REL 228: History & Culture of the Ancient Near East

Welcome to the class research guide for REL 228: History & Culture of the Ancient Near East with Dr. Knauth. This guide will provide recommended library resources including reference materials, books, and journal articles for your Re-enacting Project. 

You can find information on creating citations at Snowden's Online Citation Station or at the in-person station on the first floor of the library. Librarians are also happy to help you with citing!

As you begin your research process it is important to understand the different types of resources and when you might use them: 

• Reference Resources: a great place to start your research! Entries in reference resources tend to be short and can help you gather background information and define unfamiliar terms from your readings. Our physical reference materials can be found on the first floor of Snowden Library and include encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and handbooks.
   
• Books and eBooks: books are a great way to continue building an understanding of your topic as they typically contain individual chapters that are all connected to a larger theme. Remember, you will not be reading an entire book! Instead, look for your topic in the subject index or select one chapter from the table of contents that is most relevant to you. 
   
• Scholarly Journal Articles: these sources are written by experts in their field to communicate research and findings with other scholars and students studying that subject. Scholarly journal articles often use more technical and/or subject specific language, so it is good practice to first build an understanding of your topic through reference resources and books before reading. 

Primary Sources: a primary source is material that records a first-hand account of an event and are usually produced by people who witnessed or were involved with the event. These are original materials that have not been modified by interpretation and offer original thought or new information. Some examples of primary sources include: 

• Memoirs or autobiographies
• Journal or diary entries
• Artwork, literature, or music
• Documents, laws, or other government materials

Secondary Sources: a secondary source is one that analyzes primary sources to interpret historical events or themes. These sources often present primary source information with the addition of hindsight or historical perspective. Some example of secondary sources include: 

• Books
• Journal articles
• Documentary films
• Criticisms or histories of an event/work