It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.
University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library Online Reference Collection
A list of encyclopedias, bibliographies, indexes, catalogs, and other reference works available online for the study of History, Philosophy, Religious Studies, African American Studies, Jewish Studies, and related disciplines.
A very extensive collection of useful reference works published by Gale and affiliated publishers, including general and subject-specific encyclopedias. Gale is a major publisher of encyclopedias and other reference sources.
Large collection of encyclopedias and dictionaries. It includes some important reference works in History, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and related fields. Works tend to feature shorter entries, with exceptions.
Online version of the 3 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Includes an "Outline of Contents" that arranges the entries by broad topics, a glossary, a filmography, a selection of primary sources, and a detailed index.
Online version of the 2 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies ("Further Readings"). Bibliographies not annotated. Includes a reader's guide that arranges the entries by broad topic, and a detailed subject index.
2nd ed. Online version of the 5 volume print original. Signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Includes a "Time-Frame" index and a subject index.
1900-present. Digital collection of over 350 books, including dozens of subject encyclopedias. The collection's design is intentionally "pop", but all titles are from a reputable publisher of reference works. Supports browsing by decade.
Series of signed essays, each essay presenting an opposing historiographical viewpoint on a specific aspect of slavery. Includes bibliographies. Bibliographies not signed. Also includes chronology and index.
Online version of the 3 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Includes thematic outline of contents, glossary, selection of primary sources, and a detailed index.
Online version of the 3 volume original. Mix of signed and unsigned entries, with brief bibliographies ("Further Reading"). Bibliographies not annotated. Includes a glossary, chronology, and detailed index.
Signed entries. No bibliographies. Includes chronology and index. "Contains hundreds of articles on political, diplomatic, and military events, groups, personalities, conflicts, and operations, focusing on the post-1947 period but including the period of the Palestine problem as well [...] a bibliography follows most of the long entries [...] a long chronology and a useful index make this work a user-friendly reference tool [...] The researcher is advised to use this reference work with caution and in conjunction with other works" (from the International Journal of Middle East Studies review by Philip Mattar). See also the reviews from Journal of Military History and International Affairs.
Print version of the two volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Includes chronologies, glossary, and index.
Online version of the 5 volume original. "There are many points in these volumes where the biblical scholar and student of ancient religion might wish for a fuller treatment. But these points are easily overshadowed by the sheer wealth of information that is provided over a huge range of material" (from the Journal of Religion review by John J. Collins). See also the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research review by Walter E. Aufrecht, the Journal of Biblical Literature review by Baruch Halpern, the Ars Orientalis review by Margaret Cool Root, the Journal of Near Eastern Studies review by Robert D. Biggs, the American Journal of Archaeology review by Norman Yoffee, the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament review by L.L. Grabbe, and the Restoration Quarterly review by Dale Manor.
Online version of the 6 volume original. Long, signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Includes several maps; a chronology; several research guides ("Methods and Theoretical Approaches"); and a detailed subject index.
Online version of the 2 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies list primary sources and secondary sources separately. Bibliographies not annotated. Includes a "Guide to Related Topics" that arranges the entries by broad subject, an index of images, and an index of named persons.
4 vols. "Unlike Delon's volumes [above], which have a French and European orientation, Kors largely focuses on British and North American perspectives" (from the Choice review by W. Baker).
Signed entries with bibliographies of both secondary and primary sources. Bibliographies of primary sources are annotated. Includes chronology, glossary, and index.
Online version of the 5 volume original. "Articles span social, political, economic, and intellectual history, but demonstrate most prominently the new influence of cultural studies" (from the Choice review by M. Todd).
2nd ed. Online version of the 4 volume original. Also available in print through our catalog. "Coverage includes culture and society, religion and ethnicity, history and politics, war and treaties, geography, and economics, generally from 1800 to the present. The work emphasizes countries or issues specifically relevant to Western readers [...] An open gateway to current knowledge about an important region in world affairs" (from the Choice review by F. H. Dagher).
Digital library of Congressional Quarterly's Editorial Research Reports (1923-present). Reports written by contemporary journalists on important issues in the United States. Each report includes historical context, with extensive reference tools like chronologies, bibliographies, infographics, and links to related reports. Organized by broad topic.
2nd ed. Online version of the 4 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies accompanying the entries are not annotated. Includes a "Thematic Outline" that arranges the entries by broad topic, an annotated bibliography at the end, an annotated filmography at the end, a selection of primary sources, and a subject index.
Online version of the 3 volume original. Substantive, signed entries on broad topics organized by time periods and themes. Entries include bibliographies. Some bibliographies list both primary and secondary sources.
Online version of the 3 volume original. Substantive, signed entries on broad topics organized by time periods and themes. Entries include bibliographies. Some bibliographies list both primary and secondary sources.
Online version of the 2 volume original. Short, signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Includes a "Topical Outline of Entries" that arranges the entries by broad subject.
Online version of the 3 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Includes a chronology, a "Systematic Outline of Contents", and a detailed index.
Online version of the 2 volume original. Signed entries with brief bibliographies ("Further Readings and References"). Bibliographies not annotated. Includes a "Reader's Guide" that arranges the entries by broad topic, and a subject index.
Online version of the 2 volume original. Short signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Includes chronology, a selection of primary source documents, and an index.
Online version of the 3 volume original. Signed entries with some bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Includes chronology and detailed index.
Online version of the 2 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Includes a topic outline of entries. Also available is what claims to be an "enhanced" edition from Credo Reference (I have not, however, identified the enhancements).
2nd ed. Online version of the 3 volume original. Entries are unsigned, but have all been vetted by academic reviewers (who are listed in volume 1). Entries have bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Includes chronology, thematic outline of entries, and a detailed index.
Online version of the 2 volume original. Signed entries with short bibliographies ("Suggested Readings"). Bibliographies not annotated. Includes a selection of primary sources at the end of volume 2. Revised ed.: Workers in America: A Historical Encyclopedia (not available online).
2nd ed. Online version of the 6 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Includes glossary, case index, name index, and subject index.
Online collection of 7 major Oxford University Press reference works, including: Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience (2nd ed.); Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895: From the Colonial Period to the Age of Frederick Douglass; Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present: From the Age of Segregation to the Twenty-first Century; Black Women in America (2nd ed.); African American National Biography; Dictionary of African Biography; and Oxford Encyclopedia of African Thought, as well as selected entries from other Oxford University Press reference works.
Purpose is to make it easier to understand the "real" value, historically, of American money. Provides historical data on the cost of common consumer goods and services. Also gives historical data on wages for selected occupations, exchange rates, and more. For each period covered, the volume includes historical essays on topics like currency and historical context.
Online version of the 5 volume original. Signed entries with brief bibliographies ("Further Reading"). Includes chronology, glossary, and an almanac of factual information. Last volume is a compilation of primary source documents.
Purpose is to make it easier to understand the "real" value, historically, of American money. Provides historical data on the cost of common consumer goods and services. Also gives historical data on selected publicly traded stocks, wages for selected occupations, exchange rates, and more. For each period covered, the volume includes historical essays on topics like currency and historical context.
Updated and online version of the highly-regarded 3 volume original. Free version has advertisements and frustrating pop-ups, but the resource itself is a reliable reference work.
Signed entries, some of which include brief bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. 22 broad, overview essays begin the volume. Chronology and historical statistics at the end.
Online version of the 2 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies ("Suggested Reading"). Bibliographies not annotated. Includes a "Reader's Guide" that arranges the entries by broad topics, a subject index, and several research guides related to the subject of the encyclopedia.
Online version of the 1 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies ("Suggested Readings"). Bibliographies not annotated. Includes a chronology, a list of women's organizations, a "reader's guide" that arranges the entries by broad topics, and a guide to researching women's history "in the electronic age".
Online version of the 2 volume original. Signed entries on concepts at the intersection of philosophy and the social sciences, many of which treat aspects of social theory. Entries include bibliographies under "Further Reading". Bibliographies not annotated.
2nd ed. Online version of the 12 volume original. Detailed, signed entries. Bibliographies list both primary and secondary sources, but are not annotated.
Detailed, signed entries. Bibliographies list both primary and secondar sources. Bibliographies not annotated, but the bibliographies of secondary sources do identify standard critical editions, where available.
Detailed, signed entries. Bibliographies list both primary and secondary sources. Bibliographies are briefly annotated. Bibliographies of primary sources are especially useful for identifying standard critical editions.
Online version of the 3 volume original from Oxford University Press. Detailed, signed entries. Bibliographies include both primary and secondary sources. Bibliographies not annotated
Online version of the 2 volume original. Detailed, signed entries. This resource is a little peculiar in that, the main HTML presentation of each entry includes only a list of references for each article ("works cited"). The PDF presentation reproduces the print original, and includes a bibliography divided into three categories: "Primary Sources", "Biographies" (for person entries), and "Secondary Sources". Bibliographies not annotated.
Online version of the 4 volume original. Substantive, signed entries that include bibliographies. In the bibliographies, primary sources are listed in the first two categories, "Bibliography", and "Other Relevant Works". Location of the philosopher's archives is given in this second category. Secondary sources are listed in a third section, "Further Reading". Bibliographies not annotated.
Online version of the 4 volume original. Substantive, signed entries that include bibliographies. In the bibliographies, primary sources are listed in the first two categories, "Bibliography", and "Other Relevant Works". Secondary sources are listed in a third section, "Further Reading". Bibliographies not annotated.
Online version of the 2 volume original. Substantive, signed entries that include bibliographies. In the bibliographies, primary sources are listed in the first two categories, "Bibliography", and "Other Relevant Works". Secondary sources are listed in a third section, "Further Reading". Bibliographies not annotated.
Online version of the 3 volume original. Substantive, signed entries that include bibliographies. In the bibliographies, primary sources are listed in the first two categories, "Bibliography", and "Other Relevant Works". Secondary sources are listed in a third section, "Further Reading". Bibliographies are not annotated.
Online version of the 3 volume original. Each volume focuses on a general theme. Volume 1: Origins and Destinies. Volume 2: Persons and Groups. Volume 3: Religions and Controversies. Part of the series Brain, Behavior, and Evolution. Entries are long, signed essays on broad topics. Bibliographies included. Bibliographies not annotated.
Online version of the 1 volume original. Concise, signed entries. No bibliographies. "By and large, the inquisitive laypersons to whom this book is directed should find it both informative and entertaining. Most readers will consult it for information about biblical books, characters, places, institutions, and themes, and the Companion supplies such information in abundance. Scholars will naturally find errors of omission, commission, and interpretation in their areas of specialization, but will have to acknowledge that most of the articles are judicious and reliable" (from the Journal of the American Oriental Society review by Alan Cooper). See also the South Atlantic Review review by James M. Kee, the Vetus Testamentum review by Katharine J. Dell, and the Novum Testamentum review by J. K. Elliott.
Online version of the 2 volume original. First in Oxford University Press's series Oxford Encyclopedias of the Bible. Signed, scholarly entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Illustrated. Covers both canonical and non-canonical books of the Bible. Each entry divided into the following sections: 1. Name of the book and its meanings in English, Hebrew, and Greek; 2. Canonical Status and Relation to Canonical Books; 3. Authorship, Both Traditional and Modern, Scholarly Attributions; 4. Date of Composition and Historical Context; 5. Literary History; 6. Structure and Contents; 7. Interpretation; and 8. Reception History.
Online version of the 2 volume original. Part of Oxford University Press's series, Oxford Encyclopedias of the Bible. Signed, scholarly entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Intended to complement other works in the series, so entries focus is squarely on Biblical interpretation and interpretative approaches.
Online version of the 1 volume original. Concise, signed entries. No bibliographies. "Intended for general readers, this work derives from the more comprehensive Oxford Companion to the Bible (from the Choice review by G. Holloway).
Online version of the 2 volume original. Part of Oxford University Press's series Oxford Encyclopedias of the Bible. Signed, scholarly entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated.
Online version of the 2 volume original. Part of Oxford University Press's series Oxford Encyclopedias of the Bible. Signed, scholarly entries. Most entries are subdivided into the following categories: 1. Ancient Near East; 2. Hebrew Bible; 3. Greek World; 4. Roman World; 5. New Testament; 6. Early Judaism; and 7. Early Church. Each subsection is a separately signed entry, and has its own separate bibliography. Bibliographies not annotated.
Signed, substantive entries written by recognized experts. Most entries includes both historiographical essays as well as bibliographies. Entries center on authors, texts, ideas, and places important to the early church.
2nd ed. Online version of the 15 volume original, with supplements. Substantive, signed entries with bibliographies and some illustrations. Bibliographies not annotated.
Brief entries. No bibliographies. Includes an outline of Asian historical periods, a chronology, and entry cross references by Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Pali, Sanskrit, and Tibetan language renderings.
2nd ed. Online version of the 22 volume original. Signed entries, with bibliographies, on almost all aspects of Jewish Studies. Bibliographies not annotated. "This award-winning second edition, an update to the 1972 Encyclopaedia Judaica, has already attained a secure place in the reference pantheon [...] While the first edition, published in Jerusalem, was criticized by a few scholars for an "Israel-centric" scholarly bias, the second edition was overseen by a joint editorial board composed of both Israeli and Diaspora scholars, who tried to provide more balanced coverage" (from the Choice review by D. Altschiller). However, the Academic Guide to Jewish History at the University of Toronto notes that the first 1972 edition contains more illustrations and may contain information not present in the updated edition.
"Will serve as the standard one-volume comprehensive Jewish reference work [...] seeks to present a balanced picture, offering current thinking among scholars in Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox movements and a roster of contributors hailing from Israel, England, and the United States. While the scholarship is solid, the material is readily accessible to a popular audience, and the work is magnificently illustrated" (from the Library Journal review by David B. Levy). See also the Choice review by D. Kranzler.
Online version of the 2 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. "The standard reference on the subject" (from the Choice review by G. Holloway). See also the Journal of Near Eastern Studies review by Dennis Pardee, the Shofar review by David S. Williams, the Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman Period review by Eibert Tigchelaar, the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament review by J. Campbell, the Religious Studies Review review by Sidnie White Crawford, the Journal of Semitic Studies review by Dwight Swanson, and the Vetus Testamentum review by J. M. Squirrell.
A collection of reference works from Oxford University Press, including: Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, The Islamic World: Past and Present, The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics, The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture, The Oxford History of Islam, What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam, Teaching Islam, Makers of Contemporary Islam, the Qur'an translated by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem', The Koran Interpreted, and Hanna Kassis' Concordance of the Qur'an.
2nd ed. Online version of the 13 volume original. Signed, scholarly articles with bibliographies. Some bibliographic entries annotated. Many entries incorporate bibliographic essays into the body of the article.
3rd ed. Online version of the print original, which is still being published. Signed, scholarly articles with bibliographies. The 3rd edition is an entirely new work, with new articles reflecting current scholarship. The new scope includes coverage of Islam in the twentieth century and of Muslim minorities all over the world.
Online version of the 3 volume original. Unsigned entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Entries are adapted from The Grove Dictionary of Art.
6 vols + 20 supplements. "Although the entries give ample attention to historical periods, the major focus rests on modern issues [...] the scope covers a wide range of topics, e.g., divorce and custody, domestic violence, fatwa, honor, hospitality, inheritance, kinship, Islamic and non-Islamic systems of law, modesty discourses, motherhood, political parties and participation, political regimes, political social movements, public office, stereotypes, and women's rights." (from CHOICE review by S. M. Estelle-Holmer)
Online version of the 2 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. "Historically focused, the encyclopedia covers a broad range of topics, including regional variations (e.g., "South Asian Culture and Islam"), contrasts with other religions ("Islam and Hinduism"), basic concepts of the belief system ("Holy Cities"), and Muslim thinking on a variety of moral issues ("Martyrdom") [...] Also included are a glossary of the most common Arabic terms, genealogies of early Muslim dynasties, a time line of Muslim history, an index, lists of entries and contributors, and a synoptic outline of entries" (from CHOICE review by C. A. Sproles).
Online version of the 1 volume original. This source is intended to provide introductory-level students with a general overview of the subject. Divided into broad topical section: Geography; The Arts; Communication, Transportation, and Exploration; Social Class System and the Economy; Politics, Law, and the Military; Leisure, Recreation, and Daily Life; Family and Social Trends; Religion and Philosophy; and Science, Technology, and Health. Each section includes essays, chronologies, biographies, and bibliographies. Each section concludes with an annotated bibliography of primary source documents pertaining to the topics treated in the section.
Online version of the 1 volume original. Short, unsigned entries. No bibliographies, though entries do reference works listed at the beginning of the volume.
8th ed. More like a directory of American religion. Organized by 24 broad religious (or "denominational") families, and then subdivided by a directory of actual religious bodies within each family. Includes a lengthy, unsigned entry for each of the 24 broad denominational families, as well as an extensive bibliography. Bibliographies are not annotated. Provides factual information for each religious organization, including address, membership data (if known), official publications, archive location, and then further bibliographical references pertaining to the specific organization. Includes an appendix of defunct religious bodies.
2nd ed. Includes a compilation of primary source documents, a chronology, a table of important cases, a table of important laws, and a single, alphabetically organized bibliography at the end.
