Most of our library's databases have biographical information about famous people, but generally within particular fields. Credo Reference, however, is a database that crosses many subjects and disciplines. It's filled with reference books, such as specialized encyclopedias, on many different topics. As a result, it's often a great place to start biographical research. The video below shows you how to search it.
After searching Credo Reference, you may wish to consult databases for your particular topic. To which academic discipline, such as history or science, does your famous person, belong? Consult databases in that discipline from our list of categories.
Gale Biography has helpful options for searching for biographical information or browsing prominent personages.
Here are a few curated websites that provide credible biographical information about famous people.
You must cite your sources according to the MLA style of documentation.
This is our video that introduces MLA documentation. I urge you to watch the entire video carefully before starting to write your paper. It is much easier to cite correctly as you go along, rather than try to fix your documentation after you have written your paper.
This is our sample paper. You can model the formatting of your paper after this one. If you are unsure how to set up the formatting in Microsoft Word so that it fits the requirements for MLA formatting, you could instead download this blank Word document that has the formatting already set up for you.
This is our 2-page handout that summarizes the MLA style. It includes most of the types of sources that students commonly use.
