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Research Guides

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Encyclopedias help you figure out the who, what & where of a topic. Knowing the who, what & where of a topic is the first step in researching a topic and discovering the "how" and "why". Encyclopedias and dictionaries can provide background information and can be used to identify key people, events and dates which can then be used as search terms for finding additional information. Many also provide a jumpstart on your research by listing related readings.​

Two online encyclopedia collections: Gale Ebooks & Oxford Reference Online

Quick Info: Profiles of Indigenous Peoples

Quick Info: United States & Canada

Oxford Research Encyclopedias

The Oxford Research Encyclopedias (ORE) provide lengthy essays on a number of topics related to indigenous peoples. The UW Libraries has access to 17 of the encyclopedias: African History, American History, Anthropology, Asian History, Climate Change, Communication, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Education, Environmental Science, International Studies, Latin American History, Lingusitics, Literature, Oxford Classical Dictionary, Politics, Psychology, and Religion. If you do find an essay of interest, download it and then close out ORE so that others may use the collection. You may find essays that are not available to the UW, these will have a red lock icon. Here are a sampling of essays with content relevant to indigenous studies.