Library Guides How Do I Find Reference Sources Encyclopedias

Leo Migdal

-Dec 7, 2025, 5:17 AM

library guides how do i find reference sources encyclopedias

Below are some starting points for encyclopedias. Specialized encyclopedias for specific disciplines can also be found on our subject guides. You can locate other encyclopedias, including those in our print collections, using the Library Catalog. Select Advanced Search and enter "Encyclopedias" as a subject keyword. Below are some sample searches. Encyclopedias are highly recommended as a starting point for your research on a particular topic.

Encyclopedias will give you introductory information to help you broaden or narrow your topic, while also providing keywords and terms needed to conduct further research. Many students use Wikipedia at the beginning of the research process. While information and data found on Wikipedia is easily accesible and often accurate, it should not be cited as source material. Because Wikipedia is an open-source virtual library, almost anyone is allowed to edit and insert information in an article. Therefore, caution should be used when choosing to use Wikipedia for background information. Whenever possible authorative resources should be consulted to verify the accuracy of any data found on Wikipedia.

The following article from Cornell University provides an overview of how to use Wikipedia effectively. This page contains definitions of and examples of different types of reference sources including almanacs, atlases, bibliographies, biographies, chronologies, dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, handbooks, and indexes. Almanacs are not usually used for extensive research , but are good for looking up specific facts, statistics, tables and lists about people, places, events, countries, organizations, zip codes, and popular culture such as... Generally, almanacs cover a broad period of time, while Yearbooks, which contain similar information, only cover a given year. Atlases contain an organized group of pictorial or illustrated political, cultural, physical, road, and/or thematic maps. Atlases may be organized around a specific subject, theme, or geographic area.

Bibliographies compile comprehensive lists of resources that share one or more common attributes about a particular subject, person, geographical area, etc. Some bibliographies also briefly describe the resources that are listed. One should consult a bibliography when they want citations that will guide them to specific resources. Biographies contain information about people, both living and deceased - they can contain brief summaries of data about individuals, contain lists of citations of resources about a person, or be full length books detailing... Biographies may cover general important figures, or may be organized thematically/geographically, etc. One would use a biography to look up facts or detailed information about a person or group of people.

To find additional encyclopedias and handbooks in QuickSearch: For general information on searching, visit the QuickSearch help page. Encyclopedias are often called tertiary sources, but sometimes they can be secondary sources or primary sources. They compile information from trusted experts and produce short entries on each item. Tertiary sources provide you with basic information that you might need to proceed with your project, and they can help you narrow your research question. They often point you towards the secondary and primary sources you need for research projects.

When you begin a research project, it is helpful to have a good overview of your topic--especially if it is one that is new to you. Encyclopedias are sources that include basic overviews of topics or subjects; definitions of terms specific to a field of study; provide visual images such as maps, charts and graphs, or they provide primary documents... In Research Strategies: Finding Your Way through the Information Fog, William Badke explains that you have acquired a "working knowledge" of a subject "when you can talk about it for one minute without repeating... When reading an encyclopedic entry, try to discover: There are two types of encyclopedias: General and Subject. General encyclopedias provide brief overviews on many different topics.

Subject encyclopedias provide more details on important dates, people, and events on a topic. Entries are written (signed) by an expert or scholar in the field; provide references or bibliographies for further research; cross-reference other topics of similar interest; published in single or multi volume sets. From the library's home page, type in your topic keyword (or keyword phrase) and include the keyword encyclopedia in the search box Below are tips on how to find dictionaries and encyclopedias relevant to your research. If you are trying to find a different resource or are having trouble, please feel free to use our chat Ask A Librarian service or email us! If you would like further or more specific help please contact one of the University of Illinois's library subject specialists.

They can give you more detailed advice on how to find the resources you need for your research. This search box is made to search some of the reference resources we've been mentioning so far in this guide. Find articles in encyclopedias, dictionaries, and reference books by keyword or heading. Encyclopedias are great sources for background information. Like Wikipedia, the Library's encyclopedia collection covers a broad range of topics; however, encyclopedias have some clear advantages over Wikipedia: So even though Wikipedia can be a good place to begin, encyclopedias are more trustworthy and reliable.

You can search for encyclopedias the same way you can for dictionaries (see instructions above). The library's reference sources offer a wealth of college-appropriate, authoritative information whether they are eBooks or in print format. Encyclopedias - Use encyclopedias to jump start your research with overview articles from credible sources that are packed with information and are wonderful sources for background information. Dictionaries - Use dictionaries to discover the meaning of words and find information quickly because it's arranged alphabetically. Atlases - Visual sources like maps, charts, plates, etc. give you another way to understand and communicate your topic.

If your instructor has told you that you can't use encyclopedias be sure to question that limitation, because scholarly subject encyclopedias are very credible academic resources. Think of them as books filled with scholarly articles that are like well-written research papers. There are many helpful encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks in Widener and other libraries that can give you a general overview of a specific topic. You can try searching in HOLLIS for your subject (see the HOLLIS tab for finding the proper Subject terms) plus the words encyclopedias or dictionaries. Thus: “United States” AND “Intellectual life” AND (encyclopedias OR dictionaries) yields: The Oxford encyclopedia of American cultural and intellectual history, ed.

by Joan Shelley Rubin and Scott E. Casper. Oxford; NY: Oxford University Press, 2 v. Widener | RR 3627.95 Encyclopedia of American cultural & intellectual history, ed. by Mary Kupiec Cayton, Peter W.

Williams. NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2001, 3 v. Lamont | REFERENCE | E169.1 .E624 2001 Widener | RR 3627.93 To find individual encyclopedia articles in HOLLIS, do a keyword search on your topic and in the results list look for Resource Type under Refine Your Results in the right-hand column. Choose Reference entries. Encyclopedia of American Studies.

More Information. Reference material typically consists of background information and subject overviews that are found in encyclopedias and dictionaries. These are called "tertiary sources" as discussed in the previous tab. Encyclopedias and dictionaries were traditionally published as large single or multi-volume tomes; today, many encyclopedias and dictionaries are published in electronic formats that can be accessed online. Some are freely available on the Internet, and some are subscription databases accessed through the Library's website. Reference sources can be very broad in subject matter and scope, such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, or very narrow in scope, such as the Dictionary of Food: International Food and Cooking Terms from A...

Collaboratively produced encyclopedias, such as the online Wikipedia, can provide background information on a wide variety of scholarly and popular topics; however, because anyone can edit a wiki article and there is little or... Wikipedia might be a place to begin your research to get the "big picture" on a topic, and to use the references listed to read about the topic, but Wikipedia would not be cited... Almost all research projects can be enhanced by first finding appropriate background material using reference resources. Subject encyclopedias contain concise essays on specific topics that may be hard to find elsewhere or that screen massive quantities of publications (i.e., Shakespeare) and summarize the current thinking, and present the most useful... Historical and topical survey articles set a clear and understandable context for further research work. Useful for undergraduates or for specialists looking for authoritative information outside their own discipline.

Reference encyclopedias are an excellent source of research paper topics on a given subject. Scholarly encyclopedia article authors select and cite books and articles useful for further reading and research on a topic. Article titles, article essays, and index entries are a good source of synonyms for subject searching and of alternative forms of proper names (wars, persons, geography) that may produce more relevant search results than... Use this guide. Choose a broad subject area to begin.

Library Guides How Do I Find Reference Sources Encyclopedias

People Also Search

Below Are Some Starting Points For Encyclopedias. Specialized Encyclopedias For

Encyclopedias Will Give You Introductory Information To Help You Broaden

The Following Article From Cornell University Provides An Overview Of

Bibliographies Compile Comprehensive Lists Of Resources That Share One Or

To Find Additional Encyclopedias And Handbooks In QuickSearch: For General