Research Guides Reference Sources Encyclopedias Dictionaries Atlases

Leo Migdal

-Dec 7, 2025, 10:44 PM

research guides reference sources encyclopedias dictionaries atlases

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. 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.

Reference Sources are designed to help you find information to include in your research paper. They can help you in many ways- Notice the tabs at the top of this page. These will lead you to information on: These are some maps and atlases we have available in the library. Atlases are "bound collections of maps often including illustrations, informative tables, or textual matter."[a] They cover a wide variety of subjects and topics.

Fun fact: There are atlases of the human body. Maps are representations of celestial spheres, usually on a flat surface, "of the whole or part of an area". They are also "[diagrams] or other visual [representations] that [show] the relative position of the parts of something."[b] [a] Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com dictionary.

Retrieved November 4, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atlas. Learn how to search Credo Reference and ScienceDirect encyclopedias on our Tutorials page. Encyclopedia articles, images, videos, and primary sources plus an atlas, dictionary, and thesaurus. Due to the British focus of this resource, some topics unique to the U.S. get ephemeral treatment. In-depth reports on current and controversial topics.

Includes images, background information, pro/con, charts, and statistics. More than 1,000 encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and reference handbooks. 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. Reference Sources are designed to help you get started on your research paper. They can help you in many ways-

Reference sources are authoritative works that you can refer to for quick information. They may contain specific information or introductory articles. Types of reference sources include encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, handbooks, atlases, bibliographies, etc. Use these electronic reference resources to provide an overview of your topic. If connecting from home, make sure your computer is configured for off-campus access. Online encyclopedias, dictionaries, and specialized reference sources, primarily in the social sciences and humanities.

A good place to start, but note that it is an index to over 15 million articles in 11,000 subject encyclopedias and handbooks, both print and online and does not provide full-text articles. Instead, it will connect you to our catalog so you know where to find the appropriate encyclopedia, dictionary or other reference work. You will be linked to UCLA's holdings for any entries you find. Search the database Credo to familiarize yourself with and explore your topic. Credo Reference gives you access to over 600 reputable encyclopedias online. Short encyclopedia articles can help you to quickly identify concepts, topics, issues, and keywords for your topic.

Credo is a scholarly version of Wikipedia and comes with properly formatted citations! Search 650+ titles including encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, & reference handbooks covering the arts, business, health, history, literature, math, religion, etc. Over 1,000 videos, 300,000 art images, and thousands of images for other subjects. These reference works are designed to give comprehensive introductions to their subjects. They are excellent when you are beginning a research project and need an intellectual map of how to proceed. To find out the basics -To narrow the topic --Is information available?

--To identify significant people--To identify search terms --To learn the theory--To plan your research---To formulate questions Search 650+ titles including encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, & reference handbooks covering the arts, business, health, history, literature, math, religion, etc. Over 1,000 videos, 300,000 art images, and thousands of images for other subjects. 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.

Research Guides Reference Sources Encyclopedias Dictionaries Atlases

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This Page Contains Definitions Of And Examples Of Different Types

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Encyclopedias - Use Encyclopedias To Jump Start Your Research With

Reference Sources Are Designed To Help You Find Information To

Fun Fact: There Are Atlases Of The Human Body. Maps