OWHL Guides: HSS 495 Final Research Paper: Background Info

Reference Sources

Print Reference Sources

Find print reference/background sources in the library (Garver Room)

Reference Universe This link opens in a new window
Reference Universe searches the indices of reference works at the Garver Room. It provides researchers with the most reliable introductions to your research topic, simplifying the process of finding just the right book or journal article.

Search Catalog for Reference Sources
This is a pre-filtered catalog search that will narrow results to reference materials in the Garver Room.

Online Reference Sources

Find online reference/background sources through the library

CQ Researcher: 1923 to the Present This link opens in a new window
In-depth reports written by award-winning journalists on controversial and important topics of the day, from 1923 to the present. Professionally fact-checked, topics include economics, social issues, international affairs, politics, civil rights, public policy, and more.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
This database is like an online Garver Room with articles from nearly 1,000 reference sources covering all disciplines.
Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
Reference articles from one of the oldest and most trusted reference sources in the world.
Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
This cross-curricular research database supports science, social studies, current events, and language arts classes, and includes pro/con viewpoints, reference articles, interactive maps, infographics, and more.
Gale in Context: Global Issues in Context This link opens in a new window
This database offers international viewpoints on a broad spectrum of global issues, topics, and current events.

Select Resources

Encyclopedia of Race and Racism by Angela Doolin (Editor)
Call Number: REF eBook
Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America by Gale Editors (Editor)
Call Number: REF eBook

News Sources

Newspaper Databases

ProQuest International Newsstream This link opens in a new window
Provides content from more than 660 of the world’s top newspapers, including The Times (London), The Bangkok Post, El Norte, Financial Times, The Guardian, Jerusalem Post, South China Morning Post, The Daily Telegraph, Asian Wall Street Journal, and the BBC Monitoring series of publications.
EBSCOhost Newspaper Source This link opens in a new window
This database provides selected full text for 25 national (U.S.) and international newspapers. The database also contains full text television & radio news transcripts, and selected full text for more than 200 regional (U.S.) newspapers.
Gale New York Times This link opens in a new window
Full text coverage: 1995 - present.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Search and read full text articles from 28 historical newspapers.
• The Atlanta Constitution (1868-1984)
• Atlanta Daily World (1931-2003)
• The Baltimore Afro-American (1893-1988)
• The Baltimore Sun (1837-1987)
• The Boston Globe (1872-1984)
• Chicago Defender (1909-1975)
• Chicago Tribune (1849-1992)
• The Christian Science Monitor (1908-2003)
• Cleveland Call and Post (1934-1991)
• Detroit Free Press (1831-1922)
• The Guardian and The Observer (1791-2003)
• Hartford Courant (1764-1990)
• Indianapolis Star (1903-1922)
• The Irish Times and The Weekly Irish Times (1859-2015)
• Los Angeles Sentinel (1934-2005)
• Los Angeles Times (1881-1989)
• New York Amsterdam News (1922-1993)
• New York Times (1851-2014)
• New York Tribune (1841-1922)
• Norfolk Journal and Guide (1916-2003)
• Philadelphia Tribune (1912-2001)
• Pittsburgh Courier (1911-2002)
• San Francisco Chronicle (1865-1922)
• The Scotsman (1817-1950)
• The St. Louis Post Dispatch (1874-1922)
• The Times of India (1838-2007)
• The Wall Street Journal (1889-1999)
• The Washington Post (1877-1999)

Online News Sources

AllSides
"AllSides exposes bias and provides multiple angles on the same story so you can quickly get the full picture, not just one slant."
AP - Associated Press
"The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Our teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. We provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands."
BBC News
News from the British Broadcasting Corp. for U.K., European, and international news.
NPR
"NPR is a mission-driven, multimedia news organization and radio program producer. It is a network with a strong base of member stations and supporters nationwide. NPR employees are innovators and developers — exploring new ways to serve the public via digital platforms and improved technologies. NPR is also the leading membership and representation organization for public radio."
PBS NewsHour
"Americans and citizens of the world have turned to the PBS NewsHour for the solid, reliable reporting that has made it one of the most trusted news programs on television."
Reuters
"Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day."

Tips & Tricks

Remember that reference sources are large, broad summaries of a topic. There probably won't be a reference source devoted entirely to the specific controversy you're researching. Instead, search for reference sources that cover the controversy's larger context (e.g. "history of sports," "race and racism," etc.)
- You can get more specific when searching Reference Universe or an online reference source like Credo Reference or the Gale in Context databases.
Newspaper coverage of college mascot or building commemoration controversies are great sources to provide background and contextual information (key stakeholders, brief histories, relevant administrators, and more).
- Not all mascot or building name disputes make national coverage, so LOOK LOCAL. If possible find local news coverage by searching Google News or search for articles in your specific college/university's campus newspaper.
If you're using NoodleTool to cite a reference source, select the following:
- "Where is it"? --> Database, "What is it" --> Reference Source