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Before You Start...
Before beginning a search for biographical information on an individual, it will help to determine in which categories the person belongs. What is, or was, the person’s nationality? Occupation? Time period? Is the person deceased or still living? Biographical sources are limited by factors such as these.
There may be other biographical sources including subject-specific sources such as dictionaries of scientists. For assistance, please contact the Research Help Desk.
Books
Do a subject search in the URI Libraries Search with the last name first: mandela, nelson to see what we have available Search WorldCat for other books located outside of URI.
- URI Libraries SearchLocate books, videos, online resources and more available through the URI Libraries.
- WorldCat.org This link opens in a new window
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Freely available version of WorldCat, listing books and other materials in member libraries worldwide. Updated daily.
Journals or Magazines
The following databases may help you locate magazine and journal articles on the person you're researching.
- Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
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- What's included? Citations to and full text of over 8,500 journals and magazines, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals. Covers a wide range of academic subjects including the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, technology, and more.
- What dates are covered? Coverage varies, but generally covers the mid 1990s - present. Updated daily.
- Biography Index Retrospective: 1946-1983 (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
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- What's included? Citations to biographical articles, interviews, and obituaries of public figures.
- What dates are covered? 1946-1983
- Biography Reference Bank (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
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- What's included? Biographies of approximately half a million people, from antiquity to the present, along with thousands of images. Includes the full text of articles from more than 100 volumes of biographical reference works, plus thousands of biographies from other publishers. Search by name, profession, title, place of origin, gender, race/ethnicity, titles of works, date of birth or death, keyword, and presence of images.
- Readers’ Guide Retrospective: 1890-1982 (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
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- What’s included? Access almost 100 years of cultural history with citations to over 3 million articles that appeared in 373 leading U.S. magazines.
- What dates are covered? 1890 - Present.
Encyclopedias
Use general encyclopedias such as the New Encyclopaedia Britannica, World Book, and Encyclopedia Americana on the Encyclopedias row (A) in the reference area. There are also numerous subject-specific encyclopedias in the reference stacks.
Encyclopedia of World Biography by Call Number: URI Ref. CT103 E56 1998ISBN: 0787622214Presents brief biographical sketches which provide vital statistics as well as information on the importance of the person listed.
World book [electronic resource]Call Number: URI E-Resource
Newspapers
- Nexis Uni (LexisNexis) This link opens in a new window
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- What’s included? News, law, and business information service. Includes news from national and international newspapers; wire services and articles from hundreds of periodicals; and a number of other reference sources. All sources are full-text. Updated daily.
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times with Index (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
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- What’s included? Page image and full-text index to The New York Times. Additional year of content added annually.
- What dates are covered? 1851 - 2018.
Biographical Dictionaries
African American National Biography by Call Number: URI REF E185.96 A4466 2008ISBN: 9780195160192Publication Date: 2008-02-18This multi-volume set contains a wealth of information on famous African Americans. Each article includes a list of further readings and information about locating published obituaries where available.
American national biographyCall Number: URI Reference CT213 A68 1999ISBN: 0195206355“Conceived as a successor to the Dictionary of American Biography,” which covered important, deceased residents of the United States.- Biography and Genealogy Master Index 1994 byCall Number: URI Reference Z5305 U5 B57ISBN: 0810380021Indexes current and retrospective biographical dictionaries. Covers 1980-1994.
- Biography IndexCall Number: URI Reference Z5301 .B52ISBN: 0000063053Indexes biographical material in magazines, books, and some obituaries. From 1946 to date.
- Current biographyCall Number: URI Reference CT100 .C8ISBN: 0000113344Biographical sketches of people prominent in their fields, including entertainment and politics. From 1940 to the present.
- Dictionary of National BiographyCall Number: URI Reference DA28 D49High quality articles on deceased residents of the British Isles or colonies. Covers up through 1985. Main and supplementary volumes. Check index for appropriate volume. Later volumes shelved at Ref. DA28 .D525.
- Notable American women, 1607-1950 : a biographical dictionary byCall Number: URI Reference CT3260 N57ISBN: 0674627318Includes women who died before 1971. Includes many women not covered in the Dictionary of American Biography. Volumes published in 1971 shelved at Ref. CT3260 .N57.
- Who was who in AmericaCall Number: URI Reference E176 .W64ISBN: 0001468081Historical volume and volumes including individuals who were retired from Who’s Who in America because of death. Often the place of burial is given.
- Who's whoCall Number: URI Reference DA28 .W6ISBN: 0010539395Reliable entries, including addresses of prominent living individuals, mostly British. 1898-.
- Who's who among African AmericansCall Number: URI Reference E185.96 .W52ISBN: 0010811400Provides brief biographies of over 20,000 African Americans.
- Who's who in AmericaCall Number: URI Reference E663 .W56ISBN: 0000839396Covers well-known living people who have made significant achievements or held important office. From 1899 to date.
Created & Revised By
Jeanine M. Williamson 7/99.
Revised Amanda Izenstark 12/10, Madge Boldt 5/12