LibGuides: Women, Gender & Sexuality: Reference Sources

Why Use Encyclopedias?

Encyclopedias are useful:

to help you choose a paper topic.
to narrow down a paper topic that's too broad.
to get quick information on a topic.

Wikipedia: good or bad?

Each scholarly encyclopedia article (or entry) is signed by the author. Authors are scholars and specialists in their fields. Wikipedia articles are group efforts and each entry is constantly changed. For any article, click on the "view history" tab at the top to see all changes that have been made.

On the other hand, Wikipedia is a good way to:

general information on a topic.
linking to sources of interest, sometimes including scholarly books and articles.

Encyclopedias

American Women Fiction Writers, 1900-1960. Harold Bloom. Chelsea House: 1997-1998.
Call Number: PS374 .W6 A455   REFERENCE

American Women Writers: a critical reference guide from colonial times to the present. 2nd ed. St. James Press: 2000.
Call Number: PS147 .A4   REFERENCE

Black Women in America: an historical encyclopedia. Darlene Clark Hine. Carlson: 1993.
Call Number: E185.86 .B542   REFERENCE

Encyclopedia of Women and Sports

A-Z guide providing some 600 entries on individuals and sports as well as numerous related topics.

Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies This link opens in a new window
"The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies provides an invaluable resource for students and scholars in the overlapping areas of gender, feminist, queer, masculinity, and sexuality studies; and acknowledges the growing interdisciplinary impact of these fields (Wiley)."
● "Edited by a first rate team of geographically diverse scholars drawn from disciplines across the social sciences and humanities with international reputations in the field
● Entries are written in an approachable and accessible manner and include a short bibliography and a list of cross-references
● Unique in its interdisciplinary approach across allied social sciences including sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, politics, contemporary history, and psychology
● Attention paid to the identification and inclusion of feminist authors and activists, women’s non-governmental organizations, and key texts, events and legislation that have either enhanced or curtailed women’s rights (Wiley)"
Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic Cultures This link opens in a new window
This work reflects current research in the fields of gender studies, Middle Eastern and Islamic studies, as well as religion, history, politics, anthropology, geography and related disciplines.
International Encyclopedia of Gender, Media, and Communication This link opens in a new window
Explore how gender is represented in media, who produces the content, and the ways in which audiences receive and understand media messages (Wiley).
International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality This link opens in a new window
"Covers 13 key areas of content including: Archaeology, Biocultural, Body modifications, Clinical perspectives, medical, Clinical perspectives, psychology, Erotica and pornography, Evolution of Hominin and primate sexuality, Gender, Globalization, History of sexology, Language, Sexual orientations and identities, and Socio-cultural aspects of sexuality across the life-cycle (Wiley)."

Encyclopedias

Modern Women Writers. Lillian S. Robinson. Continuum: 1996.
Call Number: PN471 .M62 REFERENCE

Statistical Handbook on Women in America. 2nd ed. Cynthia M. Taeuber. Oryx: 1996.
Call Number: HQ1420 .T34 REFERENCE

Timetables of Women's History. Karen Greenspan. Simon & Schuster: 1994.
Call Number: HQ1121 .G74 REFERENCE

Women in Context: two hundred years of British women autobiographers. Barbara Penny Kanner. G.K. Hall: 1997.
Call Number: HQ1593 .A3 K36 REFERENCE

Women Writers of Great Britain and Europe: an encyclopedia. Katharina M. Wilson, et al. Garland: 1997.
Call Number: PN471 .W565 REFERENCE

Women's Studies Encyclopedia. Helen Tierney. Greenwood: 1999.
Call Number: HQ1115 .W645 REFERENCE