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Academic Dictionaries And Encyclopedias

Leo Migdal
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academic dictionaries and encyclopedias

Call the Wilson Library front desk to get help by phone during open hours, or leave a voicemail for next-day follow-up. Use the web form to email us. We respond within 1 to 2 business days. Real people, no bots. All day and night, with help from librarians everywhere. Encyclopedias contain full coverage of information about an area of knowledge.

They can be general or can cover a specific subject, and contain alphabetically organized entries with varying detail. These are great starting points for fact-finding, getting background topic information, learning of key events and individuals, or starting a research project. Below is a major general encyclopedia. See Best Practices on this guides Home page to pinpoint valuable subject-specific encyclopedias. Standard dictionaries give an alphabetical list of words and their definitions, but there are several useful variations also classified as dictionaries. Thesauri contain synonyms and antonyms (opposites) but usually don't define the words.

There are also dialect and slang dictionaries, dictionaries of abbreviations and acronyms, dictionaries of quotations, and picture dictionaries. Dictionaries can be unabridged (general) or can be thematically organized in some way. Like Wikipedia (the free online encyclopedia), the Library's academic encyclopedias offer background information on thousands of topics to get you started with your research. Edited and authored by academics and scholars, the Library's encyclopedias provide information that is appropriate to cite in your research paper. 2130 Fulton StreetSan Francisco, CA 94117-1080415-422-5555 Copyright © 2025 University of San Francisco

Oxford English Dictionary online Find the meaning, history and pronunciation of more than a half million words, both present and past. Encyclopedia Britannica OnlineFind authoritative reference materials covering art, biographies, history, literature, maps, sports, statistics, and more. Wiley Online LibrarySearch subject-specific reference handbooks and guides. Gale Virtual Reference LibrarySearch subject encyclopedias and other reference works. Select the title list at the top of the screen to see a list of the titles included. Browse our subject guides for more specialized dictionaries & encyclopedias.

Scholarly entries on a wide range of academic subjects Authoritative definitions of over 600,000 English words Print and online dictionaries and encyclopedias are available for many of the subjects taught at UJ. Search the catalog for a general subject, such as “nursing” or “psychology,” and then add the word “dictionary” or “encyclopedia” to your search. The Oxford English Dictionary is the most comprehensive work on the English language. It includes word etymologies and quotes covering the history of each definition.

You can access it through our databases below: Once you have identified the main topic and keywords for your research, find one or more sources of background information to read. These sources will help you understand the broader context of your research and tell you in general terms what is known about your topic. The most common background sources are encyclopedias and dictionaries from the print and online reference collection. Class textbooks also provide background information. Subject encyclopedias offer a very quick way to get yourself started on research topics.

They are compiled by experts in the field. To find a subject encyclopedia in ONESearch, just add encyclopedia to your subject heading: i.e.: "Shakespeare encyclopedia."

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Call The Wilson Library Front Desk To Get Help By

Call the Wilson Library front desk to get help by phone during open hours, or leave a voicemail for next-day follow-up. Use the web form to email us. We respond within 1 to 2 business days. Real people, no bots. All day and night, with help from librarians everywhere. Encyclopedias contain full coverage of information about an area of knowledge.

They Can Be General Or Can Cover A Specific Subject,

They can be general or can cover a specific subject, and contain alphabetically organized entries with varying detail. These are great starting points for fact-finding, getting background topic information, learning of key events and individuals, or starting a research project. Below is a major general encyclopedia. See Best Practices on this guides Home page to pinpoint valuable subject-specific ...

There Are Also Dialect And Slang Dictionaries, Dictionaries Of Abbreviations

There are also dialect and slang dictionaries, dictionaries of abbreviations and acronyms, dictionaries of quotations, and picture dictionaries. Dictionaries can be unabridged (general) or can be thematically organized in some way. Like Wikipedia (the free online encyclopedia), the Library's academic encyclopedias offer background information on thousands of topics to get you started with your res...

Oxford English Dictionary Online Find The Meaning, History And Pronunciation

Oxford English Dictionary online Find the meaning, history and pronunciation of more than a half million words, both present and past. Encyclopedia Britannica OnlineFind authoritative reference materials covering art, biographies, history, literature, maps, sports, statistics, and more. Wiley Online LibrarySearch subject-specific reference handbooks and guides. Gale Virtual Reference LibrarySearch...

Scholarly Entries On A Wide Range Of Academic Subjects Authoritative

Scholarly entries on a wide range of academic subjects Authoritative definitions of over 600,000 English words Print and online dictionaries and encyclopedias are available for many of the subjects taught at UJ. Search the catalog for a general subject, such as “nursing” or “psychology,” and then add the word “dictionary” or “encyclopedia” to your search. The Oxford English Dictionary is the most ...