Developing a Topic Worksheet
Creating a Literature Review
Tools for Developing a Topic
Choosing a topic and developing a research question can be challenging. The resources below contain infomation about issues related to Africana Studies that can be useful in refining the scope of your project.
- Oxford African American Studies Center (AASC) This link opens in a new window
- Encyclopedia of American Studies This link opens in a new windowExplore general articles on American history and culture. This encyclopedia addresses topics such as literature, art, photography, film, popular culture, architecture, consumer culture, urban studies, ethnicity, gender, race, economics, labor, social movements, politics, and global America. (This encyclopedia is also part of Credo Reference.) Coverage: pre-colonial times to present. Full text.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowAccess encyclopedic titles in all disciplines taught at Dickinson, including various language dictionaries, the Marquis Who's Who series and numerous other biographical sources, economics and business encyclopedias, food and agriculture sources, publishing sources, atlases, and many encyclopedias covering the arts, history, literature, science, technology, religion, philosophy, politics, psychology, geography, country studies, and more. Coverage: varies. Full text.
- Points of View Reference Source This link opens in a new windowAccess essays that present multiple sides of controversial issues, along with a series of questions and additional information to generate further thought. This collection also includes supporting articles from the world's top political and societal publications. It is useful as a guide to debate, developing arguments, writing position papers, and for development of critical thinking skills. Coverage: varies. Full text.
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowAccess a weekly analysis on one of many broad-ranging topics from the news. Each report focuses on a single issue and is written by a seasoned journalist. Coverage: 1991 to present. Full text.
- Britannica Academic This link opens in a new windowExplore the Encyclopedia Britannica, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, magazines, periodicals, and more. This collection contains multimedia encyclopedia articles, country statistics and comparisons, timelines, bibliographies, and links to journal articles and websites. Coverage: historical and current. Full text.
