Reference Materials
Why Reference Sources?
Is your research topic too big to cover in a short paper? Is your topic so specific that sources will be hard to find?
Before you even begin your research, start the process with reference sources-- in the Library's Reference Section or online in our databases. Reference books, like subject encyclopedias, can give you a head start and make your research easier in the long run. Use reference sources to:
- find a topic
- narrow your topic
- find keywords
- get background information on your topic
Collections of Many Online Reference Books in one place:
Credo Reference and Gale eBooks / Gale Virtual Reference Library and Salem Press
Oxford Reference and Sage Knowledge Reference also have thousands of scholarly, academic articles, but they are a bit more difficult to use. Click here to find instructions on how to use these collections of reference books.
African Americans at War: An Encyclopedia. Reference U 52 .S 88 2004
Daily Life of U.S. Soldiers: From the American Revolution to the Iraq War.
Encyclopedia of Domestic Violence. Reference HV 6626 .E 534 2007
Encyclopedia of Psychological Trauma. Reference RC 552 .P 67 E 53 2008
Encyclopedia of the Veteran in America. Reference UB 357 .E 53 2009
Encyclopedia of Trauma. Reference RC 552 .P 67 E 534 2012
Encyclopedia of War. Reference U 27 .E 48 2012
Encyclopedia of War and American Society.
Encyclopedia of Youth and War. Reference HQ 784 .W 3 S 54 2000
Handbook of Military Social Work.
The Literature of War. Reference PN 56 .W 3 L 55 2012
Handbook of Military and Veteran Suicide: Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention
Pew Research Center - articles and statistics on Veterans
Sage Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives.
Statistical Abstract of the United States. Latest print editions at Ready Reference. Older editions at General HA 202 .U 5 S 93.
U.S. Census Bureau - Veterans Statistics
Veterans Health Library, from the V.A. (lots of online health resources)
You can find many other dictionaries and encyclopedias for specific wars listed in our Library Catalog. You can ask for assistance at the two Library Reference Desks in finding these items.
List of COD databases for finding Statistics
