In the earliest stages of a research project, when you are looking for a possible topic or gethering basic information about a topic you have in mind, some of the best tools to use are reference resources: bibliographies, guides to research for specific subjects, specialized historical or biographical enclyclopedias, and related works. These materials are designed to provide you with an introductory overview of a topic. The best reference works:
In sum, reference resources are very efficient tools to use in the early stages of research paper topic selection and topic refinement; they are practical stepping stones to the next stages of your project. They can save you time and should be consulted as you begin your work. We strongly recommend you start your research with the high-quality collection of over 720 full-text reference sources in the Credo Reference Academic Core database.
Here is a very brief list of some important technologies in world history. All of them have been the subject of significant historical research, so you can be certain of finding sources about them:
| The printing press, 1430s | The steam engine, 1712 | Nitrogen fixation, 1918 |
| Sanitation systems, mid-19th century | Refrigeration, 1850s | Gunpowder, 10th century |
| The airplane, 1903 | The personal computer, 1970s | The compass, 12th century |
| The automobile, late 19th century | Industrial steelmaking, 1850s | Electricity, late 19th century |
| The birth control pill, 1960 | Nuclear fission, 1939 | The sextant, 1757 |
| The telephone, 1876 | Alphabetization, first millennium b.c. | The telegraph, 1837 |
| The mechanized clock, 15th century | Radio, 1906 | Photography, early 19th century |
| Penicillin, 1928 | The moldboard plow, 18th century | Archimedes’ screw, third century b.c. |
| The cotton gin, 1793 | Pasteurization, 1863 | The Gregorian calendar, 1582 |
| Oil refining, mid-19th century | The steam turbine, 1884 | Cement, first millennium b.c. |
| Scientific plant breeding, 1920s | Oil drilling, 1859 | Semiconductor electronics, mid-20th century |
| The sailboat, fourth millennium b.c. | Rocketry, 1926 | Paper money, 11th century |
| The abacus, third millennium b.c. | Air-conditioning, 1902 | Television, early 20th century |
| Anesthesia, 1846 | The nail, second millennium b.c. | The lever, third millennium b.c. |
| The assembly line, 1913 | Optical lenses, 13th century | The combine harvester, 1930s |
| Paper, second century | The internal combustion engine, late 19th century | Vaccination, 1796 |
