Developing a Topic Worksheet
School festival, Connecticut, 1942 (Library of Congress)
Tools for Developing Your Topic
Choosing a topic and developing a research question can be challenging. The resources below contain information about issues related to American Studies that can be useful in refining the scope of your project.
- 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.
- International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences This link opens in a new windowExplore a variety of social science topics, as well as a bibliography and cross-linking to related topics. This encyclopedia also provides biographical information on scholars in social science fields. Coverage: historical to 2008. Full text.
- CQ Press Electronic Library This link opens in a new windowBrowse CQ Press electronic resources, including CQ Researcher and the CQ Press electronic editions of reference books. Reference books include Congress A to Z, Elections A to Z, Supreme Court A to Z, U.S. Constitution A to Z, Encyclopedia of Religion in America, Encyclopedia of Political Science, Guide to Interest Groups & Lobbying, Voter Turnout in the United States, Vital Statistics on American Politics, The Contemporary Middle East, and more. Some full text. This purchase was funded in part by the Mary Moser Memorial Library Fund.
- Oxford African American Studies Center (AASC) This link opens in a new windowAccess articles from Africana; the Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895; the Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present; Black Women in America, Second Edition; the Dictionary of African Biography; the Oxford Encyclopedia of African Thought; the Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography; and African American National Biography, along with other key resources. Coverage: varies, contains primary sources. Full text.
- Points of View Reference Source This link opens in a new window
Access 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.
- 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.
