eras of American history who are no longer alive. Includes illustrations and hypertext links to other web resources.
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography This link opens in a new window
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The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford DNB) is the national record of men and women who have shaped British history and culture, worldwide, from the Romans to the 21st century. The Dictionary offers concise, up-to-date biographies written by named, specialist authors. - Biography and Genealogy Master Index This link opens in a new windowIncludes over 13.6 million biographical sketches indexed, obtained from approximately 100-150 volumes and editions of 60-90 biographical dictionaries, including new titles as well as new editions of previously indexed sources.
- World Biographical Information System This link opens in a new windowContains biographical profiles of people from all centuries as well as all countries and regions worldwide. Compiles biographical articles from printed reference works published from the 16th to the 20th century, and reproduces these original documents as facsimile images on the screen.
