American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, along with Australian Peter Norman, during the award ceremony of the 200 m race at the 1968 Mexican Olympic games. Photo by Angelo Cozzi (Mondadori Publishers) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Background Research
Background Research will help you learn more about your topic, find keywords and refine your research question.
Below are listed some of the reference sources available at the library. While reading background information you'll want to jot down key terms and names that you can search on when finding books and articles on your topic. Many reference sites also include a bibliography that can lead you to more resources.
Wikipedia and Google provide good background material. Keep in mind these sites might not provide reliable information, but they can help you brainstorm keywords and provide context for a larger issue.
Reference Books
The Historical Dictionary of the 1960s by
Few eras in U.S. history have begun with more optimistic promise and ended in more pessimistic despair than the 1960s. When JFK became president in 1960, the U.S. was the hope of the world. Ten years later American power abroad seemed wasted in the jungles of Indochina, and critics at home cast doubt on whether the U.S. was really the land of the free and the home of the brave. This book takes an encyclopedic look at the decade--at the individuals who shaped the era, the civil rights movement, the antiwar movement, the women's movement, and the youth rebellion. It covers the political, military, social, cultural, religious, economic, and diplomatic topics that made the 1960s a unique decade in U.S. history.
Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780313292712
