Subject Encyclopedias are scholarly works written by experts on a variety of topics. The articles are typically longer and more detailed than general encyclopedias. The background information provides a good starting point as you begin the research process. Here are some of the ways a subject encyclopedia can help guide you:
Tertiary sources are excellent starting points! They consist of information synthesized from primary and secondary sources. Examples include:
These resources give you succinct overviews of your topic, explain scholarly arguments, point out interesting questions, and refer you to especially key sources.
A good starting point for finding information in reference sources, including Africana, Encyclopedia of African American History 1619-1895, Encyclopedia of African American History 1896 to Present, Black Women in America, African American National Biography, Concise Oxford Companion to African American Literature, Oxford Companion to Black British History, and selected articles from other sources.
Encyclopedia of African American Culture and History by 
The Encyclopedia of African-American Writing by 
Encyclopedia of Black Studies by 