Libraries HomeResearch in World History
World History
The following is a selected list of resources for starting research in world (non-U.S.) history. For help finding primary sources, try the guide to Research Using Primary Sources. For further assistance, ask at the Reference Desk or contact the History Librarian (John Russell; johnruss@uoregon.edu; (541) 346-2689; AIM: UOHistLib).
Off-campus access to some of the electronic resources listed on this page is limited to current UO students, faculty, and staff and is indicated by a UO button 
.
Starting Your Research
The following reference sources can help you identify a topic for your research, provide an overview of a specific issue or topic, and suggest other materials which might be useful for your research. Always use the index if one is available. See also Looking for World History Encyclopedias for a list of encyclopedias by region.
- Dictionary of Contemporary World History
A dictionary of 2,500 entries providing "coverage of the major historical figures and events from 1900 to the present day. Extensive surveys of every country are included with detailed analytical entries covering political and military leaders, political parties, international organizations, and acts of war." - Dictionary of World History
A dictionary of 4,700 entries covering "4,000 years of world history. It includes biographical entries on hundreds of key figures..., subject entries on religious and political movements, international organizations, and key battles and places." - Hutchinson Dictionary of World History; KNIGHT REFERENCE D9 .H87 1993
A single volume of brief articles including cross references. Arranged alphabetically. Contains black & white illustrations, mostly maps. Includes special focus sections such as "Occupation of Africa: 16th century to 1919." - World History; KNIGHT REFERENCE D9 .W47 1994
A single volume of nearly 10,000 brief entries including cross references. Arranged alphabetically. Includes over 100 chronological historical outlines mostly on specific countries, but also covering events such as the Thirty Years' War. - Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations; KNIGHT REFERENCE G63 .W67 1995
Volumes divided by continent. Each volume is organized alphabetically by country. Each profile contains a brief history of the country along with information on languages spoken, major religions, etc. - Encyclopedia of Historians and Historical Writing; KNIGHT REFERENCE D14.E53 1999
A two-volume encyclopedia alphabetically arranged. The three types of essays include topical essays, those on individual historians, and those on nations or geographical regions. Geographical essays "provide a survey of the debates around historiographical questions within national histories." All entries include extensive bibliographies. - Other Strategies
- Search the Reference shelves by Call Number for a specific country or region
- Browse the nearby shelves for related information.
- Talk to your professor & others with subject knowledge.
- Ask a librarian.
Finding Articles
To look for articles in journals, newspapers, or magazines, you will need to start with an index. An index will allow you to look for article citations by subject, by author, or by a few keywords which describe your topic.
- Historical Abstracts
The main index in world history. It covers history except the U.S. & Canada from 1450 to the present. For Canadian history, see America: History & Life. - Academic Search Premier
An interdisciplinary index. Includes citations from popular as well as scholarly journals. Provides full text for over 3,600 journals as well as indexing and abstracts for nearly 4,500 additional journals many of which are peer reviewed. - Other sources
Use specialized indexes by region or historical period.
After identifying articles which look useful for your research, look up the journal title, not the article title, in the UO Library Catalog to determine if the Library subscribes to this title and get the call number and location.
Older issues of many newspapers are kept on microfilm in the Microforms Department of the Knight Library. They are organized alphabetically by the city of publication.
Finding Books
- UO Library Catalog
Identify books by topic, title or author. Identify journals and magazines owned by the UO Library. If you do not find a pre-1976 book here, look in the card catalog (by author or title only) in the Current Periodicals Room. - Summit: the catalog of the Orbis Cascade Alliance
Orbis Cascade puts millions of items at your fingertips. Books not owned by the UO Library or not available for check out may be requested through Orbis Cascade Borrowing: Request Item. - History of Women Collection tip guide, provides tips on how to search the library catalog for items in this extensive collection of materials by and about women written between 1700 and 1920. An online index is also available. The collection is located at MICROFILM HQ1111 .H5.
- EEBO: Early English Books Online
A full-text database of books and pamphlets published in England 1475-1700. Covers topics in many subject areas, including: English literature, history, philosophy, linguistics, theology, music, fine arts, education, mathematics, and science. Search by keyword, author, title, subject, illustration type, language (not just English), among other fields. - ECCO: Eighteenth-Century Collections Online Claims to include every significant English-language and foreign-language title printed in Great Britain during the eighteenth century (1701-1800), along with thousands of important works from the Americas. Includes a variety of materials â" from books and directories, Bibles, sheet music and sermons to advertisements â" and works by many well-known and lesser-known authors. An excellent source for European history!
Facts & Figures
- International Historical Statistics 1750-1988
Presents comparative statistics, mostly from the mid-19th century to the late 1970s. Organized by broad subject areas. Sources are noted. Volumes are divided by continent.- Africa, Asia & Oceaniap; KNIGHT REFERENCE HA4675 .M552 1998
- The Americas; KNIGHT REFERENCE HA175 .M55 1998
- Europe; KNIGHT REFERENCE HA1107 .M5 1998
- Statistical Abstract of the World
KNIGHT REFERENCE HA154 .S83 3rd ed. 1997
Contains statistics by country. Includes data from 1970-1990s.
People & Organizations
- Biography and Genealogy Master Index
An index to hundreds of sources of biographical information of people worldwide from all time periods. - Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada
KNIGHT REFERENCE E 172 .A538
Organized by state then city. Contains addresses and brief descriptions of organizations and their collections if any. - Who's Who in the Twentieth Century ; also see KNIGHT REFERENCE CT120 .W49 1999
An authoritative reference book providing "biographies of men and women from different countries and cultures who have contributed to the thought as well as the action of the twentieth century." - Women in World History: a biographical encyclopedia; KNIGHT REFERENCE HQ1115 .W6 1999
20 volume encyclopedia covering women from all periods of history including photographs when available. Rich encyclopedia containing information on women not often found in other sources.
Finding Images
- AP Images
A rich database including about 750,000 current and archived photos from the library of the Associated Press. You can also search in the full text of Associated Press news releases, sound clips, and AP information graphics (charts, graphs, etc.).
Web Resources
- World History Matters from the Center for History and New Media
- History by Region
- Searching the Web
A guide to search engines prepared by the UO Libraries. - Citing Sources in Research Papers
- Evaluating Information on the World Wide Web
