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Reference Sources Dictionaries Encyclopedias More Libguides At

Leo Migdal
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reference sources dictionaries encyclopedias more libguides at

Reference sources are a way to quickly look-up information and are a great way to get to know a topic before conducting more in-depth research. Types of reference sources include: 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. 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 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. Use online resources to gather background information and keywords about your research topic. Some sources are available as a subscription restricted to PLNU users only. Many links are free internet resources, which do not require a password.

Credo contains more than 600 dictionaries and encyclopedias, along with thousands of topic pages, mind-maps, images, audio files and videos to help you start research projects. GVRL is a collection of over 70 encyclopedias, handbooks, and other reference e-books. Provides access to the most authoritative, inclusive, and easily searchable online art resources available today. Welcome to Oxford Music Online, the world’s premier online music encyclopedia, offering comprehensive coverage of music, musicians, music-making, and music scholarship. All images used in McDermott Library Research Guides are sourced from CC0, no attribution licenses unless otherwise cited. A Research Librarian is available to answer your questions:

In Person or by Phone: Ask to speak with a librarian in person at the Service Desk or call us at 812-941-2485. We’ll work with you to find the resources you need. Our subscription includes access to the Ask Brittanica AI chatbot which answers questions using information and insights from Britannica's collection of articles. The OED covers words from across the English-speaking world, from North America to South Africa, from Australia and New Zealand to the Caribbean. It also offers the best in etymological analysis and in listing of variant spellings, and it shows pronunciation using the International Phonetic Alphabet. Our subscription includes access to the Search Assistant AI research tool.

This tool is currently a pilot, and may be removed from the OED without advance notice.

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Reference Sources Are A Way To Quickly Look-up Information And

Reference sources are a way to quickly look-up information and are a great way to get to know a topic before conducting more in-depth research. Types of reference sources include: 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 art...

Give You Another Way To Understand And Communicate Your Topic.

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. Encyclopedias are often called tertiary sources, but someti...

They Often Point You Towards The Secondary And Primary Sources

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 a...

General Encyclopedias Provide Brief Overviews On Many Different Topics. 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...

Generally, Almanacs Cover A Broad Period Of Time, While Yearbooks,

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 o...