Asian History Resources

This guide lists library resources that can help you in all phases of your research in Asian history. In addition to the reference books described here, the Pace Library has many circulating books on topics related to Asian history. Please see the section below on finding books in the Pace Library for help in locating circulating books. 

General Background Sources

The following sources provide useful background information on topics related to Asian history and culture. You may find them helpful as you select your topic, formulate your research question, and develop your thesis statement.

Historical Figures and Events

The New Encyclopaedia Britannica    Birnbaum Ref
Lengthy articles with bibliographies make this an excellent place to start your research. Consult the index to find information on your topic. See also Britannica Online, accessible from the library's Databases page.

Britannica Book of the Year    Birnbaum Ref 1938-
Annual compendium of world events. Each volume describes the major events of the year, and includes articles about individuals, countries and trends.

Chronology of World History    Birnbaum Ref D11.M39 1999 (vols. 1-4)
A chronology of world history in four volumes: The Ancient and Medieval World (Prehistory-AD 1491), The Expanding World (1492-1775), The Changing World (1776-1900), and the Modern World (1901-1998).

Great Events from History, Human Rights Series    Birnbaum Ref JC571.G74 1992 (vols. 1-5)
Detailed descriptions of major events in the history of international human rights.  See also Great Events from History, Ecology and Environment Series (Birnbaum Ref GE150.G72 1995, vols. 1-4).

Specific Countries

China

Cambridge Encyclopedia of China    Birnbaum Ref DS705.C35 1991
Single-volume encyclopedia covering the history and culture of China.

China: A Cultural and Historical Dictionary    Birnbaum Ref DS733.C58 1998
Dictionary of terms and people in Chinese history and culture.  See also The Historical Dictionary of the People's Republic of China (Birnbaum Ref DS777.2S85 1997) and the Historical Dictionary of Taiwan (Birnbaum Ref DS798.96.C67 2000).

Cultural Atlas of China    Birnbaum Ref DS721.B56 1998
Short cultural history of China with many maps and illustrations.

 

Japan

Cambridge Encyclopedia of Japan    Birnbaum Ref DS805.C36 1993
Single-volume encyclopedia covering the history and culture of Japan.

Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan    Birnbaum Ref DS805.K633 1983 (vols. 1-9)
Nine volumes of articles on the people and events related to Japan.

 

Korea

Handbook of Korea    Birnbaum Ref DS901.H3212  1993
Summarizes Korea's geography, history, population, culture, government and more.

Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Korea    Birnbaum Ref DS909.N34 1993
Key terms and figures from the history of Korea.  Includes a chronology of the history of the republic from prehistory to the early 1990s.

Korea Annual    Birnbaum Ref DS901.K67 2000
An almanac of Korea published by Yonhap, a Seoul-based news agency.

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Politics and Political Systems

Encyclopedia of Politics and Religion    Birnbaum Ref BL65.P7 E53 1998 (vols. 1-2)
Covers the interplay of politics and religion in the modern world.

Political Handbook of the World    Birnbaum Ref JF37.P6 (most recent on Reserve)
Brief entries describe the history, political structure, and political parties of each included country.

Political Role of the Military    Birnbaum Ref JF195.C5 P67 1996
Contains articles on the role of the military in the domestic and international affairs of the world's countries.

World Criminal Justice Systems    Birnbaum Ref HV7419.T47 1999
Lengthy articles on the criminal justice systems of several countries, including China and Japan.

World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties    Birnbaum Ref JF2011.W67 1999 (vols. 1-3)
Summarizes the governmental systems and major political parties of the world's countries.

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Philosophy and Religion

Encyclopedia of Philosophy    Birnbaum Ref B41.E5 1967 (vols. 1-8)
Short articles on key concepts and thinkers.

Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion    Birnbaum Ref BL1005.L4813 1989
Covers the four "great wisdom teachings" of the east: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Zen.

Encyclopedia of Religion    Birnbaum Ref BL31.E46 1987 (vols. 1-16)
Fifteen volumes covering religions of the world.  Consult volume 16 (the index) to locate your topic.

Fifty Eastern Thinkers    Birnbaum Ref B5005.C645 2000
Analysis of fifty thinkers important to the eastern religious/philosophical tradition.

Great Thinkers of the Eastern World    Birnbaum Ref B5005.G74 1995
Articles summarize each thinker's major ideas, and give background information and suggestions for further reading.

Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions    Birnbaum Ref BL31.M47 1999
Single-volume encyclopedia of the world's religions, with a select bibliography in the back.

Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy    Birnbaum Ref Reserve B51.R68 1998 (vols. 1-10)
Articles range in length from a few paragraphs to several pages.  Check the index for articles dealing with your topic.

World Philosophies     Birnbaum Ref BD21.C656 1996
A history of world philosophy with extensive treatment of Asian thought.

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Finding Books in the Pace University Library

You can find other books on your topic by searching the online Pace Library Catalog by subject or keyword. Subject searches target the specific Library of Congress Subject Headings that have been assigned to the books that the Pace Library owns.  Unless you know the subject headings that pertain to your topic, you may want to begin with a Keyword search.  Once you have found a source that you find useful, look at the Library of Congress Subject Headings towards the bottom of the catalog record to determine the best terms to use in a Subject search for further materials.  For additional tips on searching the catalog, see the library's guide to Using the Pace Library Catalog.

Finding Journal Articles in World History

To find references to journal articles on your topic, use an index.  The primary print (book) index in world history is Historical Abstracts (Birnbaum Abstract Wall)This and many other indexes are also available online via the Pace Library home page.

To access history databases through the Pace Library, go to the library home page (http://library.pace.edu), click on Databases, and use the pull-down menu labeled "Subject Research Area" to select History.  You may also choose a specific database from an alphabetical list.  Use the databases listed below to find citations and abstracts, and in some cases full-text journal articles.

Historical Abstracts
Access: http://www.pace.edu/library; click on databases
Annotated references to historical writings (journals, dissertations & books) covering the years 1450 to the present. Over 499,000 entries from more than 50 languages.  Help on searching this database is available.

JSTOR
Access: http://www.pace.edu/library; click on databases
Contains back issues of scholarly journals.  For a list of journals included in JSTOR, visit our E-journal List.

Project Muse
Access: http://www.pace.edu/library; click on databases
Scholarly journals online from the Johns Hopkins University Press.

Academic Search Premier
Access: http://www.pace.edu/library; click on databases
Full Text database of humanities, social sciences, non-technical general sciences and current events.  Help on searching this database is available.

Research Library
Access: http://www.pace.edu/library; click on databases
Contains citations, with abstracts, to more than 1,800 general-interest periodicals. Included are over 500 periodicals related to the social sciences, nearly 400 related to the humanities, more than 150 in the general sciences field, and approximately 200 business titles. More than 200 of the journals are available in full text.  Help on searching this database is available.

Lexis-Nexis Universe   1970-present
Access: http://www.pace.edu/library; click on databases
Lexis-Nexis Universe offers full-text publication of news, business, legal, and medical information.  See especially the World News section.  Help on searching this database is available.

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Citing Your Sources

Once you have finished your research and written your paper, you will need to prepare your bibliography and cite any sources you have referenced within the text. The library has prepared some information on citation styles for print and electronic resources. You can access it on the Pace Library web site at http://www.pace.edu/library/pages/instruct/citing.html.  Please check with your instructor if you are unsure of which citation style to use.

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Created by Pace University Library
Revised 1/26/04
Sarah Higgins
shiggins@pace.edu