The following table provides you with:

  • an indication of which encyclopedias you should use for your primary source.
  • tips on how to find relevant articles in those encyclopedias.

Further tips on searching:

  • When searching for information about your topic in encyclopedias, you may have to look broadly rather than specifically. For example, if your topic is “The Lotus Sutra” and you search on Wikipedia and the World History Encyclopedia as suggested below, nothing would come up. But if you search on the general topic of Sutras or Hindu religious texts, you can find more information about that topic. It will be broader but that is fine because it will provide context for your primary source. 
  • In some cases, you will need to search for the author’s name which will provide you with information about the background of your author (important!) but the entries may not discuss your specific text. That is also okay!
  • I’ve provided hints for certain documents to help guide the search terms to use when looking for information in the encyclopedias. 
  • Remember this is the BEGINNING of your research project. You are going to go on to do more specific research on this topic. If you don’t find very much using encyclopedias, that is okay! You will find more information once we move to Step #4 and you start looking at journal articles, which tend to be more specific in their focus. 
Primary SourceLocation in Sources for Frameworks of World HistoryHints for Searching in EncyclopediasEncyclopedias
“Cave Paintings” Chapter 1, Source 1.4, pages 4-5Look for articles related to archaeology and these Caves for Step #4Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia, Oxford Reference
“The Plague in Athens” from History of the Peloponnesian War by ThucydidesChapter 2, Source 2.3a, pages 11-14Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia, Oxford Reference
“The Plague of Justinian” from History of the Wars of Justinian by ProcopiusChapter 2, Source 2.3b, pages 14-17Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia, Oxford Reference
The Code of HammurabiChapter 3, Source 3.2, pages 20-24Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia, Oxford Reference
A Peace Treaty between Rameses II and Hattusili III, the Egyptian VersionChapter 3, Source 3.3, pages 24-27Document is also known as the Treaty of Kadesh. For Wikipedia, search “Egyptian-Hittite peace treaty”; for other encyclopedias, you can use “Treaty of Kadesh”Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia, Oxford Reference
“The Hymn to Purusha” from The Rig VedaChapter 3, Source 3.4, pages 27-28Also known as the Vedas or RigvedaWikipedia, World History Encyclopedia, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
On the Sacred Disease by HippocratesChapter 4, Source 4.1a, pages 31-33Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia, Oxford Reference
The Analects by ConfuciusChapter 4, Source 4.2, pages 35-37You may need to search under the author Confucius rather than the title The AnalectsWikipedia, World History Encyclopedia, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
The Bhagavad GitaChapter 4, Source 4.3, pages 38-40Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia
Zoroastrianism: Yasna 19Chapter 4, Source 4.5, pages 42-43Search using Avesta (the larger book that the Yasna are from). Also see entries for Zoroastrianism.Wikipedia,  World History Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia of Global Religion
The Hebrews: Second IsaiahChapter 4, Source 4.6, pages 43-45Search using “Book of Isaiah” as part of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament). Also search under “Isaiah” or “Hebrew Bible”Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia, Oxford Reference
“Book 3, Chapter 3” from The Nichomachean Ethics by AristotleChapter 4, Source 4.7, pages 45-47Wikipedia, Oxford Reference, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, World History Encyclopedia
Correspondence with Trajan by Pliny the YoungerChapter 5, Source 5.1, pages 49-52Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia, Oxford Reference
Rex Gestae Divi Augusti : The Achievements of Divine Augustus by Augustus CaesarChapter 5, Source 5.2, pages 52-55The English title is sometimes written as The Deeds of Divine Augustus. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference, World History Encyclopedia 
Rock Edict XIII from the Rock and Pillar Edicts by AshokaChapter 5, Source 5.3, pages 55-57Also known as the Edicts of Ashoka. Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia
“The First Emperor” from The Records of the Grand Historian by Sima QianChapter 5, Source 5.4, pages 57-59Chinese title is Shiji. Also known in English as The Grand Scribe’s Records. You can also search under the author’s name.Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia
Lessons for Women by Ban ZhaoChapter 6, Source 6.1, pages 65-68Search under the author’s name “Ban Zhao.” Her name is also written as “Pan Zhao.” Wikipedia, Oxford Reference
The Laws of ManuChapter 6, Source 6.2, pages 68-70Also reference to as Manu-smrti. Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 
Mahayana Buddhism: The Lotus SutraChapter 7, Source 7.1a, pages 81-84Also search under Sutra. This document is a type of sutra. Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia, The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism
The Disposition of Error by Mou TzuChapter 7, Source 7.1b, pages 85-86This document is part of a broader work called Mouzi Lihuolun or Mouzi. Wikipedia, The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism
Christianity: The New TestamentChapter 7, Source 7.3a, pages 89-92Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia
History of the Franks by Gregory of ToursChapter 7, Source 7.3b, pages 92-94Search using the author’s name. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference
Islam: The QuranChapter 7, Source 7.4a, pages 94-98Wikipedia, Encyclopedia of Global Religion, Encyclopedia Britannica
“The Revolt of the Laon Commune” from De Vita Sua by Guibert of NogentChapter 8, Source 8.1a, pages 101-105Search using the author’s name. Wikipedia, Medieval France: An Encyclopedia
Wise Practitioners: The Arabian NightsChapter 8, Source 8.2, pages 107-111Also known as One Thousand and One Nights.Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica
Informed Officials: Description of the Barbarous Peoples by Zhao RuguaChapter 8, Source 8.3, pages 112-114Search using the Chinese name of this text: Zhu Fan Zhi or the author’s name (also spelled Zhao Rukuo). Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica
Worldly Travelers: from Travels by Ibn BattutaChapter 8, Source 8.4, pages 114-117Full English title of text is A Masterpiece to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Traveling. In Arabic, it is called the Rihla. Search using those titles or the author’s name. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference
“On the Huns” from Res Gestae by Ammianus MarcellinusChapter 9, Source 9.1b, pages 123-124Search using the author’s name. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference
Poems by Du FuChapter 9, Source 9.2a, pages 125-126Search using the author’s name. Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica
Further Reflections on the Things at Hand by Chu HsiChapter 9, Source 9.2b, pages 126-129Search using Chinese name Zhu Xi.Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica
The Merits of the Turks by Al-JahizChapter 9, Source 9.3, pages 129-131Search using the author’s name. Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica
A History of India by Abū al-Rayhān al-BīrūnīChapter 9, Source 9.4, pages 131-134Search using “Al-Biruni”. The official English title of this text is The Book on India or Kitāb al-Hind in Arabic. He was known as an “Indologist” (a specialist on the study of India). Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Britannica
The Russian Primary ChronicleChapter 9, Source 9.5b, pages 139-142Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica
The Tale of Genji by Murasaki ShikibuChapter 10, Source 10.1, pages 143-145Also search using the author’s name. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference, World History Encyclopedia
Epic of SundiataChapter 10, Source 10.4, pages 153-156Also search using the name of the King whom is the subject of this epic “Sundiata Keita”. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference, Encyclopedia Britannica
Popol VuhChapter 11, Source 11.1, pages 157-160Note this text was preserved in oral form until it was written down in 1550. It was then documented in the 18th century by a Spanish priest. Focus on it as an oral story highlight pre-Spanish conquest Mayan beliefs but you can also look at its transmission. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference
Chronicles by Pedro Cieza de LeónChapter 11, Source 11.4, pages 167-170Search using the author’s name. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference
“The Siege of Antioch” from The Chronicle by Fulcher of ChartresChapter 12, Source 12.1a, pages 171-176Latin title of text is Gesta Francorum Iherusalem Peregrinantium or in English A History of the Expedition to Jerusalem. Search using these titles and the author’s name. Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica
“The Siege of Antioch” from The Perfect History by Ibn al-AthīrChapter 12, Source 12.1b, pages 176-179The text is also known as The Complete History. Also search using the author’s name. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference
The Conquest of Constantinople by Geoffrey VillehardouinChapter 12, Source 12.2, pages 179-182Search using the author’s name. Note he is DIFFERENT from the French prince of the same name. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference, Encyclopedia Britannica
The Poem of the CidChapter 12, Source 12.3, pages 182-185Spanish title of text is El Cantar de Mio Cid or La poema de mio Cid. You might need to use the Spanish name for your search. Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica
The Tale of the HeikeChapter 12, Source 12.4, pages 186-189The Japanese title of this text is Heike Monogatari. Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica
Magna CartaChapter 12, Source 12.6, pages 190-193Wikipedia, Oxford Reference, Encyclopedia Britannica
The Secret History of the MongolsChapter 13, Source 13.1a, pages 195-199Wikipedia, Oxford Reference, World History Encyclopedia
The Muqaddimah by Ibn KhaldunChapter 13, Source 13.2a, pages 201-203Text title is also known as Prolegomena. Search first with the title and then the author’s name if you need more information. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference
The Decameron by BoccacioChapter 13, Source 13.2c, pages 204-208Wikipedia, World History Encyclopedia, 
“The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381” from Chronicles by Jean FroissartChapter 14, Source 14.1b, pages 215-218Text is sometimes called Froissart’s Chronicles. Also search using the author’s name. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference
Inscription of the World Voyages by Zheng HeChapter 14, Source 14.2a, pages 218-220Note this text is different from the one erected by Zheng He in Sri Lanka. This one was put up in China. Search using the author’s name. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference
A Journal of the First Voyage by Vasco da GamaChapter 14, Source 14.3a, pages 223-226Search using the author’s name. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference, World History Encyclopedia, 
Letter Describing His First Voyage by Christopher ColumbusChapter 14, Source 14.3b, pages 226-229There is an article on Wikipedia specifically about this letter so look at it as well as the one for Columbus. In other encyclopedias, search using the author’s name. Wikipedia, Oxford Reference, World History Encyclopedia