WGST 101: Reference Sources

About Reference Sources

The reference collection in Sawyer or Schow is an excellent place to begin your research if you want a quick and easy way to find:

  • ideas for your paper
  • a summary of a topic
  • a list of recommended resources
  • factual information

When using a reference book:

  • Read the preface and/or introduction to understand who created it and why. These sections will also tell you what is included or excluded and how to use it.
  • Scan the table of contents to see how it is organized.
  • Note its publication date (There will be a 2 to 3 year time lag for publications included in its bibliographies).
  • Check its index if you are having trouble finding what you need.

WGST 101: Get ideas / develop your topic: Reference Sources

General / Biographical

Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History - The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History captures the experiences of women throughout history . It contains 650 biographies of influential women and over 600 topical articles covering topics such as geography and history, culture and society, organizations, movements, and gender studies.

Encyclopedia of Women and Gender (e-book)
Sawyer REF HQ1115 . E43 2001 (two volumes)

The Women's Chronology:
A Year-by-Year Record from Prehistory to the Present
Sawyer REF HQ 1122 .T73 1994

Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women:
Global Women's Issues and Knowledge
Sawyer REF HQ1115 .R69 2000 (four volumes) 

Great Events from History:
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Events 1848 - 2006
Sawyer REF HQ73 .G74 2007

Pornography and Sexual Representation
Sawyer REF HQ 472 .U6 S56 2001 (three volumes)

Girlhood in America: an Encyclopedia
Sawyer REF HQ777 .G5745 2001

American Women: who they are & how they live
Sawyer REF HQ 1421 .A486 2006

The Palgrave Macmillan dictionary of Women's Biography
Sawyer  CT3202 .P26 2005

Credo Reference (Coverage Varies) - Collection of electronic editions of reference dictionaries and handbooks.

Oxford Reference Online (Current) - Collection of electronic editions of Oxford University Press Dictionaries and Handbooks

Regional / Ethnic

Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures
Sawyer REF  BP173.4 .E538 2003 (six volumes)

Black Women in America
Sawyer REF  E185.86 .B542 2005  (three volumes)

Women and gender in Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Eurasia:
a comprehensive bibliography
Sawyer REF  HQ1590.7 .W654 2007   (two volumes)

Queer Studies 

Completely Queer: the Gay and Lesbian Encyclopedia
Sawyer REF HQ75 .H63 1998

Gay Histories and Cultures: an encyclopedia
Sawyer REF   HQ75.13 .G37 2000

Lesbian Histories and Cultures: an encyclopedia
Sawyer REF   HQ75.5 .L4395 2000

Encyclopedia of Homosexuality
Sawyer REF   HQ76.25 .E53 1990    (two volumes)

The Queer Encyclopedia of the Visual Arts
Sawyer REF   N72.H64 Q44 2004

The Gay & Lesbian Atlas
Sawyer REF HQ76.3 .U5 G355 2004