There are many different kinds of reference sources available for anthropological research: indexes and abstracts, encyclopedias, bibliographies, dictionaries, databases, and periodicals and journals, both in print and online.  Research needs vary, but anthropologists almost always rely on “data collected for past and current research, current and back copies of the major periodicals, and monographs related to past and current teaching/research interests.” (Liu, 2001)*  What follows is a list of anthropological and archaeological Internet sources that move from the general to the specific, providing a basis for general research and then moving on to a list specifically created for Bronze Age or Minoan Crete, a subject which actually spans the disciplines of anthropology, archaeology, and the classics.  As with most Internet reference sites, many if not all of the sites are searchable by keyword.  Ariadne’s Thread is geared toward undergraduate research. “Material likely to interest undergraduates needs to be… popular, better organized, and generally appealing."  (Liu)  Hopefully this pathfinder fits the bill by providing access to both user-friendly as well as informative sites.

The flow of information in regard to anthropology is still mainly print-based.   Researchers and scholars publish their work in scholarly journals or periodicals such as American Anthropologist, Current Anthropology, or Journal of Physical Anthropology.  Many of these have an online counter-part; and it seems that the list of scholarly e-journals is increasing. AnthroGlobe, Journal of World Anthropology, and Theoretical Anthropology are respected sources: more are listed below.  The online sources listed here are excellent but Internet resources need to be evaluated as a rule for accuracy and reliability.  First it is wise to consult basic abstracts and indexes, such as Anthropological Literature, Social Science Abstracts, and Anthropological Indexes.  Online databases such as EbscoHOST and GeoRef are excellent sources for academic research, but they do require a pin or password for access. 

Archaeology is defined as the study of humankind and culture through the examination of physical remains and artifacts.  As a branch of anthropology, it relies on many of the same sources, such as Anthropological Literature and Anthropological Indexes.  When using this pathfinder for sources in archaeology always check the anthropology lists as well, especially for web directories: there is a good deal of overlap.  Archaeology is a flourishing discipline at both the professional and amateur levels.  The flow of information for archaeology (as it is sometimes for anthropology) tends to be broad, spread over both popular and academic sources, and region-based; print magazines on all sorts of topics abound, such as World Archaeology, Biblical Archaeology Review, and American Archaeology, while online magazines and e-journals are also extremely popular, such as Internet Archaeology and the University of Sheffield’s assemblage journal.  Because of the popularity of archaeology among laymen, when compiling the specific list for Minoan Crete I found that sometimes a well-research amateur archaeologist provided overviews of information that were as helpful as any professional source.