Contact info

For Library research help, please contact Moninder Lalli, Liaison Librarian for Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies by email moninder_lalli@sfu.ca or Ask a librarian.

An effective search strategy is to start by finding an overview of the topic by using reference sources.  Look for encyclopedias, directories, biographical dictionaries, chronologies or handbooks.  These can assist by identifying key theories, ideas, authors, and sources of information.  The following resources are particularly useful for issues of importance providing for gender, sexuality and women's studies. 

Vocabulary

• Homosaurus vocabulary (terminology) - although these terms are not used in the "Subject" list (Browse by Subject) in the SFU Catalogue Search, they may assist you when searching for information on LGBTQIA persons. 

Selected reference works

• Gale Virtual Reference Library
• Oxford Reference Online
• Sage eReference

Selected encyclopedias and handbooks

Body

• Handbook of positive body image and embodiment : constructs, protective factors, and interventions
• Handbook on gender and health
• Palgrave Handbook of Feminism and Sport, Leisure and Physical Education
• Palgrave handbook of gender and healthcare
• Routledge History of Sex and the Body : 1500 to the Present

Dis/ability

• Encyclopedia of disability
• Routledge companion to disability and media
• Routledge handbook of disability and sexuality
• Routledge handbook of disability activism
• Routledge handbook of disability arts, culture, and media
• Routledge handbook of disability studies
• Routledge history of disability
• Routledge international handbook of critical disability studies
• Routledge International Handbook of Disability and Global Health
• Routledge International handbook of disability human rights hierarchies
• Sage deaf studies encyclopedia

Environment

• Encyclopedia of Consumption and Waste: The Social Science of Garbage
• Gale encyclopedia of environmental health
• Handbook of global environmental politics
• Research handbook on law, environment and the global south
• Routledge handbook of climate justice
• Handbook of anti-environmentalism
• Routledge handbook of environment and society in Asia
• Routledge Handbook of Environmental Displacement and Migration
• Routledge handbook of environmental justice
• Routledge handbook of environmental policy
• Routledge handbook of gender and environment
• Routledge handbook of human rights and climate governance
• Routledge handbook of human rights and disasters
• Routledge handbook of the climate change movement

Feminism

• Bloomsbury handbook of 21st-century feminist theory
• Handbook of Feminist Research: Theory and Praxis
• Encyclopedia of feminist theories
• Feminist philosophies A-Z
• Handbook of International Feminisms Perspectives on Psychology, Women, Culture, and Rights
• Oxford handbook of American women's and gender history
• Oxford Handbook of Feminist Theory
• Oxford handbook of U.S. women's social movement activism
• Palgrave Handbook of Women’s Political Rights
• Routledge companion to feminist philosophy
• Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Feminism
• Routledge handbook of feminist economics
• Routledge international handbook of feminisms and gender studies : convergences, divergences, and pluralities
• Sage handbook of feminist theory

Gender, sexuality

• 200 words : to help you talk about sexuality & gender [print]
• American masculinities : a historical encyclopedia [print]
• Ashgate research companion to fan cultures
• Ashgate research companion to queer theory
• Battleground: women, gender, and sexuality
• Cambridge companion to erotic literature
• A Dictionary of Gender Studies
• Encyclopedia of gender and society
• Encyclopedia of sex and gender
• Encyclopedia of Sexuality and Gender
• Encyclopedia of women and gender: sex similarities and differences and the impact of society on gender
• Gender
• Global encyclopedia of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) history
• Greenwood encyclopedia of LGBT issues worldwide
• Handbook of Language, Gender, and Sexuality
• Handbook of the Sociology of Gender
• Handbook on gender, diversity and federalism
• Handbook on the International Political Economy of Gender
• International Encyclopedia of Gender, Media, and Communication
• International encyclopedia of men and masculinities
• GLBTQ Archives
• Lesbian Histories and Cultures: an Encyclopedia
• Oxford handbook of global LGBT and sexual diversity politics
• Palgrave Handbook of African Men and Masculinities
• Palgrave Handbook of Critical Race and Gender
• Palgrave Handbook of Gender and Healthcare
• Palgrave Handbook of Masculinity and Sport
• Routledge Companion To Gender, Sex And Latin American Culture
• Routledge Companion to Gender and Sexuality in Comic Book Studies
• Routledge companion to intersectionalities
• Routledge Companion to Media, Sex and Sexuality
• Routledge Handbook of East Asian Gender studies
• Routledge Handbook of Gender and Feminist Geographies
• Routledge handbook of gender in South Asia
• Routledge handbook of Islam and gender
• Routledge Handbook of LGBTQIA Administration and Policy
• International encyclopedia of men and masculinities
• Routledge Handbook of Queer African studies
• Routledge Handbook of Queer Development Studies
• Routledge Handbook of Sexuality, Health and Rights
• Routledge Handbook of Sexuality Studies in East Asia
• Routledge handbook of sport, gender and sexuality 
• Palgrave Handbook of Women and Gender in Twentieth-Century Russia and the Soviet Union
• Routledge History of American Sexuality
• Routledge history of queer America
• Routledge History of Sex and the Body : 1500 to the Present
• Routledge international encyclopedia of queer culture
• Routledge international handbook of heterosexualities studies
• Routledge research companion to geographies of sex and sexualities
• Rowman & Littlefield handbook of transgender studies
• Sage encyclopedia of LGBTQ studies
• Same-sex marriage : a reference handbook
• Transgender : a Reference Handbook
• Transgender encyclopedia 

Globalization

• Encyclopedia of global studies
• Handbook of Globalisation
• Routledge international handbook of globalization studies

Human rights, legal, policy, political

• Handbook on Well-Being of Working Women (NOTE: use the Springer link)
• Palgrave Handbook of Intersectionality in Public Policy
• Palgrave Handbook of Women’s Political Rights
• Research handbook on feminist jurisprudence
• Research handbook on leave policy : parenting and social inequalities in a global perspective
• Routledge handbook of human rights in Asia

Indigenous

• Handbook of indigenous peoples rights
• Handbook of indigenous religion(s)
• Handbook of Research on Indigenous Knowledge and Bi-Culturalism in a Global Context
• Handbook of research on theoretical perspectives on indigenous knowledge systems in developing countries
• Oxford Handbook of Indigenous Sociology
• Research Handbook on the International Law of Indigenous Rights
• Routledge Companion to Global Indigenous History
• Routledge Handbook of Critical Indigenous Studies
• Routledge handbook of indigenous development
• Routledge handbook of indigenous environmental knowledge
• Routledge handbook of indigenous peoples in the Arctic
• Routledge handbook of indigenous wellbeing
• Routledge Handbook on Native American Justice Issues
• Routledge international handbook of Indigenous resilience 

Marriage, family, motherhood, reproduction

• A companion to the anthropology of reproductive medicine and technology
• Encyclopedia of motherhood
• Family in Society: Essential Primary Sources
• Handbook of Family Policies Across the Globe
• Handbook of Family Policy
• Handbook on the Family and Marriage in China
• International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family
• Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies
• Research Handbook on the Sociology of the Family
• Routledge companion to motherhood
• Routledge handbook of anthropology and reproduction
• Routledge handbook of families in Asia
• Routledge International Handbook of Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health
• Same-sex marriage : a reference handbook 

Media or popular culture

• Encyclopedia of gender in media
• Encyclopedia of racism in American films
• Feminist Approaches to Media Theory and Research
• Handbook of gender, sex, and media
• Handbook of global media research
• Handbook of Research on Social and Cultural Dynamics in Indian Cinema
• International Encyclopedia of Gender, Media, and Communication
• Routledge Companion to Audiences and the Performing Arts
• Routledge Companion to Media, Sex and Sexuality
• Routledge Handbook of Celebrity Studies
• Routledge handbook of critical discourse studies
• Routledge handbook of cultural sociology
• Routledge handbook of disability arts, culture, and media
• Routledge handbook of East Asian popular culture
• Routledge handbook of emotions and mass media
• Routledge handbook of global cultural policy
• Routledge Handbook of Indian Cinemas
• Routledge Handbook of Body Studies
• Routledge Handbook of Celebrity Studies
• Sage handbook of television studies  [Chapter 21 Reality Television] [print]
• Social media : a reference handbook

Migration, displacement, refugees

• Handbook of Displacement
• Handbook of Migration and Globalisation
• Handbook on forced migration
• Handbook on human security, borders and migration
• Oxford handbook of migration crises
• Oxford Handbook of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies
• Palgrave Handbook of International Labour Migration Law and Policy Perspectives
• Research handbook on the law and politics of migration
• Routledge Handbook of Environmental Displacement and Migration
• Routledge handbook of immigration and refugee studies
• Routledge Handbook of Migration and Development
• Routledge handbook of refugee narratives
• Routledge handbook of South Asian migrations
• Routledge Handbook of the Chinese Diaspora
• Routledge Handbook of the Indian Diaspora
• Routledge Handbook of the South Asian Diaspora
• Routledge International Handbook of Migration Studies

Prostitution, sex work

• Encyclopedia of prostitution and sex work [print]
• Oxford handbook of the economics of prostitution [print]

Race, racism, discrimination

• Encyclopedia of race and racism
• Palgrave Handbook of Critical Race and Gender
• Routledge handbook of ethnicity and race in communication
• Routledge handbook of the ethics of discrimination
• Routledge international handbook of colorism
• Routledge international handbook of contemporary racisms
• Routledge International Handbook of Race, Class and Gender
• Routledge handbook of Islam and gender

Religion, spirituality

• Encyclopedia of women and world religion [print]
• Encyclopedia of women in world religions : faith and culture across history
• Oxford encyclopedia of Islam and women
• Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Gender Studies
• State responses to minority religions

Violence (harassment, misogyny, rape, trafficking, war)

• Domestic violence and abuse : a reference handbook
• Encyclopedia of interpersonal violence
• Encyclopedia of Rape and Sexual Violence [2 Volumes]
• Handbook of Sex Trafficking: Feminist Transnational Perspectives
• Handbook of Sexual Assault and Sexual Assault Prevention
• Handbook on Gender and War
• Oxford handbook of gender and conflict
• Oxford handbook of women, peace and security
• Oxford Handbook of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies
• Palgrave Handbook of Gendered Islamophobia
• Routledge handbook of gender and security
• Routledge Handbook of Gender and Violence
• Routledge handbook of human trafficking
• Routledge Handbook of the Politics of the #MeToo Movement
• Routledge international handbook of crime and gender studies
• Routledge International Handbook of Violence Studies
• Women and war: a historical encyclopedia from antiquity to the present

Women from around the world

• Arab Spring and Arab Women : challenges and opportunities
• Daily life of women: an encyclopedia from ancient times to the present [on order, Feb 2021]
• Encyclopaedia of Indian women [print]
• Encyclopedia of women and Islamic Cultures [print]
• Greenwood encyclopedia of women's issues worldwide [print]
• Handbook of research on women's issues and rights in the developing world
• Inequality studies from the global South
• Mapping Arab Women’s Movements: A Century of Transformations from Within
• Many Dimensions of Chinese Feminism
• Oxford encyclopedia of women in world history
• Oxford handbook of transnational feminist movements
• Palgrave Handbook of Gender and Development: Critical Engagements in Feminist Theory and Practice
• Palgrave Handbook of Women and Gender in Twentieth-Century Russia and the Soviet Union
• Political and historical encyclopedia of women
• Routledge companion to modernity, space and gender
• Routledge handbook of Asian transnationalism
• Routledge Handbook of East Asian Gender Studies
• Routledge handbook of gender and development
• Routledge handbook of gender, culture, and development in India
• Routledge Handbook of Gender in South Asia
• Routledge handbook of Indian transnationalism
• Routledge Handbook of Migration and Development
• Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge [print]
• Routledge international handbook of harmful cultural practices
• Routledge International Handbook of Veils and Veiling Practices
• Women in Developing Countries: a Reference Handbook [print]
• Women's Lives Around the World: a Global Encyclopedia
• Writers on women's rights and United States suffrage

Biographical

• Biographical dictionary of women economists [online or print]
• Cultural theory: the key thinkers
• International Dictionary of Film and Filmmakers
• Muslim women: a biographical dictionary [print]
• Native American women: a biographical dictionary
• Oxford Art Online / Grove Music Online
• The Oxford encyclopedia of women in world history

Find biographies about using "Browse tab" and choosing "subject" (change "title" to "subject")

• Feminists
  • Fifty-one key feminist thinkers
• Feminists -- Canada
• Feminists  -- United States
• See also entries for feminists in different countries
• Feminists - Biography
• Feminists -- [country or region]
• Feminists -- Arab countries

Chronologies

• Canadian women in history: a chronology [print]
• Encyclopedia of gender in media — chronology from 1792-2012 with a focus on women's issues
• Relating to law: a chronology of women and law in Canada [print]
• Shapers of the great debate on women's rights a biographical dictionary
• Women's chronology: a history of women's achievements [print]
• The women's chronology: a year-by-year record, from prehistory to the present [print]