Collins Memorial Library: Gender & Queer Studies: Getting Started

Recommended Starting Points: Subject Encyclopedias

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. Subject encyclopedias can help guide you with:

Understanding the scope of a topic
Suggesting ideas for narrowing a topic
Identifying key concepts, terms, dates and names
Listing subject areas related to a topic
Recommending sources for further exploration

Selected Print Reference

Print reference books are located on the first floor of Collins Library.

The Dictionary of Feminist Theory by Maggie Humm
Call Number: HQ1115 .H86 1995 Reference
ISBN: 9780814206669
Publication Date: 1995
Provides a comprehensive guide to the terminology and history of feminist theory relating the categories of feminist thinking to mainstream scholarship as it is practiced in the western world.
Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature by Kathy J. Whitson
Call Number: PN471 .W455 2004 Reference
ISBN: 9780313327315
Publication Date: 2004
This reference includes alphabetically arranged entries on roughly 70 women writers whose works are widely read in English, and on some 20 related topics. In addition to providing biographical information, the entries include interpretative summaries of major works, cross-references to related entries, and a list of works for further reading.
Encyclopedia of Women and Gender by Judith Worell (Editor)
Call Number: HQ1115 .E43 2001 Print Books
Publication Date: 2001
Covers gender differences, the psychology of women, and the psychology of men as fields of study, discussing psychological differences in personality, cognition, and behavior, as well as biologically based differences and how those differences impact behavior.
Handbook of Lesbian and Gay Studies by Diane Richardson (Editor)
Call Number: HQ75.15 .H36 2002 Print Books
Publication Date: 2002
Drawing from a team of global contributors and carefully structured to elucidate the core issues in the field, the Handbook is organized into 4 sections: History & Theory, Identity & Community, Institutions and Politics.
Historical Dictionary of the Lesbian and Gay Liberation Movements by JoAnne Myers
Call Number: HQ76.5 .M944 2013 Print Books
ISBN: 9780810872264
Publication Date: 2013
Covers the history of this movement through a cross-referenced dictionary with over 1000 entries on specific countries and regions, influential historical figures, laws that criminalized same-sex sexuality, various historical terms that have been used to refer to aspects of same-sex love, and contemporary events and legal decisions.
International Encyclopedia of Men and Masculinities by Michael Flood (Editor)
Call Number: HQ1090 .I58 2007 Reference
Publication Date: 2007
A guide to the state of scholarship about men, masculinities, and gender around the world and across three dimensions such as: areas of personal and social life, academic disciplines, and cultural and historical contexts and formations.
Routledge International Encyclopedia of Queer Culture by David A. Gerstner (Editor)
Call Number: HQ76.96 .R68 2006 Reference
ISBN: 9780415306515
Publication Date: 2006
Covers gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer (GLBTQ) life and culture post-1945, with a strong international approach to the subject. Major entries provide in-depth information and consider the intellectual and cultural implications of their subjects in a global context.
Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women by Cheris Kramarae; Dale Spender
Call Number: HQ1115 .R69 2000 v. 1-4 Reference
ISBN: 9780415920889
Publication Date: 2000
In over 900 signed A-Z entries from US and Europe, Asia, the Americas, Oceania, and the Middle East, the women who pioneered the field from its inception collaborate with the new scholars who are shaping the future of women's studies to create the new standard work for anyone who needs information on women-related subjects.
The Women's Movement Today: an Encyclopedia of Third-Wave Feminism by Leslie L. Heywood
Call Number: HQ1115 .W644 2006 Reference
ISBN: 0313331332
Publication Date: 2005
Introduces the third wave of feminism's key issues, members, visions, writings, and more - with essay entries on subjects from abortion to 'zines. The scope is multidisciplinary and multicultural, inclusive of diverse gender orientations and sexualities, with a focus primarily on the movement in the US.

Online Encyclopedias

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.
Cultural Encyclopedia of the Body by Victoria Pitts-Taylor (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
ISBN: 9780313341458
Publication Date: 2008
Presents articles on the parts of the body and the past and current cultural attitudes and practices that concern them. Each article is divided into multiple treatments, issues, and cultural phenomenon that have been applied to the body part. The articles incorporate feminism, post-colonialism, and other contemporary theoretical viewpoints in their discussion, as well as the health risks associated with certain practices.
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.
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.
LGBTQ Events: Great Events from History by Salem Press Editors (Editor); Robert C. Evans (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
ISBN: 9781682175910
Publication Date: 2017
This resource chronicles important historical events that have identified, defined, and legally established the rights of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities.
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.
Gender Studies: Interdisciplinary Research Primer by Macmillan
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
ISBN: 9780028662817
Publication Date: 2016
This book serves as a primer to the study of gender, including women's, queer, and men's studies. By employing literature, film, art, history, and other disciplines, it identifies areas of critical thought and practice in gender and sexuality studies; provides an overview of central themes, current topics, and seminal debates; and offers resources for further research.
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 Women in World History by Bonnie G. Smith (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2008
Covers the experiences of women throughout world history and illuminates how they have influenced and been influenced by these historical, social, and demographic changes. It contains six main areas: biographies; geography and history; comparative culture and society; organizations and movements; women's and gender studies; and topics in world history.
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.

Additional Online Reference Resources

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.
Biography Reference Source
A collection of full-text biographies, including the complete full-text run of Biography Today and Biography.
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.

Research Methods

Feminist Research in Practice by Maura Kelly and Barbara Gurr (Editors)
Call Number: HQ1180 .F464 2020 Print Books
ISBN: 9781538123928
Publication Date: 2019
A supplementary text for undergraduate and graduate research methods courses. The book opens with a detailed examination of feminist methodologies and sociological research methods, followed by twelve chapters offering an in-depth analysis of six research projects.
Imagining Queer Methods by Amin Ghaziani (Editor); Matt Brim (Editor)
Call Number: HQ75.16.U6 I43 2019 Print Books
ISBN: 9781479821020
Publication Date: 2019
Reimagines the field of queer studies by asking "How do we do queer theory?" This volume brings together emerging and esteemed researchers from all corners of the academy who are defining new directions for the field.
Other, Please Specify by D'Lane Compton (Editor); Tey Meadow (Editor); Kristen Schilt (Editor)
Call Number: HQ76.25 .O84 2018 Print Books
ISBN: 9780520289277
Showcases the work of emerging and established sociologists in the fields of sexuality and gender studies as they reflect on what it means to develop, practice, and teach queer methods.
Queer Methods and Methodologies by Kath Browne (Editor); Catherine J. Nash
Call Number: HQ76.25 .Q44 2010 Print Books
ISBN: 9780754678434
Publication Date: 2010
Provides the first systematic consideration of the implications of a queer perspective in the pursuit of social scientific research.