Research Guides Basic Reference Sources Encyclopedias

Leo Migdal

-Dec 7, 2025, 3:44 PM

research guides basic reference sources encyclopedias

Start with these resources. For more resources of this type, search encyclopedias in the Subject field fo the Advanced Search of the Library Catalog. These are a sample of many encyclopedias in library collections. For more resources of this type, search for encyclopedias in the Subject field of the Advanced Search of the Library Catalog. For additional resources and in-depth assistance, see the following reference research guides: Oxford Reference Online contains more than 130 subject dictionaries and reference works of Oxford University Press.

ORO covers general reference, language, science and medicine, humanities and social sciences, business and professional subjects. It includes English dictionaries, and bilingual dictionaries of French, German, Spanish, and Italian as well as Oxford Companions and the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. 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. 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. 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 "The whole purpose of any encyclopedia article is to provide a concise overview of generally "established" knowledge on its topic, written for a nonspecialist audience, with a brief bibliography of highly recommended sources for... And there are literally thousands of such [specialized] encyclopedias.

(Don't be misled by the word "Dictionary" in the title of many of these sets; in library terminology it refers simply to the alphabetical arrangement of articles, not to their length, and so it... Source: The Oxford Guide to Library Research, p. 3-4. General and subject-specific encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks are a great place to begin your research. Use them to find topic overviews, definitions, facts, and dates and to fill in context on the subject you are studying. A selection of Brill Online Reference Works.

The GC Library subscribes to a few titles (which have a green icon next to them on the front page): Use the Library of Congress Classification system to find the call number for your subject area. Then, browse the reference shelves in the library to discover encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other authoritative sources on your topic. These are some encyclopedias we have available in the library. Encyclopedias are individual books or sets of book containing information about many different topics OR many subtopics about a topic. These topics are typically arranged alphabetically.

In today's world, encyclopedias can also be found electronically as eBooks OR whole websites. Check out the encyclopedias we have available through the Katie Murrell Library! Britannica Academic is an online [1] encyclopedia, [2] dictionary, and [3] atlas providing articles, primary sources, multimedia, and other unique resources including New York Times articles and BBC News feeds. Summaries of facts, definitions, histories, statistics, and other types of information on large subject areas, organized for quick lookup. Reference sources are generally the place to begin your research, especially when you're starting out with an unfamiliar field. But they're also where you return when you need to look up formulas, facts, definitions, and other standard details; they tend to pack a lot of information into simple, easy-to-use packages.

Many reference works are available online and are accessible through links from the Library Catalog and from subject or course guides, but many valuable reference resources are still available only in print, and a... Because print-only reference books are in high demand, they are kept in separate, non-circulating reference collections in most UCLA libraries. Reference sources are rarely peer-reviewed. In fact, because they mostly contain established, factual information, they're sometimes not even cited in academic works, unless directly quoted. Check your style manual for best guidelines. As compilations of existing information, reference works are decisively in the category of secondary sources...

to the point that some people call them tertiary sources. 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. *Don't know where to start with your research? *Want an expert in your discipline to provide you with pertinent information and suggestions? Start with a specialized encyclopedia or handbook! Professors may have told you not to use "encyclopedias" in your research.

They were probably referring to general encyclopedias (like Britannica), not the specialized, topical encyclopedias that may be highly valuable as you explore your topic. Specialized encylopedias are written by experts in the field and will provide you with both overviews of and context for your topic while suggesting narrower topics to explore as well. Use the references and bibliographies included therein to find more sources on aspects that interest you. Reference sources are extremely useful for providing authoritative overviews and background information on a topic. They will give you the terminology and the key names, dates and concepts that can be used when conducting online searches for scholarly articles, books, as well as for searching for primary sources and... Many reference sources also provide extensive bibliographies that list the important and influential scholarship on a given topic.

USC Libraries has several online collections of Reference books (all require login): USC has hundreds of reference books that provide authoritative background information to help you get started on your research. Here is just a sampling: Encyclopedia of American Cultural & Intellectual History, 3 vols. 2001 Encyclopedia of Jewish American Popular Culture, 2009

Research Guides Basic Reference Sources Encyclopedias

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