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D. Hiden Ramsey Library, University of North Carolina at Asheville

Africana Studies: Reference

A guide for research in Africana Studies

Gale Virtual Reference Library

Using Reference Resources

A reference source is a compendium of authoritative information, compiled for ease of use.

Reference materials include

subject or general encyclopedias, dictionaries and thesauri
statistics
biographical compilations
maps

Reference materials may be found on our main floor to the left of the Research Services Desk as well as online.

African American Studies

Please visit our African American Studies LibGuide for additional information.

Online Resources

Country Studies
Historical data and analysis of the social, economic, political, and national security systems of the world's countries
Gale Virtual Reference Library
30 Reference books and Encyclopedias in Religion, History, Philosophy, and more.
Credo Reference
Encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, quotations and atlases, plus a wide range of titles covering everything from accounting to zoology

The Cambridge History of Africa
Eight volumes documenting the history of Africa from early human history to 1975.

Cambridge Histories Online (CHO)
Contains more than 350 volumes and covers more than 10 subject areas.
Historical Statistics of the United States
A standard source for the quantitative facts of American history covering topics ranging from migration and health to crime and the Confederate States of America. Download, manipulate and customize data.

ELDIS Country Profiles
Online documents organized by country.
Afro Barometer
The Afrobarometer is an independent, nonpartisan research project that measures the social, political, and economic atmosphere in Africa.

Key Reference Titles

Africana : the encyclopedia of the African and African American experience
ISBN: 9780195170559
The Oxford Encyclopedia of African Thought
ISBN: 9780195334739
Encyclopedia of Africa
ISBN: 9780195337709
Encyclopedia of African history
ISBN: 9781579582456
Encyclopedia of twentieth-century African history
ISBN: 9780415234795
The encyclopedia of precolonial Africa : archaeology, history, languages, cultures, and environments
ISBN: 9780761989028
African folklore : an encyclopedia
ISBN: 9780415939331
Encyclopedia of Black studies
ISBN: 9780761927624
Encyclopedia of African and African-American religions
ISBN: 9780415922456
Pan-African chronology : a comprehensive reference to the Black quest for freedom in Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia
ISBN: 0786403851
Encyclopedia of World Cultures
ISBN: 0028656717

Reference Databases

CREDO Reference Online

Credo Reference
Encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, quotations and atlases, plus a wide range of titles covering everything from accounting to zoology

Guides

Africa: a guide to reference material
The African studies companion: a guide to information resources
A basket of leaves : 99 books that capture the spirit of Africa
Reference guide to Africa : a bibliography of sources
Encyclopædia Britannica's Guide to Black History
Includes images, access to texts online, biographies, historical accounts, and speeches in audio format.

Free Data Sites

UNdata
Online access to all UN statistical databases. United Nations Statistics Division
WHO Global Health Observatory (GHO) data
UN FAO Statistics
CIA World Factbook
OECD Factbook
PubMed
EarthTrends
Searchable database covering statistics on population, health, education, literacy, transportation, and water and sanitation for countries around the world.

The World Bank: Data
Provides a comprehensive set of data about development in countries around the globe. Contains World Development Indicators (WDI), Global Development Finance (GDF), Africa Development Indicators (ADI), and Global Economic Monitor (GEM).