Resources For Research
These tools will empower you to find your own credible information and educate yourself and others. Whether you are a faculty member looking for resources to recommend, a student conducting a research project, or a member of the greater Middle East community looking to learn more, the MESC will work to meet your needs.
For additional consultation, contact us.
Research Guide
Academic Research Tools:
- OSU's Department of History eHistory portal- this site provides background information, teaching tools, and primary sources linked to a wide variety of topics.
- Text Analysis Portal for Research- this text analysis tool allows you to search texts - your own or on the web - for specific words, and provides a statistical analysis.
- CIA World Factbook
- Project Gutenberg Online Book Catalog- this catalog provides access and allows you to search for full-text versions of literature in the public domain.
- Middle East & Islamic Studies at Columbia University- provides bibliographies, maps, and libraries with major Middle East collections and news sources.
- Perry-Castaneda Map Collection at the University of Texas
- Expansive research guide by the OSU Middle East and Islamic Studies departments.
See also:
- Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Resources
- Middle East Studies Collection
Open-Source Web References
Note: These resources provide general, academic knowledge on a variety of subjects, available without an OSU login.
On Current Events:
- Origins is a newsletter run by the OSU's Department of History, and they write on current events from a historical perspective.
- Drawing on the insights of expert journalists, activists, and academics, Informed Comment strives to publish deep geopolitical analysis that’s readable for a general audience.
- Al-Monitor is a trusted and award-winning independent source of Middle East news and analysis.
On Middle Eastern Peoples and Cultures:
- Publications of the Biblioteca Alexandrina (the new Library of Alexandria)
- Iranian Cultural & Information Center.
- more on Iranian Culture
- Jewish Virtual Library- This site on Zionism provides an overview of the origins of the modern state of Israel
- The Turkish Embassy (English version) website gives an overview of Turkish culture through visual traditions, arts and crafts, and literature
- Turkish tutor online provides a view into Turkish popular culture and a basic introduction to Turkish language through the popular Turkish TV show, BİZİMKİLER
- The official website of the Kurdish regional government in Iraq provides an introduction (click on Kurdish culture on the right-hand side).
Global Voices Online: https://globalvoices.org/-/world/middle-east-north-africa/
On Islam:
- Article regarding the Sunni/Shi'i divide
- Review of the book "Islamic Imperialism: A History"
- Review of "Journeys to the Other Shore: Muslim and Western Travelers in Search of Knowledge"
- Maps of the Islamic Middle East from Princeton University
- Islamicity Qur'an search online
On the History of the Middle East:
- Middle East History- this comprehensive resource created by the department of History at OSU provides maps, timelines, biographies and key information in an integrated fashion.
- Primary Sources related to key developments in Middle East History
- Avalon Project (Middle East 1916-2001)
- Avalon Project at Yale University
Image Galleries
- Archnet Digital Library - provides images, publication information and references on architecture from around the world.
- One reference provided is the Dictionary of Islamic Architecture.
- The WADE Photo Archive - provides images of patterns in Islamic art from diverse parts of the Islamic World (Morocco to India). Citations are included for each image giving basic information; i.e., what, where, and type of pattern.
- The Middle East Outreach Council has an online gallery of images submitted by its members which are a part of the creative commons. Photos are free for classroom use, but are not allowed to be used in derivative works.
- Mideast images from ARAMCO Magazine (need to request permission):
https://photoarchive.aramcoworld.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
On Egypt:
- Description de L'Egypte, Texts and Documents from Napoleon's conquest online
- "The Burning of the Library of Alexandria" Regarding the destruction of the Library of Alexandria
- Web site for the new Library of Alexandria
OSU-Only Resources
Note: These research tools and references are available directly online to those with OSU usernames and passwords. They can be accessed from home by signing in on the OSU Libraries home page (go to "Off-campus Sign-in").
On Islam:
- Encyclopedia of Islam [electronic resource]
- Venture of Islam [electronic resource] : conscience and history in a world civilization / Marshall G.S. Hodgson