Collins Memorial Library: GQS 494: Gender Research Seminar: Tertiary Sources

Why should I use tertiary sources?

You might be wondering why a GQS 494 student would consult subject encyclopedias. The quick answer is that they can be excellent resources for identifying primary and secondary sources. Additionally, it can't hurt to make sure you have a good sense of how your research question fits in with other scholarly research that has been done--and the bibliographies at the end of encyclopedia articles are an efficient way to make sure you know who the scholars are who've been working on your topic.

Remember that tertiary sources are intended to fill in gaps in your knowledge or jumpstart your research; they should not be cited as scholarly secondary sources for your project.

Featured Resources

The Bloomsbury Handbook of 21st-Century Feminist Theory by Robin Truth Goodman (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
ISBN: 9781350032392
Publication Date: 2019
A comprehensive survey of the state of contemporary feminist thought. With chapters written by world-leading scholars from a range of disciplines, this book explores the latest thinking on key topics in current feminist discourse.
Introduction to Transgender Studies by Ardel Haefele-Thomas; Thatcher Combs; Susan Stryker
Call Number: HQ77.9 .T496 2019 Print Books
ISBN: 9781939594273
Publication Date: 2019
This is the first introductory textbook intended for transgender/trans studies at the undergraduate level. It encompasses and connects global contexts, intersecting identities, historic and contemporary issues, literature, history, politics, art, and culture.

Online Reference Collections

Not sure where to look? Each of these online collections will introduce you to a wealth of dictionaries and encyclopedias.

ABC CLIO eBooks This link opens in a new window
This eBook Collection contains encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and guides from ABC-CLIO, Greenwood Press, Libraries Unlimited, and Praeger.
Gale eBooks
Provides full text online access to Gale electronic books, including encyclopedias and other reference resources.
Oxford Reference
Contains the complete texts of many Oxford companions, encyclopedias, dictionaries and other reference titles in a fully indexed, cross-searchable database. Included in addition to articles are images, maps, timelines, bibliographies, photographs and much more.
SAGE Knowledge
The social sciences platform for SAGE and CQ Press books, reference materials and other content.

Subject Encyclopedias for GQS

American Masculinities by Bret E. Carroll (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
Publication Date: 2003
Explores the wide range of identities and experiences that have defined men and masculinity in the United States from pre-Columbian times to the present. It draws on important contemporary research in history, gender and sexuality studies, and cultural and literary studies.
The Continuum Complete International Encyclopedia of Sexuality by Robert T. Francoeur (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
Publication Date: 2004
Covers sexual behavior throughout the world. Written by more than 200 leading sexologists in their respective countries and cultures, each entry explores such areas as heterosexual relationships, children, adolescents, adults, gender-conflicted persons, unconventional sexual patterns, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, sexual dysfunctions, and therapies.
Encyclopedia of Gender and Society by Jodi A. O'Brien (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
Publication Date: 2008
Covers the major theories, research, people, and issues in contemporary gender studies. Offers a cross-national/cross-cultural perspective that provides comparative analyses of the life experiences of men and women around the world.
Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America by Marc Stein (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
Publication Date: 2004
Provides a comprehensive survey of lesbian and gay history and culture in the United States. Articles range from short biographical entries to longer essays surveying topics such as the Stonewall riots, federal law and policy, same-sex institutions and AIDS.
Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender by Fedwa Malti-Douglas
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
Publication Date: 2007
Addresses issues of sex and gender at the personal and the social level; examines issues of identity, status, class, ethnicity, race, and nation; of sexuality and the body; of social institutions and the structures of representation.
The Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History by Howard Chiang
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
ISBN: 9780684325538
Publication Date: 2019
Covers LGBTQ topics in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East, as well as North America, and takes an interdisciplinary approach to the subject, using film, literature, human rights, politics, landmark legislation, activism, the arts, language, sports, and historical events as points of entry into the content.
The International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality by Patricia Whelehan; Anne Bolin
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
Publication Date: 2015
A comprehensive A-Z reference with over 500 entries that define sexuality from a broad biocultural perspective and show the diversity of human sexual behavior and belief systems. Places topics within their socio-cultural and cross-cultural contexts while also exploring evolutionary and primatological concerns. Covers 13 key areas of content, from clinical medicine and body modification to the language of sexuality and the history of sexology.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Social History by Lynn Dumenil (Contribution by); Paul Boyer (Contribution by)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
ISBN: 9780199743360
Publication Date: 2012
Social structures and the environment that shaped American life, including family, work, leisure, social movements, and patterns of mobility and settlements, are central to this encyclopedia, as are themes of race, gender, ethnicity, and class. Includes over 450 articles by expert scholars, with numerous cross references as well as additional sources for further study.
Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women by Cheris Kramarae (Editor); Dale Spender (Editor)
Call Number: HQ1115 .R69 2000, v. 1-4 Reference
ISBN: 9780415920889
Publication Date: 2000
Features comprehensive global coverage of women's issues and concerns, from violence and sexuality to feminist theory. In over 900 entries from US and Europe, Asia, the Americas, Oceania, and the Middle East, the women who pioneered the field collaborate with the new scholars who are shaping the future of women's studies to create the new standard work on women-related subjects.
The Sage Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Studies by Abbie E. Goldberg (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
ISBN: 9781483371306
Publication Date: 2016
This new encyclopedia focuses on LGBTQ issues and identity primarily through the lenses of psychology, human development and sociology, emphasizing queer, feminist and ecological perspectives on the topic.
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Trans Studies by Abbie Goldberg (Editor); Genny Beemyn (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
ISBN: 9781544393810
Publication Date: 2021
This encyclopedia, featuring more than 300 well-researched articles, takes an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to trans studies. Entries address a wide range of topics, from broad concepts, to specific subjects, to key historical figures, events, and organizations. Entries focus on diverse lives, identities, and contexts, including the experiences of trans people in different racial, religious, and sexual communities in the United States and the variety of ways that gender is expressed in other countries.
SAGE Handbook of Gender and Communication by Julia T. Wood (Editor); Bonnie J. Dow (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
Publication Date: 2006
Examines the primary contexts in which gender and communication are shaped, reflected, and expressed: interpersonal, organizational, rhetoric, media, and intercultural/global.
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Psychology and Gender by Kevin Nadal (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
ISBN: 9781483384283
Publication Date: 2017
This encyclopedia looks at issues of gender, identity, and psychological processes at the individual as well as the societal level, exploring topics such as how gender intersects with developmental processes both in infancy and childhood as well as throughout later life stages; the evolution of feminism and the men’s movement; the ways in which gender can affect psychological outcomes and influence behavior; and more.