Getting Started: Selected Reference Works

Begin your search with reference works to find background information, locate statistics and facts, and build a bibliography. Keep in mind that many topics in American studies will require research in subject areas like history, literature, and social science.

The Guide to United States Popular Culture
Ref E169.1 .D399 2001
Signed articles on a wide range of topics. Bibliographical references are included with each article, and the volume is indexed.

Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History
Ref E169.1 .E624 2001
Organized chronologically by topic, this encyclopedia is composed of substantial articles on braod topics. All articles include substantial bibliographies. Use the table of contents or the index to find the articles relevant to your research.

Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century
Ref E169.1 .E626 2001
Substantial, signed articles include bibliographical references. Index in volume 3.

A Companion to American Thought
Ref E169.1 .C685 1995
Brief articles with references on people, movements, and ideas.

The Greenwood Guide to American Popular Culture
Ref E169.1 .G7555 2002
Lengthy articles on more general subjects such as "Westerns." The four volumes are paged continuously, and the table of contents (given in each volume) refers to all four volumes. All articles have full bibliographies, and there is an index in volume 4.

Encyclopedia of American Studies
Ref E169.1 .E625 2001
Published by the American Studies Association, this work has signed articles with bibliographies. Index in volume 4.

St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture
Ref E169.1 .S764 2000
Signed articles with references for further reading. Indexed.