Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies

A guide for students doing GWSS research

Library Research Guide

Reference Sources

Reference sources are generally used to provide quick, factual information or explanation about a topic. They include encyclopedias or dictionaries that are general or specific to a particular topic. CQ Researcher is a good starting place to find information on current and historical social and political issues.

General Sources

These are just a few examples of reference sources that you can access in full text online from K-State Libraries' subscriptions. 

Specific topics

Here are a few examples of reference sources that deal with a more focused topic. 

Websites

There are an almost unlimited number of websites where you can find useful reference information, including: statistical information, encyclopedia-type articles, and laws and policies. Below is a sampling of relevant sites.

When you use a website, assess its quality. Who created it? Where is the information from? How old is the information? Whose voices are represented?


Even Wikipedia articles can be a quick place to get a good overview of a topic. Wikipedia is a good starting point because you can follow their links and sources to discover researchers, agencies, and organizations that produce relevant data, reports, and insight.