biography reference book

Biography: Reference Books

• Library Databases

Reference Books

• Books You Can Check Out
• Web Resources

There are a wide variety of reference books that may be useful when searching for biographical information. Below is a list of some of the more widely used biographical reference books we own. Books are arranged in call number order. Annotations are provided for some books.

Biography Indexes

General Biography

Literary biography.

Other Biographical Reference Works

General Biography and Indexes

• Biography and genealogy master index : a consolidated index to more than 3,200,000 biographical sketches in over 350 current and retrospective biographical dictionaries Call Number: CT213 .B562 (index section near literary biography collection in reference) Probably the best print index for biography that the library owns. Be sure to check all volumes to be thorough.

Biographical Indexes

Biographical indexes can be particularly useful in identifying biographical information from many different sources. They are often a good starting point if you're not finding larger biographical works such as full length books in the library's collection.

• Biography Index Call Number: Z5301 .B5 (index section near literary biography collection in reference)
• Current biography yearbook Call Number: CT100 .C81

These reference books cover a wide range of biographical subjects from a broad spectrum of society.

• The International who's who Call Number: CT120 .I5 1973-present.
• American National Biography by John A. Garraty (Editor); Mark C. Carnes (Editor) Call Number: CT213 .A68 1999 ISBN: 0195206355 Publication Date: 1999 Originally published in 1999, the 24-volume American National Biography provides broad coverage of notable figures in American history from the earliest recorded contact of Europeans in North America to the near present.
• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2001-2004 by Lawrence A. Goldman (Editor); Lawrence Goldman (Editor) Call Number: DA28 .O95 2004 ISBN: 9780199562442 Publication Date: 2009 The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is a collection of 50,000 specially written biographies of men and women who have shaped all aspects of the British past, from the earliest times to the end of the year 2000, from the ancient (explorer Pytheas of the 4th Century BC) to the modern (Princess Diana)
• Who's who Call Number: DA28 .W6 There are numerous Who's who books, any of which may be integral in your search for biographical information. Search the catalog or browse the reference collection for additional titles. Regularly updated.

The library has an excellent collection of biographical reference works for literary figures. Much of the best literary biography information are found in Gale publications, which you can search via the Literary Index database (link is to database LibGuide).

• Contemporary authors Call Number: Z1224 .C6 (literary biography collection in reference) One of the very best sources for biographical information on authors. Be sure to use the index at the back of the most recent volume or, better yet, the Literary Index database to search all Gale literary reference works.
• Dictionary of literary biography Call Number: PS21 .D5 (literary biography collection in reference) Currently more than 350 volumes in this definitive literary biography reference work. Indexed in the Literary Index database.
• Dictonary of literary biography (online version) Search and browse the DLB online.
• Contemporary poets, dramatists, essayists, and novelists of the South : a bio-bibliographical sourcebook by Robert Bain and Joseph M. Flora Call Number: PS261 .C568 1994 (in reference collection) This reference presents profiles of 50 modern Southern writers of essays, poems, drama, and novels.
• An Encyclopedia of British women writers by Paul Schlueter, June Schlueter Call Number: PR111 .E54 1988 (in reference collection) Contributions from some 125 scholars provide a comprehensive critical reference guide to nearly 400 authors.
• Encyclopedia of British writers Call Number: PR451 .E55 2003 (in reference collection) Profiles, and serves as a critical reading guide to, some 800 British writers of diverse genres and subjects.
• Popular contemporary writers by Michael D. Sharp Call Number: PS228.P67 P67 2006 (in reference collection) From Douglas Adams to Tobias Wolff.
• American women writers : a critical reference guide from colonial times to the present by Lina Mainiero Call Number: PS147 .A4 (in reference collection)
• Something about the author Call Number: PN451 .S6 (literary biography collection in reference) The best biographical source for children's authors and illustrators.
• Something about the author (online) Search and browse the series online.

Other Biographical Reference Books

• Black women in America by Darlene Clark Hine Call Number: E185.86 .B542 2005 Three-volume reference is vibrant with stories of remarkable women--325 biographies--and discussion of topics pertaining to arts, culture, family, gender, law, occupations, politics, religion, science, and sports

There are numerous other reference books for biography. This list does not pretend to be all-encompassing. Remember, even if "biography" isn't specifically stated in the title, it may still contain information on notable figures related to the book's subject.

• The African American national biography by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Evelyn Brooks-Higginbotham. Call Number: E185.96 .A4466 2008 Over 4,000 entries written and signed by distinguished scholars.
• Contemporary Black biography Call Number: E185.96 .C66 Excellent source for black biography. Updated regularly with new volumes.
• Dictionary of Canadian biography Call Number: F1005 .D49 Biographies from 1000-1920 AD.
• Women in world history : a biographical encyclopedia by Anne Commire Call Number: HQ1115 .W6 1999
• Great lives from history; Notorious lives by Carl L. Bankston III Call Number: HV6245 .G687 2007 Criminals!
• The International year book and statesmen's who's who. Call Number: JA51 .I57 Good for political biographies.
• Directory of American scholars. Call Number: LA2311 .D57 1999 Current biographies of more than 30,000 scholars in the humanities.
• The New Grove dictionary of music and musicians by Stanley Sadie Call Number: ML100 .N48 1980 20 volumes. Older volumes are available for checkout from the general collection.
• Musicians and composers of the 20th century by Alfred W. Cramer Call Number: ML105 .M883 2009
• Biographical encyclopedia of artists Call Number: N40 .B535 2005
• American men & women of science Call Number: Q141 .A471 Multi-volume set dating back to 1938.
• List of officers of the Army of the United States from 1779 to 1900 : embracing a register of all appointments by the President of the United States in the volunteer service during the Civil War and of volunteer officers in the service of the United State Call Number: U11.U5 P7 1967
• Dictionary of American military biography by Roger J. Spiller Call Number: U52 .D53 1984

Subject Guide

• << Previous: Books
• Next: Books You Can Check Out >>
• Last Updated: Jun 11, 2020 3:06 PM
• URL: https://libguides.astate.edu/biography

• Harvard Library
• Research Guides
• Faculty of Arts & Sciences Libraries

Finding Biographical Information

• Introduction and Resources of First Resort

Introduction

Resources of first resort.

• Research Approaches
• Biographical Dictionaries
• Book-length Biographies
• Periodical Articles/Obituaries
• Diaries/Autobiographies
• College/University Alumni/ae Biography
• Festschrifts
• Archival Sources
• Government Directories
• Local Histories
• Genealogical Sources
• Boston-Area Biography
• Asia, South & Central
• Asia, Southeast
• Australia/Pacific
• Europe: Regional & by Country, A-F
• Europe: H-N
• Europe: P-Z
• Mexico/Central America
• South America
• Russia/Central Asia
• Middle East
• North America/Canada

Please feel free to email us with questions. We can make an appointment for you to come in, and we can talk at length about your project.

• Fred Burchsted , ([email protected]) Research Librarian and Liaison to the Department of the History, Widener Library
• Anna Assogba , ([email protected]) Research Librarian, Lamont Library.

Book-length biographies are easily found in the HOLLIS Catalog , but short biographical articles are scattered widely in biographical dictionaries, subject encyclopedias and periodicals. 

Try the Resources of First Resort . If you don’t find what you need:

Numerous other biographical sources exist  We have listed some major examples, general and by gender, ethnicity, and occupation, on the Biographical Dictionaries page.

Many other specialized sources are listed on the pages of this guide.

Other Guides

Introductory Library Research Guide for History

Library Research Guide for Finding Manuscripts and Archival Collections

United States

Other Countries

To find individual encyclopedia articles in  HOLLIS : use Everything Advanced Search, do a Title search on your name and in the results list look for Resource Type under Refine Your Results in the right-hand column. Choose  Reference entries .  Example .

Current Biography Illustrated  (1946- ) includes biographical sketches and obituaries, with portraits, of persons deceased since 1946.

Gale In Context: Biography  (formerly Biography in Context) includes full text of many reference books, including Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Black Biography, Directory of American Scholars (10th (2002) ed.), Dictionary of American Biography, Marquis Who’s Who on the Web since 1985. The Biographical Facts Search allows search by occupation, nationality, ethnicity (African-American, Asian- American, Hispanic- American, Native- American only), gender, birth/death year, and place. Available to Massachusetts residents via the State Library of Massachusetts.

Marquis Who’s Who  includes all biographies in the 24 Marquis Who's Who print titles since 1985, together with all biographies from  Who Was Who in America, 1607–1985 .

Notable American women . Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1971-2004. 5 v. LOCATION: Widener: RR 1711. 34 --Covers women deceased before 1999. Articles include extensive source lists giving particular attention to unpublished sources. Classified index (by field) in each vol. Vols. 1-4 indexed in Biography and genealogy master index. Full text in  Women and Social Movements in the United States: 1600-2000

World Biographical Information System  includes full text of thousands of biographical dictionaries accessible by name of biographee. Largely online full text, partly microfiche or print.  What to do if a biographical article is not available online and further information .

World Who’s Who

Thousands of works of collective biography and many biographical periodical articles are indexed in a few general biographical indexes which are listed below. These are not full text; one must do HOLLIS searches for retrieved sources.

Biography and Genealogy Master Index  indexes thousands of English-language biographical dictionaries and other compendia, many more than Biography Resource Center. Includes  Biography Index , which indexes biographical periodical articles as well as collective biography.  Indexes Contemporary Authors and Dictionary of Literary Biography .

IBN: Index bio-bibliographicus notorum hominum . Online Version LOCATION: Widener: RR 1501.15 --Indexes 2000 biographical dictionaries and related works, including non-European publications, published through the 1960s. Gives names, dates, nationalities, and occupations in addition to references to the indexed biographical works, listed in volumes labeled "Key to Sources". Currently extends only to Reulbach, Bernhard. -- ​The online version does not include well-known persons with numerous entries and book-length biographies.

Internationale Personalbibliographie , by Max Arnim. 2nd ed. Stuttgart, Anton Hiersemann, 1952-1987. LOCATION: Widener: RR 1501.7 Library has: 5 Bd. --v. 1-2: 1800-1943; v. 3-5: 1944-1959. --Indexes biographical dictionaries and many scholarly/scientific journals.

American National Biography

African American national biography , ed. by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Evelyn Brooks-Higginbotham. NY: Oxford University Press, 2013, 12 v. Andover-Harv. Theol | Ref. | E185.96 .A4466 2008 (1st ed.) Lamont | REFERENCE | E185.96 .A4466 2008 (1st ed.) Widener RR 4781.60 (2nd ed.; 2013) Online version  (Continuously updated)

Canadian biography , part of the Library and Archives Canada site, contains the  Dictionary of Canadian Biography

Biography Literature (1962-2016) China. In Chinese

Germany and German-speaking

Deutsche biographie

Deutsche biographische Enzyklopädie online  Online version is more up-to-date than print. Print version: Widener: RR 1786.5

English version: Dictionary of German biography . München: K.G. Saur, 2001-2006. 10 v. Widener: WID-LC CT759 .D4813 2001x

Datenbank Schriftstellerinnen in Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz 1945-2008

Biographische Nachschlagewerke . List of sources with links to full text

Women writers of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland : an annotated bio-bibliographical guide , ed. by Elke Frederiksen. NY: Greenwood Press, 1989, 323 p. Schlesinger | Harvard Depository | 016.83 F852w Widener | Harvard Depository | PT167.Z99 W66 x, 1989

Dictionary of Irish biography  

Netherlands

Biografisch Portaal van Nederland

Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland (BWN)

Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland (DVN) (Online Dictionary of Dutch Women)

South Africa

Dictionary of South African biography . Cape Town: Published for the National Council for Social Research, Dept. of Higher Education by Nasionale Boekhandel, 1968-1987. 5 v. Widener | Afr 8055.50 103554

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography  (UK)

A biographical encyclopedia of early modern Englishwomen: exemplary lives and memorable acts, 1500-1650 , ed. by Carole Levin, Anna Riehl Bertolet, and Jo Eldridge Carney. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017, 630 pages : HOLLIS Record

• Next: WBIS >>
• Last Updated: Oct 23, 2024 12:09 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.harvard.edu/biography

Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy

• Group and Class Visits
• Accessibility
• Visit - FAQ
• Exhibitions
• The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award
• American History and Culture
• American Indian and Indigenous Studies
• Chicago and the Midwest
• Genealogy and Local History
• History of the Book
• Maps, Travel, and Exploration
• Medieval, Renaissance, and Early Modern Studies
• Modern Manuscripts and Archives
• Performing Arts
• Use the Collection in Person
• Digital Collections
• Research Guides
• Order Digital Files
• Collection - FAQ
• Ask a Librarian
• Center for Renaissance Studies
• D’Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies
• Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography
• Fellowships
• Artists in Residence
• Scholars in Residence
• Scholarly Seminars
• Adult Education Classes
• Teacher Programs
• Undergraduate Learning
• Make a Gift
• Giving Societies
• Donate Books and Materials
• Donor Digest

Biography – Reference Sources

Introduction.

The Newberry collections provide excellent support for biographical research, both on famous individuals and on everyday people. The following resources will help you search the Newberry’s collections for information on individual lives. This is not intended as a comprehensive list of our works on biography; instead, this guide provides a selection of relevant works to serve as an overview of the sorts of materials you will find in the Newberry collections. Reference librarians are happy to help you find additional items or information.

These reference works are a good starting point for biographical research, since they index many of the other resources listed in this guide.

American Biographical Index . New York: Saur, 1993. Call Number: Ref CT 211 .A45 (Biography Index Table). Index to 368 biographical reference works published between 1702 and 1956; Newberry holdings are marked in volume one.

Black Biography, 1790-1950: A Cumulative Index . Alexandria, VA: Chadwych-Healy, 1991. Call Number: Ref Z 1361 .N39 B52 1990 (Biography Index Table). May be used as an index to the 297 titles included in the microfilm set titled: Black Biographical Dictionaries, 1790-1950 (Microfiche 5428).

Biography Index . New York: H. W. Wilson. Call Number: Ref Z 5301 .B5 (Biography Index Table). Cites biographical material appearing in 3000+ periodicals, and 2000+ current books of individual and collective biography.

Biography and Genealogy Master Index . Detroit: Gale, 1980-90. Call Number: Ref Z 5305 .U5 B57 1980-90 (Biography Index Table). Index to millions of biographical sketches in 2700+ works covering figures throughout the world. *This resource is also available online via the Library’s subscription to Ancestry Library Edition.

British Biographical Index . New York: Saur, 1990. Call Number: Ref CT 773 .C75 1990 (Biography Index Table). Index to 334 biographical reference works published between 1601 and 1929; Newberry holdings marked in volume one.

Index Biographique Francais . London: Saur, 1993. Call Number: Ref CT 1003 .I53 1993 (Biography Index Table). Index to 180 biographical reference works published between 1647 and 1986; Newberry holdings marked in volume one.

Indice biografico de Espana, Portugal e Iberoamericana . New York: Saur, 1990. Call Number: Ref CT 1345 .I53 1990 (Biography Index Table). Index to 306 biographical reference works published between the 17th and 20th centuries.

Indice Biografico Italiano . New York: Saur, 1993. Call Number: Ref CT 1123 .I53 1993 (Biography Index Table). Index to 321 biographical reference works published between the 17th and 20th centuries.

New York Times Obituaries Index . New York: New York Times, 1970-1980. Call Number: Ref CT 213 .N47 (Biography Index Table). Alphabetical listing of “Deaths” from The New York Times, 1858-1978.

Personal Name Index to "The New York Times Index," 1851-1996 . Succasunna, NJ: RDI, 1976-1996. Call Number: Ref Z 5301 .F28 1976 (Biography Index Table). Citations refer to the New York Times Index, call number Ref A I21 .N45.

Women in Particular . Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1984. Call Number: Ref HQ 1412 .H47 1984. Index to American women from 54 works of collective biography.

Biographical Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Biographical dictionaries and encyclopedias contain biographical sketches with bibliographies to lead you to additional information on the subjects. The dictionaries and encyclopedias are organized based on shared personal characteristics, such as nationality, ethnic heritage, profession, or time period.

National Biographies: American

American National Biography . New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Call Number: Ref CT 213 .A68 1999. Successor to the Dictionary of American Biography.

Dictionary of American Biography . New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, 1928-1958. Call Number: Ref E 176 .D56 and D563, plus Index and Supplements. This reference work of individual biographies is limited to Americans no longer living who have made some significant contribution to American life. The fourth supplement brings the data up to 1950.

National Cyclopedia of American Biography . Clifton, NJ: White, 1984. Call Number: Ref E 176 .N27. Comprehensive American biographical dictionary covers 1892-1984. Not alphabetical, use volume indexes and the general index, call number Ref E 176 .N27 Index.

Other National Biographies

Biographisch Woordenboek der Nederlanden . Amsterdam : B. M. Israël, 1969. Call Number: Ref CT 1143 .A22 1969.

Deutsche Biographische Enzyklopädie (DBE) . New Providence : K.G. Saur, 1995-2000. Call Number: Ref CT 759 .D48 1995.

Dictionnaire de Biographie Francaise . Paris : Letouzey et Ané, 1933- Call Number: Ref CT 143 .D5.

Dictionary of Canadian Biography . Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1966-2005. Call Number: Ref F 1005 .D49.

Dictionary of Irish Biography: From the Earliest Times to the Year 2002 . New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Call Number: Ref CT 863 .D53 2009.

Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani . Roma : Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, 1960-. Call Number: Ref CT 1123 .D5.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Call Number: Ref DA 28 .O95 2004. The major reference work for British biography, including inhabitants of the British Isles and the colonies, as well as Americans of the colonial period. It does not include persons alive as of 31 December 2000. The previous edition (Ref DA 28 .D47) and its many supplements are useful for a Victorian perspective on figures before 1900.

Ethnic and Gender-Based Biographies

African American National Biography . New York: Oxford University Press, 2008 Call Number: Ref E 185.96 .A4466 2008.

American Indian Biographies . Pasadena: Salem Press, 1999. Call Number: Ref E 89 .A46 1999.

Notable American Women . Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1971. Call Number: Ref CT 3260 .N57.

Professional Biographies

Biographical Dictionary of English Court Musicians, 1485-1714 . Brookfield: Ashgate, 1998. Call Number: Ref ML 106 .G7 B56 1998.

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-1989 . Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1989. Call Number: Ref JK 1010 .A5 1989.

Dictionary of Literary Biography . Detroit: Gale, 1978-. Call Number: Ref PN 451 .D5. This series of biographical essays is arranged by genre within periods. Subjects include authors, book collectors, book sellers, editors, journalists, and publishers. Biographical information is integrated with brief synopses and criticism. Selected bibliographies include primary and secondary sources.

World Explorers and Discoverers . New York: Maxwell Macmillan International, 1992. Call Number: Ref G 200 .W67 1992.

Biographies by Time Period

Contemporaries of Erasmus: A Biographical Register of the Renaissance and Reformation . Buffalo: University of Toronto Press, 1985-1987. Call Number: Ref CT 116 .C65 1985.

Bibliographies

Bibliographies will lead you to print and manuscript biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs.

American Diaries: An Annotated Bibliography of Published American Diaries and Journals . Detroit: Gale Research, 1983-1987. Call Number: Ref Z 5305 .U5 A74 1983.

American Diaries in Manuscript, 1580-1954: A Descriptive Bibliography . Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 1974. Call Number: Ref Z 5305 .U5 M32.

Biographical Dictionaries and Related Works . Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1986. Call Number: Ref Z 5301 .S55 1986.

Biographies of American Women: An Annotated Bibliography . Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio, 1990. Call Number: Ref Z 7963 .B6 S88 1990.

Remembered Childhoods: A Guide to Autobiography and Memoirs of Childhood and Youth . Call Number: Ref Z 5304 .C5 L66 2007.

Tips for Searching the Online Catalog

The Newberry collections contain so many biographical resources that keyword searching can be overwhelming. For more manageable results, search the catalog by subject.

To locate information on a well-known individual, search for his or her name as a subject:

• Dickinson, Emily

To find information on some individuals, you may need to search for works on wider topics. To locate these, search by subject for phrases such as the following:

Ethnic Group

• African Americans – Biography
• Indians of North America – Biography
• Blatchford Family
• Chicago (Ill.) – Biography
• Cook County (Ill.) – Biography
• Illinois – Biography
• West (U.S.) – Biography
• United States – Biography
• Architects – Great Britain – Biography
• American Literature – Bio-bibliography
• Authors – 19th century – Biography
• Clergy – Biography
• Railroads – Biography

Time Period

• Biography –Middle Ages, 500-1500
• United States – History – Civil War, 1861-1865 – Biography

For accounts of individual lives, search by subject for phrases such as the following:

• Autobiographies
• Autobiography
• Captivity narratives
• Slave narratives

Tips for Locating Manuscript Collections at the Newberry

Many of the Newberry’s manuscript collections are searchable in the online catalog. You can also search the following phrases as a subject in the online catalog to locate manuscript materials:

• Correspondence
• Manuscripts, American

To locate manuscript collections that are not accessible in the online catalog, use the Modern Manuscripts Abstract Search . You can search across manuscript inventories by using ArchiveGrid .

Online Resources

Subscription Databases

In recent years, the Newberry has supplemented its collections by subscribing to several databases. These are available for use on all Newberry computers and, in some cases, on personal laptops within the library. These resources are not available outside the Newberry building.

Ancestry Library Edition.

This database, which contains the largest collection of family history documents on the web, is useful for learning about individuals. Ancestry allows you to search the U.S. Federal Census, which contains extensive information on individuals. The database also provides access to bibliographies and biographical indexes, as well as to digitized periodicals.

HeritageQuest Online.

HeritageQuest is another database centered on family history materials. Like Ancestry Library Edition, this database contains many tools useful for local historians, including the Periodical Source Index, the U.S. Federal Census, and digitized books and periodicals.

Historical Chicago Tribune.

Using this database you can search issues of the Chicago Tribune published from 1849 through 1985. The search interface allows you to limit your search to obituaries, and to limit by date.

Historical New York Times.

Using this database, you can search issues of the New York Times published from 1851 through 2003. The search interface allows you to limit your search to obituaries, and to limit by date.

Free Resources

American Social History Online.

More than 175 collections of material about life in nineteenth and twentieth century America are accessible through this repository, a project of the Digital Library Federation. You can search by place, subject, or time period.

Cyndi’s List: Biographies.

More than 200 biographical resources are available in this guide to biographies from Cyndi’s List, an aggregator of genealogical resources on the Internet.

Family History Archive.

This collection of more than 15,000 full-text resources includes county and local histories, family histories, and articles from genealogical and local history journals. Works have been contributed by nine major genealogy repositories, including Allen County Public Library, the Family History Library, and the Mid-Continent Public Library Midwest Genealogy Center.

Google Books.

Google Books contains full-text digital versions of many autobiographies, biographies, and biographical resources. To limit your search to retrieve the most relevant results, use the advanced search interface, search by subject, search “full view only,” and limit the dates of publication.

HathiTrust Digital Library.

The HathiTrust Digital Library contains more than 2 million works in the public domain that are available in full-text. Works are contributed by more than 50 research libraries. To limit your search to retrieve the most relevant results, choose the search the catalog option, search by subject, and search “full view only.”

Internet Archive.

The Internet Archive is creating an online library of audio materials, books, moving images, photographs, software, and web sites. The Newberry Library has collaborated with the Internet Archive to digitize several congregational, professional, and social directories, which contain biographical information. You can search the archive by contributor to locate all materials provided by the Newberry Library. Alternatively, you can search the complete archive by subject, or by title.

Making of America.

The Making of America website is a digital library of more than 10,000 books and 50,000 journal articles published in the United States between 1850 and 1877. Biographical bibliograpies, biographical dictionaries, biographies, compilation biographies, and county histories are included in the collection.

Have a Question?

Our librarians are here to help you get the most out of your research.

Submit Your Question

Librarians/Admins

• EBSCOhost Collection Manager
• EBSCO Experience Manager
• EBSCO Connect
• Start your research
• EBSCO Mobile App

Clinical Decisions Users

• DynaMed Decisions
• Dynamic Health
• Waiting Rooms
• NoveList Blog
• All Resources

Biography Reference Bank

This biographical database offers in-depth profiles from  Current Biography  and  World Authors , the periodical coverage of  Biography Index  and specialist content of  Junior Authors & Illustrators.  It provides full-text articles, images and abstracts from today’s leading magazines and journals.

Full-Text Articles, Images and Abstracts

Biography Reference Bank  allows students and patrons to quickly find the content they're are looking for. Users can search for individuals based on any combination of occupation, activity, gender, place of origin, birthday and lifespan.

Results can be limited by source type, and searchable indexes can be used to browse by biography name, document type, geographic terms and more.

Notable Sources Include:

• Current Biography
• New Grove Music
• New Grove Artists
• H.W. Wilson Biographical series (Junior Authors, Composers, World Authors)
• Library of North American Bio Series

This collection of original content is continuously supplemented with new biographies and updated versions of preexisting articles, giving users up-to-date information on featured subjects.

Our students love using EBSCO. In such an overwhelming information culture, they are able to tailor their searches so they can get the information they want.

— Meg McDermott, School & Community Partnership Organizer, St. Stephen's Youth Programs

Customers also bought

Biographical Resources: A Research Guide: Introduction

Introduction.

• National and International Biographies
• Biographical Indexes
• K. G. Saur Indexes & Microfiche
• Subject Biographies
• Dissertations and Theses
• Research Help

We purchase access to new online versions of major biographical reference sources as they become available. Many important biographical resources are available in print and on microfilm. This guide combines online titles with the selected microform and print biography titles in the Olin and Africana reference collections. Online databases are available to Cornell users only.

Biography is a branch of the study of history. The reliability of biographical sources varies widely and is subject to the usual vagaries of historical studies: lack of accurate information, too much or conflicting information, too little information, psychological theorizing, etc. But a well-written biographical article in a reliable reference book or database can be a source of both pleasure and enlightenment. Enjoy!

For further information or to locate titles not listed here, always feel free to consult with the reference staff .

Reference Help

Permissions Information

If you wish to use or adapt any or all of the content of this Guide go to Cornell Library's Research Guides Use Conditions to review our use permissions and our Creative Commons license.

• Next: National and International Biographies >>
• Last Updated: Sep 27, 2024 4:46 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.cornell.edu/biographyresearch

• Locations and Hours
• UCLA Library
• Research Guides

Reference Sources in the Social Sciences and Humanities

• Online Reference Collections

General Biographical Indexes

Biographies - politics and government, biographies - literature, biographies - the arts, biographies - education.

• Book Reviews
• Citation Styles
• Dictionaries
• Directories
• Dissertations
• Encyclopedias

Online encyclopedias, dictionaries, and specialized reference sources, primarily in the social sciences and humanities.

Marquis Who Who on the Web provides biographies of over 1.4 million people of note, in the United States and around the world. It is the online counterpart of Marquis renowned biographical dictionaries. All biographies since 1985 are included.

biography; people; biographical archive

An illustrated collection of 60,000 biographies of men and women who shaped all aspects of Britain's history, up to the present.

DNB; biography; reference

Full-text news (including broadcast transcripts), business, legal, and reference information. Useful for finding full-text of current performing arts and media industry news in major newspapers. Includes biographical information from Who's Who titles. Formerly LexisNexis Academic.

• Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• Elektronische Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie Combining Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie and Neue Deutsche Biographie, contains biographies of prominent Germans from the earliest period to the present.
• Biographical Dictionary
• Biography.com
• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774 - present
• Judges of the United States Courts
• POTUS: Presidents of the United States
• Native American Authors
• IAWA Biographical Database of Women in Architecture Compiled by the International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA), this database's focus is on historical rather than current women architects. Includes links to inventories of IAWA archival collections.
• University of California In Memoriam Online biographies of UC faculty and administrators from 1928 to 2001. Many memorials for the years 1928-2001 could previously be found at the University of California History Digital Archives. However, that site is no longer maintained. This Internet Archive site allows you to find memorials listed alphabetically by name, but you will have to copy-and-paste the URL that appears after you click on a name.
• In Memoriam, 2002- The In Memoriam is an Academic Senate publication produced by its faculty to honor deceased colleagues.
• << Previous: Online Reference Collections
• Next: Book Reviews >>
• Last Updated: Oct 18, 2024 12:20 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.ucla.edu/reference

All Databases

• A-Z Business Databases
• Academic Complete E-books
• Academic Search Complete
• Access Engineering
• ACM Digital Library
• ACS In Focus E-Book Collection
• Adult Core Skills
• Alt HealthWatch
• American Chemical Society
• America's News
• America's News: Detroit News Collection
• America's News: Flint Journal Collection
• Applied Science and Technology Source
• Art & Architecture Source
• ASM Handbooks
• ASM Technical Books
• ASME Digital Collection
• ASTM Compass Standards
• Auto Repair Source
• AVON - Academic Video Online
• Benezit Dictionary of Artists

Biography Reference Source

• BioRXIV: The Pre-print Server for Biology
• Bulldog Weekly
• Business Book Summaries
• Business Source Premier
• Caribbean Search
• Central & Eastern European Academic Source
• Chronicle of Higher Education
• College Students from LearningExpress Library
• College Success Skills (From Learning Express Library)
• Comics Plus
• Company Profiles (MarketLine & Medtrack)
• Consumer Health Complete
• Consumer Health Information
• Consumer Reports
• Crain's Detroit Business
• Demographics Now
• Detroit Auto Scene Tech Center News Archive
• Detroit Free Press
• Digital Commons
• Direct to Open (MIT Press eBooks)
• EBSCO eBooks Academic Collection
• EBSCO eBooks Business Collection
• EBSCO eBooks Collection
• Education Source
• Encyclopedia of Associations: National Organizations of the U.S.
• Engineering Case Studies
• Entrepreneurial Studies Source
• Environment Complete
• ERIC [Educational Resources]
• FDSys (Federal Digital System)
• Gale Virtual Reference Library
• Google Scholar
• Grammarly Premium
• Harvard Business Review
• HathiTrust Digital Library
• Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition
• History Reference Source
• Home Improvement Source
• Humanities Source
• IEEE Xplore
• Jewish Studies Source
• Job & Career Accelerator from Learning Express
• Journal Citation Reports
• Journal List A-Z
• JSTOR Collection
• Knovel Science & Engineering Datasets
• LearningExpress Library
• Legal Information Source
• Legal Source
• Library & Information Science Source
• LinkedIn Learning
• Literary Reference Source
• Mango Languages
• MasterFILE Complete
• Medline Plus
• MeLCat: Music, Books, Audio & More from all over Michigan
• Michigan Authors & Illustrators
• MiTracking - Michigan Environmental Public Health Tracking
• My Heritage
• Newspaper Source Plus
• NoveList Plus
• New York Times
• Opposing Viewpoints in Context
• Oxford English Dictionary
• Patient Education Reference Center
• Poetry & Short Story Reference Center
• Points of View Reference Source
• Political Science Complete
• PrepSTEP for College from LearningExpress Library
• Professional Development Collection
• Project Muse
• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global
• Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
• PubMed Central
• Referencia Latina
• Regional Business News
• SAE Mobilus
• ScienceDirect
• Science Reference Source
• Semantic Scholar
• Small Business Source
• Small Engine Repair Source
• SPIE Digital Library
• Springer Nature Link
• Statista Statistics Portal
• Turfgrass Information Center
• Wall Street Journal
• Web of Science
• WorldCat: Books, DVDs, CDs & Articles from around the world

Using Biography Reference Source

Superior coverage and search, biography reference source provides thousands of unique and reliable full-text biographies, including the complete full text of biography and biography today. in addition to searching individual names, you can also search by categories such as:.

• Activists & Reformers
• Business Leaders & Entrepreneurs
• Culture, Race & LGBTQ+
• Explorers & Pioneers
• Film, Television & the Performing Arts
• Historical Figures
• Inventors & Innovators
• Literary Figures
• Politics & Government
• Religious Figures
• Scientists, Mathematicians & Engineers
• The Nobel Prizes

Sources Include

• Biography Today 's complete collection
• Biography 's complete collection
• Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography
• Biographies from Columbia University Press
• Congressional biographies from the  American Reference Library
• Biographies from  Encyclopædia Britannica
• Harvard University Press:  Notable American Women, a Biographical Dictionary (Vols. 1-5)
• Profiles of United States presidents
• Biographies from Salem Press

Getting Started with Your Search

From the homepage of Biography Reference Source, you can enter your search terms in the box near the top of the page, if you know who you are interested in researching, as shown in the image below.

Alternatively, you can scroll down the homepage to locate one of the categories that interests you. These are shown in the image below. Once you click a category, a new page will open with further options that can be narrowed down until you reach a list of names in that subject area. 

Once you narrow your topic, your results page will provide a list of possible resources for you. There are some things to look for, highlighted in the image below to help you ensure you find the sources you need most. 

• Click the "Peer Reviewed" filter to narrow your field of results.
• This filter allows you to select the publication date ranges you need. For example, some professors request that you use resources from the last 5 years, or last 12 months. This filter offers 3 filters: last 12 months, last 5 years, and last 10 years.
• The "Source Type" filter offers options such as academic journals, encyclopedia entries, magazines, and more, depending on the topic you searched.
• Always check what this area says when you are looking at results. This database offers an array of different sources, and not all of them are academic journal articles. There are also ebooks, book chapters, magazine articles, transcripts, reviews, news sources, and more.
• This part of the record will let you know how the resource can be accessed. Some will be in PDF format, others are webpages, and others are media files.

About this Guide

Content for this guide provided courtesy of EBSCO .

• << Previous: Benezit Dictionary of Artists
• Next: BioRXIV: The Pre-print Server for Biology >>
• Last Updated: Oct 18, 2024 3:24 PM
• URL: https://libguides.kettering.edu/databases