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African History

The following is a selected list of resources for starting research in African history. For further assistance, ask at the Reference Desk or contact the History Librarian (John Russell; johnruss@uoregon.edu; (541) 346-2689; AIM: UOHistLib). For more information see the Research Guide to African Studies.

Off-campus access to some of the electronic resources listed on this page is limited to current UO students, faculty, and staff and is indicated by a UO button off-campus access limited to UO.

Background Information

The following reference sources can help you identify a topic for your research, provide an overview of a specific issue or topic, and suggest other materials which might be useful for your research. Always use the index if one is available.

Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience DT14 .A37435 1999 Knight Reference
A large single volume of brief, signed articles including cross references. Arranged alph abetically. Contains many color maps and illustrations. Includes a select bibliography for the entire work.
Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara DT351 .E53 1997 Knight Reference
A four-volume encyclopedia arranged alphabetically. Includes cross-references and English-language bibliographies for further reading.
Encyclopedia of African History & Culture DT3 .P27 2001 Knight Reference
Three-volume encyclopedia divided chronologically i nto Ancient Africa (pre-history to 500 C.E.), African Kingdoms (500-1500), and From Conquest to Colonization (1500-1850). Includes cross-references, some bibliographies, glossary of specialized terms and an index.
Encyclopedia of Precolonial Africa DT2 .E53 1997 Knight Reference
A single volume of thematic articles including extensive bibliographies.
Historical Dictionary of.... Knight Reference
A series of historical dictionaries of varying quality published by Scarecrow Press. Search the UO Library Catalog by title for Historical Dictionary of [country name].
Middle East & North Africa DS49.M5 48th ed. 2002 Knight Reference
Africa South of the Sahara DT351.A37 31st ed. 2002 Knight Reference
Profiles of each country include a historical overview. The volumes also contain information on geography, economics and statistics as well as a governmental direc tory and a bibliography for each country.
Other Strategies
Browse the nearby shelves for related information.
Talk to your professor & others with subject knowledge.
Ask a librarian.

Finding Articles

To look for articles in journals, newspapers, or magazines, you will need to start with an index. An index will allow you to look for article citations by subject, by author, or by a few keywords which describe your topic.

Historical Abstracts off-campus access limited to UO
The main index in world history covering articles written about the period 1450 to the present.
Web of Science off-campus access limited to UO
Covers articles written 1996-present. Particularly strong coverage of core African history journals. Use the search tips to search effectively. Its more sophisticated feature allows you to search for other articles that cited a key article or for articles that the key article cited.
Academic Search Premier off-campus access limited to UO
An interdisciplinary index. Includes citations from popular as well as scholarly journals. Provides full text for over 3,600 journals as well as indexing and abstracts for nearly 4,500 additional journals many of which are peer reviewed.
Other Sources
See the African Studies Guide for additional databases and indexes with a focus on Africa.

After identifying articles which look useful for your research, look up the journal title, not the article title, in the UO Library Catalog to determine if the Library subscribes to this title and get the call number and location.

Finding Books

UO Library Catalog
Identify books by topic, title or author. Identify journals and magazines owned by the UO Library. If you do not find a pre-1976 book here, search the card catalog (author or title only) in the Current Periodicals Room.
Summit: the catalog of the Orbis Cascade Alliance
Orbis Cascade puts millions of items at your fingertips. Books not owned by the UO Library or not available for check out may be requested through Orbis Cascade Borrowing: Request Item.
World Bibliographical Series
A series of guides by country. Each includes annotated entries for books and articles by theme. Search the UO Library Catalog by title World Bibliographical Series and limit your search by title or subject [country name].

Facts & Figures

International Historical Statistics 1750-1988: Africa, Asia &Oceania HA4675 .M552 1998 Knight Reference
Presents comparative statistics, mostly from the mid-19th century to the late 1970s. Organized by broad subject areas. Sources are noted.
Pan-African Chronology: A Comprehensive Reference to the Black Quest for Freedom in Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia
Volume I (1400-1865) DT17 .J46 1996 Knight Reference
Volume II ( 1865-1915) E185.2 .J46 1998 Knight Reference
Statistical Abstract of the World HA154 .S83 3rd ed. 1997 Knight
Contains statistics by country. Includes data from 1970-1990s.

People & Organizations

An African Biographical Dictionary DT18 .B76 1994 Knight Reference
"...Sketches of 549 prominent sub-Saharan Africans from across all periods of history." Includes indexes by nation, "fields of significance," and an alphabetical index.
Makers of Modern Africa: Profiles in History DT18 .M35 1996 Knight

Web Resources


Maintained by: John Russell, History/Medieval Studies Librarian, johnruss@uoregon.edu
Last Modified: 01/23/2007