reference sources like encyclopedias dictionaries and biographies are intended to

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Reference Collections

Encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, companions & guidebooks, concordances, library catalogs, bibliographies, what is reference.

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• Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature Long, in-depth, peer-reviewed background information on writers, movements, genres, and other literary topics.

These collections provide access to many specialized encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, and other reference materials.

• Map of Early Modern London This project maps the spatial imaginary of Shakespeare’s city, combining a digital edition of the 1561 Agas woodcut map of London, an encyclopedia, a gazetteer, and a versioned edition of John Stow's Survey of London.
• Encyclopedia of Caribbean Literature Ed. D.H. Figueredo. 2 vols. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2006.
• Encyclopedia of Frontier Literature Mary Ellen Snodgrass. Oxford, [U.K.]; New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
• Encyclopedia of Latin American and Caribbean Literature, 1900-2003 Eds. Daniel Balderston and Mike Gonzalez. London; New York: Routledge, 2004. Also found in print.
• Encyclopedia of Literature and Criticism Ed. Martin Coyle et al. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991. Also found in print.
• Encyclopedia of Literature in Canada Ed. William H. New. Toronto; Buffalo, N.Y.: University of Toronto Press, 2002.
• Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature Eds. Robert T. Lambdin and Laura C. Lambdin. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2000.
• HarperCollins Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature Eds. George B. Perkins, Barbara Perkins, and Phillip Leininger. 2nd ed. New York: HarperCollins, 2002.
• The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature Chief ed. Jay Parini. 4 vols. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Also found in print.
• The Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature Ed. by David Scott Kastan. 5 vols. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. Also found in print.
• South Asian Literature in English : An Encyclopedia Jaina C. Sanga. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2004.
• St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture Online. Especially useful for topics in film and music.
• All English Dictionaries A UC Library Search search of all dictionaries in English. (Subject Heading: English language -- Dictionaries.)

Dictionaries of Phrases, Concepts, and Symbols

• A Dictionary of Literary Symbols By Michael Ferber. Entries on literary symbols we frequently encounter (such as swan, rose, moon, gold) with cross-references and quotations. Focus is British literature, but includes the Bible and classical authors, as well as some European and American authors.
• Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable Brief definitions of words, phrases, names, and places with descriptions of origins in oral tradition, history, or literature. Variants include Modern Phrase and Fable, London Phrase and Fable, and Irish Phrase and Fable. Alternative to the Oxford.
• Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable Edited by Elizabeth Knowles. Brief definitions of words, phrases, names, and places with descriptions of origins in oral tradition, history, or literature.

Dictionaries of Specific Forms of English

Dictionaries of Critical and Philosophical Terms

• Oxford Dictionary of Critical Theory Dictionary of critical theory, covering the Frankfurt school, cultural materialism, cultural studies, gender studies, film studies, literary theory, hermeneutics, historical materialism, Internet studies, and sociopolitical critical theory.
• The Columbia Dictionary of Modern Literary and Cultural Criticism Definitions of terms in cultural criticism that includes film, psychoanalytic, deconstructive, poststructuralist, and postmodernist theory. Also available in print.
• Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms Brief definitions and histories of terms used in literary studies. 2008.
• A Glossary of Literary Terms - M. H. Abrams Short articles on important terms and theories used in literary criticism. Current edition in Reference; previous editions in Main stacks.
• A Handbook to Literature by William Harmon Detailed definitions of terms in literary criticism and related fields.
• The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism Online, historical survey of the people, schools, and movements important to literary criticism.
• More critical dictionaries Browse more critical dictionaries in UC Library Search.

Language Dictionaries of Interest to Scholars of Literature in English

Welsh Dictionaries

• Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru GPC is a historical dictionary of the Welsh language. It presents the vocabulary of the Welsh language from the earliest Old Welsh texts, through the literature of the Medieval and Modern periods, to the current period. Print, with some online at http://www.welsh-dictionary.ac.uk/
• British Council's Writers Directory Profiles of some of the UK and Commonwealth's most important living writers, with biographies, bibliographies, critical reviews, and information about awards.
• British Writers Edited under the auspices of the British Council, Ian Scott-Kilvert, general editor.
• Cambridge Companions Online Collections of essays on a topic, period, or author that collectively provide a broad yet scholarly overview. Bibliographies to essays are useful.
• A Companion to World Literature (Ed. Ken Seigneurie) In-depth essays on authors, text, and topics in World Literature from ancient times to the contemporary.
• Very Short Introductions (Oxford) Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise introductions to a wide range of subjects including Derrida, Postcolonialism, Buddhist Ethics, Classics, and Art History.

What is it?

A concordance is an alphabetical listing of words in a text or writer's oeuvre, with where the words can be found.

Ways to find:

• Keyword search: writer AND concordance*
• Subject search: use the format writer -- Concordances example:  Dickinson, Emily, 1830-1886 -- Concordances
• A concordance to the poems of Emily Dickinson
• Shakespeare Concordances
• Bible Concordances

National Union Catalog , pre-1956 Imprints (NUC) Catalog of holdings of many U. S. libraries, including the Library of Congress.  Useful for tracking editions. Print: Main Z733.U57.C22556    

Library of Congress Online Catalog     Does NOT include every title in the NUC but has the newer titles.

The British Library General Catalogue of Printed Books to 1975    Gardner Stack Z921 .B8542 1975

British Library      Advanced search (with search tips) for the British Library site.

• Women in Book History Bibliography Web-based, freely available bibliography that lists secondary sources on women’s writing and participation in the book trades. Emphasis is the Early Modern period in England, roughly 1500-1800. Texas A&M University.
• Literary Research Guide: An Annotated Listing of Reference Sources in English Literary Studies Bibliography for literary research, last updated 2008. Thorough descriptions and evaluations of resources with crucial information about contents.
• Literary Index (Gale) Combines and cross-references over 165,000 author names, including pseudonyms and variant names, and listings for over 215,000 titles into one source.
• ArchiveGrid Online access to nearly a million descriptions of archival collections owned by thousands of libraries, museums, historical societies and archives worldwide.
• Guide to Reference Master listing of thousands of reference works. No longer published, but may be useful in finding older materials. more... less... The Guide to Reference began in 1902 as the Guide to the Study and Use of Reference Books, a pamphlet published by Alice Bertha Kroeger of Drexel University. Over subsequent decades the pamphlet grew into a major reference work and a cornerstone of LIS training. The Guide was managed by a distinguished line of general editors, including Isadore Gilbert Mudge, Constance Winchell, Eugene Sheehy, Robert Balay, Robert Kieft and Denise Beaubien Bennett. The print version of the Guide went through 10 editions and in 2008 the Guide made its début online. The online guide was discontinued in 2016.

Reference sources include  encyclopedias, dictionaries, and atlases .

They may give you a  succinct overview  of a topic. 

They may help you  identify a topic  to explore in depth.

They may provide  quick, reliable facts .

They may include  bibliographies  that will lead you to detailed studies.

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• Last Updated: Sep 9, 2024 10:56 AM
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Reference Sources: What They Are and How to Use Them: Home

Subject index, search hiebert library.

• What is a Reference Source?
• What are Reference Sources good for?
• Is it acceptable to cite Reference Sources in a Research Paper?
• Where can Reference Sources be found?

"Reference sources" are used to locate general factual information on a particular topic.They usually are read selectively for specific pieces of information, rather than from beginning to end. Examples of reference sources include:

• Encyclopedias
• Dictionaries
• Bibliographies

We realize that the term "reference sources" used this way may be a bit confusing, since your professors might also talk about "references" as a way of describing  anything  that you might cite in a research paper. Always be sure to ask your professor if you aren't clear on how they're using the term.

What are reference sources good for?

Reference sources often provide an excellent starting point for a research project. They are a good place to find general background and introductory information, specialized terminology, and lists of references for further research. Think of them as a way to find your bearings in a particular subject area before digging into more detailed scholarly sources.

Is it acceptable to cite reference sources in a research paper?

You may have heard professors tell you not to use encyclopedias when writing a research paper. What they probably meant were general reference sources like the  Encyclopaedia Britannica  or  Wikipedia . While even general sources like these can contain useful information, they are not specialized enough to use for academic work. There are, however, other highly specialized reference sources (some of them even called "encyclopedias" or "dictionaries") that might be perfectly appropriate for use in a research project. Such specialized sources are written by experts in their fields and sometimes include quite detailed scholarly treatment of their topics. These can provide an excellent starting point for your research. Always check with your professor to find out whether it's acceptable to use such specialized reference sources as citations in a research paper.

Where can reference sources be found in Hiebert Library?

We've prepared lists of our most useful reference sources, arranged by subject area. Select the appropriate subject area from the list below to see the list for that topic.

The lists are divided by online and print resources. Online reference sources can be accessed simply by clicking on them. The library's print reference section is located near the main circulation desk (just to the right of the desk as you walk through the front gate). Items in the reference section cannot be checked out. They are intended for use in the library only.

• Anabaptist/Mennonite studies                                                 
• Biblical studies
• Biology & environmental science
• Business administration & Economics
• Christian ministries
• Church history
• Communication
• Criminal justice & criminology
• Mathematics
• Peacemaking & conflict studies
• Physical sciences
• Political science
• Pre-health, nursing, and pharmacy
• Psychology & Marriage/family therapy
• Social work
• Software engineering
• Spanish language & culture
• Last Updated: Mar 9, 2023 9:48 AM
• URL: https://fresno.libguides.com/reference

Writing Process: Finding Evidence

Performing background research.

After you have decided on a topic, you may not be very familiar with it. In that case, you will want to dig into some background research to educate yourself and find a way to narrow your focus to be manageable. Here are a few questions to ask as you dig.

• What are the arguments that recur?
• Which areas of study (e.g., psychology, popular culture studies, religion, science, etc.) have addressed the topic?
• Who are the major players? People? Countries? Corporations?
• Which terms, combined with the major search terms you’ve already used, lead you to more detail?

Places to look for background research:

• Newspapers . You can collect information to pursue for the deep research in traditional, low-tech newspapers. You’ll find several publications around campus, and the library has many more. Be critically evaluative of what you discover!
• Encyclopedias . Reference resources, like encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, etc., can give you a quick introduction to a word, idea, person, entity, or topic. These sources are intended to inform and introduce only and to deliver information that is as unbiased and as balanced as possible.
• Web searching . Spend some time on the web reading: there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. When you see terminology and other information repeat itself across sites, you’ll know you’re likely on the right track. But be warned: it’s usually even more important to confirm the quality of the information you find on the open web than it is to confirm the quality of what  you read in more proprietary sources. Sometimes misinformation spreads faster than the facts, so comparing and contrasting what you discover will lend to the credibility of the information. Though you may use websites, finding an authoritative, academic resource to re-state what you have found will lend authority to your own voice and writing.

Whenever you think about your topic, pay close attention to the issues authors address in your background information. These major subject areas will lead you to databases that have articles on a particular subject. Think about the following:

• How can I distill the issues and their questions into one- or two-word concepts? Are there significant recurring terms or phrases?
• Revision and Adaptation. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Step 2: Performing Background Research. Authored by : Jay Jordan. Provided by : University of Utah University Writing Program. Project : Open2010. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Image of funnel. Authored by : David Trowbridge. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/NHDej . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike

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Reference Sources: Home

What reference sources are.

Reference sources include materials like encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks/manuals that are designed to provide background information on a topic. They contain short articles, usually in alphabetical order, summarizing the essential information about a topic for a non-expert reader. Due to their broad coverage of basic information often left out of more specialized research papers, they are perfect for investigating potential research topics and starting out on a new research project.

Popular Reference eBooks

• Oxford English Dictionary Online This link opens in a new window Historical dictionary of English, covering use of words from earliest times to present day.
• DSM-5-TR This link opens in a new window The Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision, an essential psychiatric reference book.

Reference Databases

All subjects.

• Biography Reference Center This link opens in a new window A comprehensive collection of biographies on notable personalities.
• CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window Explores a single hot issue in the news each week, covering 44 topics, including expanded reports. Especially useful for pro/con presentation of issues currently being discussed. This is an excellent place to search for term paper topics.
• Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia This link opens in a new window This database provides over 25,000 encyclopedic entries covering a variety of subject areas.
• Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window A collection of online reference books on a variety of subjects. Our collection is especially strong in Education, General Science, Medicine, and Social Sciences.
• Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window Opposing Viewpoints in Context helps students research, analyze and organize a broad variety of data on today’s hottest social issues for conducting research, completing writing assignments, preparing for debates, creating presentations and more.
• Sage Knowledge Reference This link opens in a new window Offers access to selected reference encyclopedias, handbooks, and videos with coverage mostly in the areas of social sciences and health care. NOTE - Search results are best when filtered by "Content available to me" to show only articles that are accessible to Utah Tech affiliates.
• Salem Press Reference Shelf This link opens in a new window Reference resources for psychology, health, historical topics, and literary criticism.

Arts & Humanities

• ARTstor This link opens in a new window Curated collections of art images and associated data for scholarly use. Includes links to art images in museum collections and reference materials.
• History Reference Center This link opens in a new window Provides full text for reference books, encyclopedias, non-fiction books, and periodicals from leading history publishers.
• Literary Reference Center This link opens in a new window Provides a broad spectrum of information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and timeframes. Features a collection of author biographies, plot summaries and work overviews, full-text essays from leading publishers, literary reference books and monographs, cover-to-cover full text for literary magazines and journals, book reviews, poems, short stories, classic texts, author interviews, and more.
• Music Online This link opens in a new window Database with streaming audio, video, reference, and scores. Includes the collections African American Music Reference, American Song, Classical Music Library, Classical Music Reference Library, Classical Scores Library, Contemporary World Music, Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Jazz Music Library, Smithsonian Global Sound, Dance in Video, and Opera in Video.
• Oxford Reference Online - Premium This link opens in a new window Language and subject reference works from Oxford Press into single cross searchable reference.
• Poetry & Short Story Reference Center This link opens in a new window A collection of full-text poetry, short stories, and supplemental content, offering users a historically rich collection of hundreds of thousands of poems, as well as biographies and authoritative essays on such topics as poetic forms, movements and techniques.

Business & Marketing

• MarketLine Company Profiles Authority This link opens in a new window Profiles for 10,000 companies. Information includes business description, company history, products and services, key employee/biographies, revenue and SWOT analysis and top competitors.
• Market Share Reporter This link opens in a new window Provides access to the Market Share Reporter, a source of comparative business statistics. Each entry features a descriptive title; data and market description; a list of producers/products along with their market share; and cites original sources.
• Mergent Intellect This link opens in a new window A web-based application that features a collection of worldwide business information including access to international business data, industry news, facts and figures, executive contact information, the ability to access industry profiles, and more. It als includes marketing data including demographic, residential, and consumer data.
• ReferenceUSA This link opens in a new window A business and marketing research database containing up-to-date data on 83 million US businesses and 271 million consumers.
• Legal Information Reference Center This link opens in a new window Provides online full text for many of the top consumer legal reference books, hundreds of full-text publications and thousands of legal forms.

Science & Medicine

• Biomedical Reference Collection: Basic This link opens in a new window Full-text reference database including over 100 medical titles covering disciplines that include clinical medicine, nursing, dentistry, and health sciences.
• Nursing Reference Center Plus This link opens in a new window This resource can be used to get answers to questions quickly, access care plans, watch video demonstrations, strengthen nursing skills, earn continuing education credits and much more.
• Science Reference Center This link opens in a new window Provides full text for hundreds of science encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals, and other sources. Topics covered in Science Reference Center include biology, chemistry, earth and space science, environmental science, health and medicine, life science, mathematics, physics, science and society, science as inquiry, scientists, technology, and wildlife.

Health Sciences Librarian

• Last Updated: Aug 11, 2023 1:30 PM
• URL: https://utahtech.libguides.com/referencesources

• Hirsh Health Sciences
• Webster Veterinary

History (General)

• Getting Started

Specialized Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Bibliographies, general dictionaries and encyclopedias.

• Primary Sources by Region
• Primary Sources by Topics
• Print Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources

Reference Sources

What is a reference source?

A reference source summarizes and synthesizes secondary sources. Typically, a reference source does not contain original research. These sources provide important background and contextual information on your subject.

Why should I use reference sources?

You should use this type of source to help narrow your research topic, find data to support your thesis, and identify keywords and main ideas to use as search terms.

What are some examples of reference sources?

Reference sources generally include bibliographies, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks.

• Oxford Research Encyclopedias. American History. Substantive, peer-reviewed, and regularly updated, the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History combines the speed & flexibility of digital with the rigorous standards of academic publishing.
• Oxford Research Encyclopedias. Latin American History. Substantive, peer-reviewed, and regularly updated, the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History combines the speed & flexibility of digital with the rigorous standards of academic publishing.
• Gale in Context: World History Gale in Context: World History is an online experience for those seeking contextual information on hundreds of the most significant people, events and topics in World History.
• Oxford Handbooks Online Oxford Handbooks Online is a collection of the best Handbooks across many different subject areas.
• Cambridge Companions Online Provides introductions to major writers, artists, philosophers, topics and periods in the subject areas of literature, philosophy, classics, religion and cultural studies in a functional, cross searchable online environment.
• American Bibliography of Slavic and East European Studies Provides information on East-Central Europe and the former Soviet Union. Sources indexed include journals, books, dissertations, online resources and selected government publications published in the U.S. and Canada.
• Bibliographie de civilisation médiévale The Bibliographie de civilisation médiévale aims to provide a comprehensive, current bibliography of monographs worldwide and listings of miscellany volumes (conference proceedings, essay collections or Festschriften). It currently comprises 50,000 titles from 1958 to 2009, i.e. the whole of the relevant elements from the famous bibliography in the Cahiers de civilisation médiévale. Every reference has been fully classified by date, subject and location, and provides full bibliographical records. The disciplines to which the Bibliographie de civilisation médiévale is relevant include all aspects of history, language and literature, philosophy and theology, art history, archaeology, and so forth in the Western, Byzantine and Islamic world. The Bibliographie de civilisation médiévale is fully integrated with the International medieval bibliography: users can either search the bibliographical records of articles (IMB) and monographs (BCM) simultaneously, or select only one of the two bibliographies.
• Bibliography of Asian Studies Bibliography of Asian Studies (BAS) is the most comprehensive Western-language database for research on East, Southeast and South Asia. It covers all subjects with special focus on the humanities and social sciences. All entries are searchable by author, title, year of publication, subject, country, keyword and ISSN.
• International Medieval Bibliography An international index to medieval topics (400-1500) in literature, language, history, archaeology, art, music, theater, Arabic and Islamic studies, and religion and philosophy. IMB covers 4,500 journals and over 5,000 miscellany volumes in 30 languages. Coverage 1967-
• Oxford Bibliographies High-level overviews of scholarship written by top names in the field get researchers and faculty up to speed quickly on topics beyond an area of expertise.
• International Bibliography of the Social Sciences "IBSS is an essential online resource for social science and interdisciplinary research. IBSS includes over two million bibliographic references to journal articles and to books, reviews and selected chapters dating back to 1951. It is unique in its broad coverage of international material and incorporates over 100 languages and countries. Over 2,800 journals are regularly indexed and some 7,000 books are included each year. Abstracts are provided for half of all current journal articles and full text availability is continually increasing."
• International African Bibliography Online The International African Bibliography Online (IABO) is a specialist bibliography of African Studies and contains 140,000 entries of the International African Bibliography published in the years 1971 to 2015 and about 4,000 new publications will be added per year. The IABO can be browsed by categories and offers detailed search options.

Reference sources--like dictionaries and subject encyclopedias, provide overviews of topics and descriptions of concepts and ideas. They can also provide definitions, statistics, and other details. You can use this type of source to help narrow your research topic, find data to support your thesis, and identify keywords and main ideas to use as search terms.

• Credo Reference Online reference resources from numerous publishers. This reference resource can be searched by individual title, broad subject headings, cross-references, audio and images. Use its research mapper to search for terms and topics that are interconnected and displayed in (a) visual form. Examples of titles are: Bloomsbury Guide to Art, Bridgeman Art Library Archive, Columbia Encyclopedia, Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, Harvard Dictionary of Music, and the Concise Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science. The complete list of titles is available on the CREDO Reference site.
• Oxford Reference Provides web access to more than 100 major Oxford University Press dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other reference works in the humanities, social sciences, foreign languages, science, technology and medicine, the performing arts, and religion. Works can be searched separately or across the entire databases. Includes over 1.5 million entries.
• Gale eBooks Gale eBooks is a database of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.
• Oxford English Dictionary (OED) A complete text of the Oxford English dictionary with quarterly updates, including revisions not available in any other form.
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• Last Updated: Aug 15, 2024 3:00 PM
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Reference Sources: Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Handbooks, and More!

What are reference sources and why would i use them, best practices, best bets: multidisciplinary reference sources.

• Types of Reference Materials
• Subject Specific Reference Sources

Reference Sources on the Open Web

Reference resources like encyclopedias, timelines, etc. are also on the open web. If you find one that looks useful, just be sure to evaluate it so you know the contents are authoritative.

Auraria Library

Related Research Guides

• Primary Sources by Auraria Library Last Updated Mar 5, 2024 1389 views this year

Reference sources can provide  background information about a subject or person,  general information regarding a process, and/or definitions of terms or concepts.  Types of reference sources include encyclopedias, dictionaries, indexes, almanacs, handbooks, statistical directories, biographical handbooks, chronologies, and other related materials.  Reference sources acquaint you with unfamiliar topics by giving you:

• Substantial overviews of an idea, field, subject or event 
• Accurate and easy-to-understand definitions 
• Analysis of noteworthy events 
• Biographical information
• Start My Research This is the library's main search tool. Search numerous resources available through Auraria Library including journals, articles, media, books, and more. Limit by material type, publication date, author, and more.
• Enter a keyword(s) to describe your topic and also a reference material type such as encyclopedia, dictionary, chronology, or handbook. 
• psychology encyclopedia
• philosophy dictionaries
• chemistry handbooks
• Vietnam war chronology
• Limit your search to Books / Ebooks (under the search box).
• Click Search.
• Enter a keyword(s) to describe your topic.
• Limit to Books / Ebooks.
• On the results page under Content Type select Reference.
• Example: The Sage Encyclopedia of Psychology and Gender
• Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window A collection of subject-specific encyclopedias, timelines, quotations, and subject and language dictionaries. Find substantial topic overviews, in-depth information, as well as short definitions. Content is heavier in the arts and humanities but includes titles in the social sciences and sciences.
• Britannica ACADEMIC This link opens in a new window Britannica, and the resources bundled within the collection, supply topic overviews, biographies, word and concept definitions, a world atlas, historical timelines, quotations, illustrations, photos, videos, links to relevant articles and websites, primary sources, and the World Data Analyst, supplying customizable charts and tables of statistics on countries of the world. Users can suggest edits and additions to content. Note: Britannica ACADEMIC World Atlas is only available on campus. Check the end of each article for a Citation Exporter.
• Cambridge Dictionaries Online Search in one of Cambridge’s four English Language dictionaries: the Cambridge English dictionary (including Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Academic Content Dictionary, and Business English Dictionary), the Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary, the Cambridge Essential American English Dictionary, and the Cambridge Essential British English Dictionary. This site also provides translation dictionaries, a thesaurus, and English grammar explanations and examples.
• History Reference Center This link opens in a new window Covering both U.S. and world history, the History Reference Center contains full-text historical documents and articles from reference books, history magazines, journals, and newspapers. Additionally, it provides timelines, biographies, maps, photos and video clips.
• Science Reference Center This link opens in a new window Science Reference Center contains monographs, journals and magazines, and reference works on scientific topics including physical sciences, life sciences, and earth and space science.
• Next: Types of Reference Materials >>
• Last Updated: Jun 25, 2024 1:50 PM
• URL: https://guides.auraria.edu/referencesources

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WRI 135/ 136: Answering the Call

• Primary Sources

Dictionaries and Encyclopedia

• Academic Integrity

Reference sources like dictionaries and encyclopedia are often the first secondary sources consulted in a research project like the third essay, and consultation of these resources can be a crucial phase in the definition of a topic . The preliminary research topics we formulate very often prove either impossibly broad or too minutely focused when we actually confront the complex reality of the research-source landscape. Consulting entries in dictionaries and encyclopedias is a good way to plot inter-relationships between concepts and phenomena and discover productive new configurations, or to quickly map out large and complex territory to find more narrow foci that can be satisfactorily engaged in a project of the proposed dimensions.

Select Dictionaries and Encyclopedia

• OED Online (Oxford English Dictionary) This link opens in a new window Considered the most authoritative and comprehensive English language dictionary in the world. Includes information on the English language, its history, and the social, cultural, and political influences that have shaped the language through the centuries.
• Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window Full-text of hundreds of dictionaries and other reference works in the humanities and social sciences, published by Oxford University Press.
• Blackwell Reference Online This link opens in a new window Full-text of approximately 300 humanities and social science reference books published by Blackwell.
• SAGE Reference Online This link opens in a new window Handbooks and encyclopedias in history, the sciences, and the social sciences.
• Encyclopaedia Britannica Online This link opens in a new window Academic version of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is no longer published in print format. For a list of all editions of the Britannica held by Princeton, see the History Resource Guide .  Includes the Merriam Webster Dictionary. Antiquity+
• International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (2nd ed.) This link opens in a new window Covering 26 volumes in print, this major encyclopedia aims to capture the "state of the art" of the social and behavioral sciences, expanding its focus to include related biological fields, such as evolutionary science, genetics, cognitive neuroscience, psychiatry, and health. Topics include anthropology, archaeology, demography, economics, education, geography, history, law, linguistics, philosophy, political science, psychiatry, psychology, and sociology.

Wikipedia is a fascinating social experiment in crowd-sourced knowledge compilation and organization, and it is sometimes the case that a Wikipedia entry on a given topic will be at least as comprehensive, accurate and current as its counterparts in better established encyclopedic publications. Because, however, Wikipedia entries can be sumbitted and altered by anyone at any time, you have no way of knowing who authored the information you’re looking at, when it was last edited and by whom. This means that, as with other information resources on the Open Web, you can only afford to use a Wikipedia entry if you’re expert enough in the subject matter to independently assess the accuracy, objectivity and currency of sources in that area. Wikipedia entries can still be useful as points of departure when addressing an unfamiliar topic, especially if they are well documented and provide bibliographic references to their own source material. The entries themselves cannot be cited in academic work because they are unstable sources of unknown authorship. Entries in professionally published encyclopedia and other reference sources are written by people with advanced academic credentials in the relevant areas and are subjected to the editorial scrutiny of other qualified experts. They are therefore far less likely to contain inaccuracies, suffer from excessive bias or be otherwise misinformative.

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• Last Updated: Aug 5, 2024 3:10 PM
• URL: https://libguides.princeton.edu/answering_the_call

• Information Literacy
• Critical Thinking

Why use reference sources?

Reference sources.

• Meta-cognitive Awareness Inventory

Library Terms

Multilingual Glossary for Today’s Library Users - Definitions

Universal design for learning, assistive technologies.

• Find books and E-books
• Find articles
• Statistical Sources
• Evaluate Information
• Cite sources
• Writing Style Manuals
• Fake News and Information Literacy

Reference sources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, directories, and other materials providing general information about a variety of subjects.  When you need the "backstory" on a subject, reference sources are the main source for who, what, when, where and why questions.  Search the library catalog or the reference section of the library databases to find and locate resources for you writing assignment. 

The reference collection is found on the first floor of Accokeek Hall Library. 

Your professor has given you a writing assignment. This is one of the many writing assignments you will do while attending college. But you’re wondering, why do I need to learn how to write?  I want to be a nurse; lawyer; physician; or professional athlete. Did you know that world class athletes do crunches, run five miles a day, and lift barbells so that they can be in the best shape to play sports? Similarly, writing a research paper (crunches) develops skills that help you succeed not only in college but in your life. Therefore; it is important to get this skill under your belt. 

You wonder, where do I begin?

First, read the assignment completely and highlight the requirements: What is the topic? How many pages or words must the paper be? When is the paper due? What citation style is acceptable?

Once you’ve decided on a topic, then you need to do some background reading. This will help you understand the topic more deeply. Moreover; it will give you some insight into how you want to approach the topic. 

Ask yourself, what context do I want to consider this topic through? For example, you may want to consider culture, society, history, health or a specific discipline?  This will help you  FRAME  the topic and make it more meaningful. 

Once you’ve answered the questions, then you will need to do some background searching in general reference materials in order to find and locate information about your topic. If you do that then you will find resources that provide:

• A broad overview of the topic
• Definitions of the topic
• Introduction to key issues or ideas
• Names of individuals, organizations or that are experts in the subject field
• Major dates and events
• Keyword and subject specific vocabulary terms that can be used in a database
• Bibliographies that lead to additional resources

Now that you understand the significance of doing background research, you ask yourself, where do I begin searching? The answer is in the  GENERAL REFERENCE MATERIALS.  But what are they ?

General and Subject Encyclopedias and Dictionaries  are important sources to consider when initially researching a topic.

Specifically,  CREDO REFERENCE  is an excellent database compilation of encyclopedias, dictionaries as well as subject encyclopedias.    

So, you understand  General Reference Materials , but what other authoritative sources are good for background reading?

Newspapers  are reliable sources that give you up to date historical information on a variety of topics, events and issues.

You can search and locate the most recent premium U.S. news content in the  NEWSTAND database.

Finally, depending on your professor, you may use factual and authoritative websites that help provide background information. 

Typically, informational websites such as the  Federal:  www . usa.gov , State :  www.maryland.gov  and  Local   government  websites provide a wealth of authoritative data and information on many topics.

Educational websites like Prince Georges Community College:  www.pgcc.edu

Associations and Organizations provide useful information on topics of special interest.  Mothers against Drunk Drivers (MADD)  www.madd.org  is one such organization. 

Remember the more background information you gather, the better able you will be to write a thorough and well written paper. 

Content: A reference database useful for accessing scholarly definitions, background and contextual information. Subjects covered include art, biography, business, economics, education, history, literature, music, psychology, religion, and science and technology.

Purpose: An excellent starting point for brainstorming a research topic and building out your initial search terms list.

Special Features: Mindmap; related articles; image search

• Quick Reference Sources The Quick Reference Sources are a collection of websites that have been divided into thirteen categories. This guide links to online sources that are useful for background information and quick facts. The sources provided here are frequently used and mostly general, you can find more subject specific sources under the Research Guides.

Content: Biographical information, full text articles, and other research materials of people and individuals across different subjects   

Purpose: Provides access to multiple sources and information about specific individuals  

Special Features: Includes a visualization tool and browse-by-topic feature that aids in brainstorming topics, a Lexile feature that filters texts by difficulty, the ability to highlight and add notes to text, and a read-aloud feature; Save content to Google Drive.    

Content: Reference e-book collection

Purpose: Users may read the full text of e-books from a range of academic disciplines

Special Features: Includes a visualization tool and browse-by-topic feature that aids in brainstorming topics, a Lexile feature that filters texts by difficulty, the ability to highlight and add notes to text, and a read-aloud feature.

Content: An Archive of National Geographic issues from 1888 to 2020. 

Purpose: Students can view articles and images from specific magazines issues   

Special Features:  Includes a visualization tool, browse-by-topic, and other research tools.

It's important to understand library terms in order for you to do your research. If you have questions about the terminology used in the tutorial you can check this Glossary of Library Terms.

Abstract :  A summary or brief description of the content of another long work. An abstract is often provided along with the citation to a work.

Annotated bibliography:  a bibliography in which a brief explanatory or evaluate note is added to each reference or citation. An annotation can be helpful to the researcher in evaluating whether the source is relevant to a given topic or line of inquiry.

Archives : 1. A space which houses historical or public records. 2. The historical or public records themselves, which are generally non-circulating materials such as collections of personal papers, rare books, Ephemera, etc.

Article : A brief work—generally between 1 and 35 pages in length—on a topic. Often published as part of a journal, magazine, or newspaper.

Author : The person(s) or organization(s) that wrote or compiled a document. Looking for information under its author's name is one option in searching.

Bibliography : A list containing citations to the resources used in writing a research paper or other document. See also Reference.

Book : A relatively lengthy work, often on a single topic. May be in print or electronic.

Boolean operator : A word—such as AND, OR, or NOT—that commands a computer to combine search terms. Helps to narrow (AND, NOT) or broaden (OR) searches.

Call number : A group of letters and/or numbers that identifies a specific item in a library and provides a way for organizing library holdings. Three major types of call numbers are Dewey Decimal, Library of Congress, and Superintendent of Documents.

Catalog : A database (either online or on paper cards) listing and describing the books, journals, government documents, audiovisual and other materials held by a library. Various search terms allow you to look for items in the catalog.

Check-out : To borrow an item from a library for a fixed period of time in order to read, listen to, or view it. Check-out periods vary by library. Items are checked out at the circulation desk.

Circulation : The place in the library, often a desk, where you check out, renew, and return library materials. You may also place a hold, report an item missing from the shelves, or pay late fees or fines there.

Citation : A reference to a book, magazine or journal article, or other work containing all the information necessary to identify and locate that work. A citation to a book includes its author's name, title, publisher and place of publication, and date of publication.

Controlled vocabulary : Standardized terms used in searching a specific database.

Course reserve : Select books, articles, videotapes, or other materials that instructors want students to read or view for a particular course. These materials are usually kept in one area of the library and circulate for only a short period of time. See also Electronic reserve.

Descriptor : A word that describes the subject of an article or book; used in many computer databases.

Dissertation : An extended written treatment of a subject (like a book) submitted by a graduate student as a requirement for a doctorate.

DOI : Acronym for Digital Object Identifier. It is a unique alphanumeric string assigned by the publisher to a digital object.

E-book (or Electronic book) : An electronic version of a book that can be read on a computer or mobile device.

Editor : A person or group responsible for compiling the writings of others into a single information source. Looking for information under the editor's name is one option in searching.

Electronic reserve (or E-reserve) : An electronic version of a course reserve that is read on a computer display screen. See also Course reserve.

Encyclopedia : A work containing information on all branches of knowledge or treating comprehensively a particular branch of knowledge (such as history or chemistry). Often has entries or articles arranged alphabetically.

Hold : A request to have an item saved (put aside) to be picked up later. Holds can generally, be placed on any regularly circulating library material in-person or online.

Holdings : The materials owned by a library.

Index : 1. A list of names or topics—usually found at the end of a publication—that directs you to the pages where those names or topics are discussed within the publication. 2. A printed or electronic publication that provides references to periodical articles or books by their subject, author, or other search terms.

Interlibrary services/loan : A service that allows you to borrow materials from other libraries through your own library. See also Document delivery.

Journal : A publication, issued on a regular basis, which contains scholarly research published as articles, papers, research reports, or technical reports. See also Periodical.

Limits/limiters : Options used in searching that restrict your results to only information resources meeting certain other, non-subject-related, criteria. Limiting options vary by database, but common options include limiting results to materials available full-text in the database, to scholarly publications, to materials written in a particular language, to materials available in a particular location, or to materials published at a specific time. 

Magazine : A publication, issued on a regular basis, containing popular articles, written and illustrated in a less technical manner than the articles found in a journal.

Microform : A reduced sized photographic reproduction of printed information on reel to reel film (microfilm) or film cards (microfiche) or opaque pages that can be read with a microform reader/printer.

Newspaper : A publication containing information about varied topics that are pertinent to general information, a geographic area, or a specific subject matter (i.e. business, culture, education). Often published daily.

Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) : A computerized database that can be searched in various ways— such as by keyword, author, title, subject, or call number— to find out what resources a library owns. OPAC’s will supply listings of the title, call number, author, location, and description of any items matching one's search. Also referred to as “library catalog ” or “online catalog.”

PDF : A file format developed by Adobe Acrobat® that allows files to be transmitted from one computer to another while retaining their original appearance both on-screen and when printed. An acronym for Portable Document Format.

Peer-reviewed journal : Peer review is a process by which editors have experts in a field review books or articles submitted for publication by the experts’ peers. Peer review helps to ensure the quality of an information source. A peer-reviewed journal is also called a refereed journal or scholarly journal.

Periodical : An information source published in multiple parts at regular intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, biannually). Journals, magazines, and newspapers are all periodicals. See also Serial.

Plagiarism : Using the words or ideas of others without acknowledging the original source.

Primary source : An original record of events, such as a diary, a newspaper article, a public record, or scientific documentation.

Print : The written symbols of a language as portrayed on paper. Information sources may be either print or electronic.

Publisher : An entity or company that produces and issues books, journals, newspapers, or other publications.

Recall : A request for the return of library material before the due date.

Refereed journal: See Peer-reviewed journal.

Reference : 1. A service that helps people find needed information. 2. Sometimes "reference" refers to reference collections, such as encyclopedias, indexes, handbooks, directories, etc. 3. A citation to a work is also known as a reference.

Renewal : An extension of the loan period for library materials.

Reserve : 1. A service providing special, often short-term, access to course-related materials (book or article readings, lecture notes, sample tests) or to other materials (CD-ROMs, audio-visual materials, current newspapers or magazines). 2. Also the physical location—often a service desk or room—within a library where materials on reserve are kept. Materials can also be made available electronically. See also Course reserve, Electronic reserve.

Scholarly journal : See Peer-reviewed journal.

Search statement/Search Query : Words entered into the search box of a database or search engine when looking for information. Words relating to an information source's author, editor, title, subject heading or keyword serve as search terms. Search terms can be combined by using Boolean operators and can also be used with limits/limiters.

Secondary sources : Materials such as books and journal articles that analyze primary sources. Secondary sources usually provide evaluation or interpretation of data or evidence found in original research or documents such as historical manuscripts or memoirs.

Serial : Publications such as journals, magazines, and newspapers that are generally published multiple times per year, month, or week. Serials usually have number volumes and issues.

Stacks : Shelves in the library where materials—typically books—are stored. Books in the stacks are normally arranged by call number. May be referred to as “book stacks.”

Style manual : An information source providing guidelines for people who are writing research papers. A style manual outlines specific formats for arranging research papers and citing the sources that are used in writing the paper.

Subject heading : Descriptions of an information source’s content assigned to make finding information easier. See also Controlled vocabulary, Descriptors.

Title : The name of a book, article, or other information sources. Upload: To transfer information from a computer system or a personal computer to another computer system or a larger computer system.

Virtual reference: A service allowing library users to ask questions through email, text message, or live-chat as opposed to coming to the reference desk at the library and asking a question in person. Also referred to as “online reference” or “e-reference.”

Multilingual Glossary for Today’s Library Users

If English is not your first language, then this resource will help you navigate the definitions of library terms in the following languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Vietnamese.

• Multilingual Glossary for Today’s Library Users - Definitions The Glossary provides terms an ESL speaker might find useful and a listing of the terms that are most likely to be used in a library.
• Multilingual Glossary for Today’s Library Users - Language Table Here is a list of definitions that you can also find the translation in English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Vietnamese.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

• UDL Core Apps
• Universal Design for Learning Research Guide

Accessibility Masterlist

This MasterList, edited by Gregg Vanderheiden Ph.D.,   is designed to serve as a resource for researchers, developers, students, and others interested in understanding or developing products that incorporate one or more of these features.

Each feature or approach is then listed below along with applicable disabilities to each feature are marked with the following icons:

• B  - Blindness (For our purposes, blindness is defined as no or very low vision - such that text cannot be read at any magnification)
• LV  - Low Vision
• CLL  - Cognitive, Language, and Learning Disabilities (including low literacy)
• PHY  - Physical Disabilities
• D/HOH  - Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• American Sign Language Dictionary

Search and compare thousands of words and phrases in American Sign Language (ASL). The largest collection of free video signs online.

Braille Translator 

Brailletranslator.org is a simple way to convert text to braille notation. This supports nearly all Grade Two braille contractions.

• Braille Translator

Voyant Tools (Corpus Analysis)

Voyant Tools is an open-source, web-based application for performing text analysis. It supports scholarly reading and interpretation of texts or corpus, particularly by scholars in the digital humanities, but also by students and the general public. It can be used to analyze online texts or ones uploaded by users. (Source:  Wikipedia )

• Voyant Tools (Corpus Analysis)
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• Last Updated: Jul 20, 2023 1:57 PM
• URL: https://pgcc.libguides.com/c.php?g=631064

Reference Sources: Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedias
• Dictionaries
• Atlases and Maps
• Bibliographies
• Other Types

Page Contents

These are some encyclopedias we have available in the library.

Britannica Academic

• Britannica Moderna  (For Spanish speakers)

Britannica School

Gale ebooks, in-house library collection, masterfile reference ebook collection, examples of encyclopedias, what are encyclopedias .

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.

Resources also available include the Merriam-Webster Dictionary ,  Biographies , and  Maps and Atlases .

Use the search bar below to get started!

Access to Britannica databases may require an additional log-in. Please call the library at (270) 384-8102 to obtain the log-in as needed.

Britannica Moderna

Access to Britannica databases may require an additional log-in. Please call the library at  (270) 384-8102  to obtain the log-in as needed.

Britannica Moderna  is the Spanish-language version of  Britannica Academic . Check it out! 

Click the image below to be redirected to Britannica Moderna .

Britannica Moderna es la versión en español de Britannica Academic . ¡Echale un vistazo! 

Haga clic en la imagen de abajo para ser redirigido a Britannica Moderna .

*Great resource for Education majors*

Select Elementary, Middle, or High for built-in differentiation for thousands of curriculum-relevant  articles, images, videos, audio clips, primary sources, maps, editor-recommended websites, and more for student research. 

Click the image below to be redirected to  Britannica School .

CREDO  is an online encyclopedia providing full-text versions of over 3,500 published reference works from more than 100 publishers in a variety of major subject. There include general subjects and subject dictionaries as well as encyclopedias. 

Click the image below to be redirected to  CREDO .

Formerly known as  Gale Virtual Reference Library ,  Gale eBooks  is a searchable database of reference sources like encyclopedias and dictionaries for multidisciplinary research.

Click the image below to be redirected to  Gale eBooks .

Check out  Ranges 1A and 1B  for our in-house reference collection! These books are available to read anytime while the library is open.   Please Note:  Books in the reference section  cannot  leave the library.

There are also encyclopedias scattered through the rest of the collection. 

Use this pre-filter search in our library catalog to find printed materials with "encyclopedia" as a keyword. You will find books located in both the reference section and the general collection.  Please Note:  Any books  not found  in the reference section (or found in the general collection) can be checked out.

Use this pre-filtered search in our library catalog to find eBooks with "encyclopedia" as a keyword.

MasterFILE Reference eBook Collection  offers a rich selection of eBook titles covering a broad range of general reference subject. Topics include biography, history, careers, cooking, literature, travel, genealogy, health, parenting, personal finance, politics, architecture, science, current events, social-emotional health, and sports.

Click the image below to be redirect to  MasterFILE Reference eBook Collection .

Image from the  Chambers County Library System (TX) .

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• Last Updated: Jun 6, 2024 12:30 PM
• URL: https://libguides.lindsey.edu/references
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Reference Sources in the Social Sciences and Humanities

• Online Reference Collections

General Biographical Indexes

Biographies - politics and government, biographies - literature, biographies - the arts, biographies - education.

• Book Reviews
• Citation Styles
• Dictionaries
• Directories
• Dissertations
• Encyclopedias

Online encyclopedias, dictionaries, and specialized reference sources, primarily in the social sciences and humanities.

Marquis Who Who on the Web provides biographies of over 1.4 million people of note, in the United States and around the world. It is the online counterpart of Marquis renowned biographical dictionaries. All biographies since 1985 are included.

biography; people; biographical archive

An illustrated collection of 60,000 biographies of men and women who shaped all aspects of Britain's history, up to the present.

DNB; biography; reference

Full-text news (including broadcast transcripts), business, legal, and reference information. Useful for finding full-text of current performing arts and media industry news in major newspapers. Includes biographical information from Who's Who titles. Formerly LexisNexis Academic.

• Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• Elektronische Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie Combining Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie and Neue Deutsche Biographie, contains biographies of prominent Germans from the earliest period to the present.
• Biographical Dictionary
• Biography.com
• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774 - present
• Judges of the United States Courts
• POTUS: Presidents of the United States
• Native American Authors
• IAWA Biographical Database of Women in Architecture Compiled by the International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA), this database's focus is on historical rather than current women architects. Includes links to inventories of IAWA archival collections.
• University of California In Memoriam Online biographies of UC faculty and administrators from 1928 to 2001. Many memorials for the years 1928-2001 could previously be found at the University of California History Digital Archives. However, that site is no longer maintained. This Internet Archive site allows you to find memorials listed alphabetically by name, but you will have to copy-and-paste the URL that appears after you click on a name.
• In Memoriam, 2002- The In Memoriam is an Academic Senate publication produced by its faculty to honor deceased colleagues.
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• Last Updated: Aug 22, 2024 3:43 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.ucla.edu/reference

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries: Home

Online encyclopedia collections, print encyclopedias on the main floor, other encyclopedias and dictionaries.

• Ask a Librarian
• Gale Reference eBooks This link opens in a new window Provides a database of encyclopedias and reference sources for research. Coverage include the Arts, Business, Education, the Environment, History, Literature, Medicine, Multicultural Studies, Religion, Science and Social Science. 2000 – present.
• Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window Combines reference coverage of the full subject spectrum with the resources of Oxford Companions. Quick and easy retrieval of subject reference entries, bilingual dictionaries, English dictionaries, and quotations & proverbs. 5 users.
• Sage Knowledge This link opens in a new window A comprehensive source for researchers in the social sciences. Content includes reference books (encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks) in areas like business, education, international relations, psychology, and others social science disciplines).

While thousands of our encyclopedias are available online, some reference works are only available in print. All titles are included in Muscat Plus . You may also browse by subject using their call numbers. 

If you're looking for an encyclopedia or dictionary on a specific topic, stop at the Research Help Desk on the main floor for assistance .

Language Dictionaries

• Dictionary of Old English The Dictionary of Old English Web Corpus is an online database consisting of at least one copy of every surviving Old English text. In some cases, more than one copy is included, if it is significant because of dialect or date. Best to view in Chrome browser.
• Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics Covers all aspects of Arabic languages and linguistics. It is interdisciplinary in scope and represents different schools and approaches.
• Oxford English Dictionary Provides full-text access to the Oxford English Dictionary. The OED is regarded as the most authoritative and comprehensive English language dictionary in the world. It contains over 600,000 entries and 3.5 million illustrative quotations. Use quick or advanced search, or browse words by subject, usage, region, or origin.
• Oxford Language Dictionaries Online This link opens in a new window Provides searchable, comprehensive bilingual dictionaries in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish based on languages as they're used today. Includes articles, quizzes, and tips to help users understand how languages are used in modern culture. Offers quick-search access to definitions of words, phrases, and idioms, with expert guidance on style, usage, grammar, and spelling.

Issues in the News

• Issues and Controversies This link opens in a new window Provides articles about more than 800 hot topics in business, politics, government, education, and popular culture. Updated weekly, with links to a 12-year back-file, Issues and Controversies offers in-depth articles made to inspire thought-provoking debates.
• CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window Provides research and analysis of political issues, news, the American Congress, social trends, elections, international affairs, and more. Subscribed sub-collections include: CQ Almanac, Congress Collection, CQ Magazine, and Voting and Elections Collection. 1923 – present.

Art and Music

• Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window Provides access to biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses on over 130,000 writers in all disciplines, from all time periods and from around the world.
• Oxford Art Online (formerly Grove Art Online) This link opens in a new window Provides full-text access to Grove Art Online, The Oxford Companion to Western Art, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Contents include encyclopedia-length articles, thumbnail art images and line drawings, extensive image links, and more.
• Oxford Music Online (formerly Grove Music Online) This link opens in a new window Provides full-text access to Grove Music Online, The Oxford Dictionary of Music, and The Oxford Companion to Music.

Religion and Philosophy

• Digital Dictionary of Buddhism A compilation of Chinese ideograph-based terms, texts, temples, schools, and persons found in Buddhist canonical sources. Provides comprehensive coverage—more than 66,000 entries—and serves as a basic reference tool for the field of Buddhist and East Asian studies. Navigation: linear hypertext links and a general keyword search box (no advanced search).
• Encyclopedia Islamica Provides "entries on important themes, subjects and personages in Islam generally [and] ... offers the western reader an opportunity to appreciate the various dimensions of ShiΜi Islam, the Persian contribution to Islamic civilisation, and the spiritual dimensions of the Islamic tradition."
• Encyclopedia of Islam, Third Edition Provides the authoritative source on the religion of Islam, and also on the believers and the countries in which they live. 3 users.
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Provides entries by hundreds of experts from the international philosophy community.

Biographical Information

• American National Biography This link opens in a new window Offers biographies of more than 17,400 men and women from all eras and walks of life whose lives have shaped the United States. Includes only persons who are deceased.
• Biography in Context This link opens in a new window Includes full-text journal articles containing biographical information on people throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas.
• Dictionary of Canadian Biography Provides biographies of Canadians who died between 1000 and 1930.
• Last Updated: Jul 12, 2024 11:19 AM
• URL: https://libguides.gettysburg.edu/encyclopedia

Encyclopedias and Other Reference Sources

Multi-subject encyclopedia collections.

• Subject Encyclopedias: Humanities

Subject Encyclopedias: Social Sciences

Subject encyclopedias: sciences.

• Dictionaries
• Directories
• Handbooks and Manuals
• Almanacs and Yearbooks

Encyclopedias

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.

Subject Encyclopedias: Arts and Humanities

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• Last Updated: Aug 19, 2024 9:12 PM
• URL: https://library.usfca.edu/encyclopedias

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Biography – Reference Sources

Introduction.

The Newberry collections provide excellent support for biographical research, both on famous individuals and on everyday people. The following resources will help you search the Newberry’s collections for information on individual lives. This is not intended as a comprehensive list of our works on biography; instead, this guide provides a selection of relevant works to serve as an overview of the sorts of materials you will find in the Newberry collections. Reference librarians are happy to help you find additional items or information.

These reference works are a good starting point for biographical research, since they index many of the other resources listed in this guide.

American Biographical Index . New York: Saur, 1993. Call Number: Ref CT 211 .A45 (Biography Index Table). Index to 368 biographical reference works published between 1702 and 1956; Newberry holdings are marked in volume one.

Black Biography, 1790-1950: A Cumulative Index . Alexandria, VA: Chadwych-Healy, 1991. Call Number: Ref Z 1361 .N39 B52 1990 (Biography Index Table). May be used as an index to the 297 titles included in the microfilm set titled: Black Biographical Dictionaries, 1790-1950 (Microfiche 5428).

Biography Index . New York: H. W. Wilson. Call Number: Ref Z 5301 .B5 (Biography Index Table). Cites biographical material appearing in 3000+ periodicals, and 2000+ current books of individual and collective biography.

Biography and Genealogy Master Index . Detroit: Gale, 1980-90. Call Number: Ref Z 5305 .U5 B57 1980-90 (Biography Index Table). Index to millions of biographical sketches in 2700+ works covering figures throughout the world. *This resource is also available online via the Library’s subscription to Ancestry Library Edition.

British Biographical Index . New York: Saur, 1990. Call Number: Ref CT 773 .C75 1990 (Biography Index Table). Index to 334 biographical reference works published between 1601 and 1929; Newberry holdings marked in volume one.

Index Biographique Francais . London: Saur, 1993. Call Number: Ref CT 1003 .I53 1993 (Biography Index Table). Index to 180 biographical reference works published between 1647 and 1986; Newberry holdings marked in volume one.

Indice biografico de Espana, Portugal e Iberoamericana . New York: Saur, 1990. Call Number: Ref CT 1345 .I53 1990 (Biography Index Table). Index to 306 biographical reference works published between the 17th and 20th centuries.

Indice Biografico Italiano . New York: Saur, 1993. Call Number: Ref CT 1123 .I53 1993 (Biography Index Table). Index to 321 biographical reference works published between the 17th and 20th centuries.

New York Times Obituaries Index . New York: New York Times, 1970-1980. Call Number: Ref CT 213 .N47 (Biography Index Table). Alphabetical listing of “Deaths” from The New York Times, 1858-1978.

Personal Name Index to "The New York Times Index," 1851-1996 . Succasunna, NJ: RDI, 1976-1996. Call Number: Ref Z 5301 .F28 1976 (Biography Index Table). Citations refer to the New York Times Index, call number Ref A I21 .N45.

Women in Particular . Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1984. Call Number: Ref HQ 1412 .H47 1984. Index to American women from 54 works of collective biography.

Biographical Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Biographical dictionaries and encyclopedias contain biographical sketches with bibliographies to lead you to additional information on the subjects. The dictionaries and encyclopedias are organized based on shared personal characteristics, such as nationality, ethnic heritage, profession, or time period.

National Biographies: American

American National Biography . New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Call Number: Ref CT 213 .A68 1999. Successor to the Dictionary of American Biography.

Dictionary of American Biography . New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, 1928-1958. Call Number: Ref E 176 .D56 and D563, plus Index and Supplements. This reference work of individual biographies is limited to Americans no longer living who have made some significant contribution to American life. The fourth supplement brings the data up to 1950.

National Cyclopedia of American Biography . Clifton, NJ: White, 1984. Call Number: Ref E 176 .N27. Comprehensive American biographical dictionary covers 1892-1984. Not alphabetical, use volume indexes and the general index, call number Ref E 176 .N27 Index.

Other National Biographies

Biographisch Woordenboek der Nederlanden . Amsterdam : B. M. Israël, 1969. Call Number: Ref CT 1143 .A22 1969.

Deutsche Biographische Enzyklopädie (DBE) . New Providence : K.G. Saur, 1995-2000. Call Number: Ref CT 759 .D48 1995.

Dictionnaire de Biographie Francaise . Paris : Letouzey et Ané, 1933- Call Number: Ref CT 143 .D5.

Dictionary of Canadian Biography . Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1966-2005. Call Number: Ref F 1005 .D49.

Dictionary of Irish Biography: From the Earliest Times to the Year 2002 . New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Call Number: Ref CT 863 .D53 2009.

Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani . Roma : Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, 1960-. Call Number: Ref CT 1123 .D5.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Call Number: Ref DA 28 .O95 2004. The major reference work for British biography, including inhabitants of the British Isles and the colonies, as well as Americans of the colonial period. It does not include persons alive as of 31 December 2000. The previous edition (Ref DA 28 .D47) and its many supplements are useful for a Victorian perspective on figures before 1900.

Ethnic and Gender-Based Biographies

African American National Biography . New York: Oxford University Press, 2008 Call Number: Ref E 185.96 .A4466 2008.

American Indian Biographies . Pasadena: Salem Press, 1999. Call Number: Ref E 89 .A46 1999.

Notable American Women . Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1971. Call Number: Ref CT 3260 .N57.

Professional Biographies

Biographical Dictionary of English Court Musicians, 1485-1714 . Brookfield: Ashgate, 1998. Call Number: Ref ML 106 .G7 B56 1998.

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-1989 . Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1989. Call Number: Ref JK 1010 .A5 1989.

Dictionary of Literary Biography . Detroit: Gale, 1978-. Call Number: Ref PN 451 .D5. This series of biographical essays is arranged by genre within periods. Subjects include authors, book collectors, book sellers, editors, journalists, and publishers. Biographical information is integrated with brief synopses and criticism. Selected bibliographies include primary and secondary sources.

World Explorers and Discoverers . New York: Maxwell Macmillan International, 1992. Call Number: Ref G 200 .W67 1992.

Biographies by Time Period

Contemporaries of Erasmus: A Biographical Register of the Renaissance and Reformation . Buffalo: University of Toronto Press, 1985-1987. Call Number: Ref CT 116 .C65 1985.

Bibliographies

Bibliographies will lead you to print and manuscript biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs.

American Diaries: An Annotated Bibliography of Published American Diaries and Journals . Detroit: Gale Research, 1983-1987. Call Number: Ref Z 5305 .U5 A74 1983.

American Diaries in Manuscript, 1580-1954: A Descriptive Bibliography . Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 1974. Call Number: Ref Z 5305 .U5 M32.

Biographical Dictionaries and Related Works . Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1986. Call Number: Ref Z 5301 .S55 1986.

Biographies of American Women: An Annotated Bibliography . Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio, 1990. Call Number: Ref Z 7963 .B6 S88 1990.

Remembered Childhoods: A Guide to Autobiography and Memoirs of Childhood and Youth . Call Number: Ref Z 5304 .C5 L66 2007.

Tips for Searching the Online Catalog

The Newberry collections contain so many biographical resources that keyword searching can be overwhelming. For more manageable results, search the catalog by subject.

To locate information on a well-known individual, search for his or her name as a subject:

• Dickinson, Emily

To find information on some individuals, you may need to search for works on wider topics. To locate these, search by subject for phrases such as the following:

Ethnic Group

• African Americans – Biography
• Indians of North America – Biography
• Blatchford Family
• Chicago (Ill.) – Biography
• Cook County (Ill.) – Biography
• Illinois – Biography
• West (U.S.) – Biography
• United States – Biography
• Architects – Great Britain – Biography
• American Literature – Bio-bibliography
• Authors – 19th century – Biography
• Clergy – Biography
• Railroads – Biography

Time Period

• Biography –Middle Ages, 500-1500
• United States – History – Civil War, 1861-1865 – Biography

For accounts of individual lives, search by subject for phrases such as the following:

• Autobiographies
• Autobiography
• Captivity narratives
• Slave narratives

Tips for Locating Manuscript Collections at the Newberry

Many of the Newberry’s manuscript collections are searchable in the online catalog. You can also search the following phrases as a subject in the online catalog to locate manuscript materials:

• Correspondence
• Manuscripts, American

To locate manuscript collections that are not accessible in the online catalog, use the Modern Manuscripts Abstract Search . You can search across manuscript inventories by using ArchiveGrid .

Online Resources

Subscription Databases

In recent years, the Newberry has supplemented its collections by subscribing to several databases. These are available for use on all Newberry computers and, in some cases, on personal laptops within the library. These resources are not available outside the Newberry building.

Ancestry Library Edition.

This database, which contains the largest collection of family history documents on the web, is useful for learning about individuals. Ancestry allows you to search the U.S. Federal Census, which contains extensive information on individuals. The database also provides access to bibliographies and biographical indexes, as well as to digitized periodicals.

HeritageQuest Online.

HeritageQuest is another database centered on family history materials. Like Ancestry Library Edition, this database contains many tools useful for local historians, including the Periodical Source Index, the U.S. Federal Census, and digitized books and periodicals.

Historical Chicago Tribune.

Using this database you can search issues of the Chicago Tribune published from 1849 through 1985. The search interface allows you to limit your search to obituaries, and to limit by date.

Historical New York Times.

Using this database, you can search issues of the New York Times published from 1851 through 2003. The search interface allows you to limit your search to obituaries, and to limit by date.

Free Resources

American Social History Online.

More than 175 collections of material about life in nineteenth and twentieth century America are accessible through this repository, a project of the Digital Library Federation. You can search by place, subject, or time period.

Cyndi’s List: Biographies.

More than 200 biographical resources are available in this guide to biographies from Cyndi’s List, an aggregator of genealogical resources on the Internet.

Family History Archive.

This collection of more than 15,000 full-text resources includes county and local histories, family histories, and articles from genealogical and local history journals. Works have been contributed by nine major genealogy repositories, including Allen County Public Library, the Family History Library, and the Mid-Continent Public Library Midwest Genealogy Center.

Google Books.

Google Books contains full-text digital versions of many autobiographies, biographies, and biographical resources. To limit your search to retrieve the most relevant results, use the advanced search interface, search by subject, search “full view only,” and limit the dates of publication.

HathiTrust Digital Library.

The HathiTrust Digital Library contains more than 2 million works in the public domain that are available in full-text. Works are contributed by more than 50 research libraries. To limit your search to retrieve the most relevant results, choose the search the catalog option, search by subject, and search “full view only.”

Internet Archive.

The Internet Archive is creating an online library of audio materials, books, moving images, photographs, software, and web sites. The Newberry Library has collaborated with the Internet Archive to digitize several congregational, professional, and social directories, which contain biographical information. You can search the archive by contributor to locate all materials provided by the Newberry Library. Alternatively, you can search the complete archive by subject, or by title.

Making of America.

The Making of America website is a digital library of more than 10,000 books and 50,000 journal articles published in the United States between 1850 and 1877. Biographical bibliograpies, biographical dictionaries, biographies, compilation biographies, and county histories are included in the collection.

Have a Question?

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Encyclopedias & other reference sources.

Reference resources, such as encyclopedias, handbooks, and dictionaries, are great starting points for research and finding background on any subject.  Visit our online Reference Guide  for a complete list of resources.

Recommended Resources

Credo reference.

A collection of hundreds electronic encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, statistical sources, biographical tools, thesauri, books of quotations, image collections, and subject-specific titles covering everything from art to technology, from music to medicine. Also included is a "Research Mapper," a visual map that displays the connections between search results and topics in an interactive format. 

Encyclopaedia Britannica

CQ Researcher

This weekly publication provides in-depth reports on current and controversial issues of the day with complete summaries, insight into all sides of the issues, bibliographies and more. A good starting point for pro/con topics.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context

Find information and opinions on today's hottest social issues. Entries include topic overviews, full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, statistics, images, videos, audio files and links to vetted websites on a wide variety of current topics.

Salem Press

What everyone needs to know, gale virtual reference library.

A collection of specialized reference sources in a variety of academic areas including Asian studies, Religion, History, Food & Nutrition, and Biology.

Oxford online encyclopedias

A collection of 30 online encyclopedias published by Oxford University Press. Subjects range from food to Mesoamerican cultures.

Oxford English Dictionary

The OED contains the complete contents of the 20-volume Second Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary and three Additions volumes published from 1993-97. It also includes quarterly releases of work in progress from the complete revision of the OED which is currently underway. Each of the 616,000 entries contains the etymology, definition, part of speech, date of origination, pronunciation, cross-references, and quotations.

• Search your broad topic in Search@UW .  Then refine your results by limiting the resource type to "Reference Entries."
• Search your broad topic in  Search@UW .  Limit the scope to "Books & Media (UWSP)" and add the term ​ encyclopedia  to your search.
• Ask Us! for help.

• Library Homepage

United States History: Reference Sources

• Library Research Strategies
• Reference Sources
• How to Find Books
• How to Find Articles
• Primary Sources
• Audio & Visual Sources
• News Sources

Reference Sources for U.S. History

• Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
• Histories & Chronologies
• Atlases & Gazetteers
• Biography Sources
• Historical Statistics
• Historiography & History as a Profession

An encyclopedia article or dictionary entry can give you a broad overview of your topic.

Articles like these can help you to identify key concepts, to define key terms, and to discover who has done important work on your topic. they often also include bibliographies to guide your further reading..

Encyclopedia of American studies .  Published by Johns Hopkins University Press for the American Studies Association (ASA), the Encyclopedia of American Studies is an open access resource that covers the history, philosophy, arts, and cultures of the United States in relation to the world, from pre-colonial days to the present, from various perspectives and the global American Studies movement.

Encyclopedia of U.S. political history .  [online resource; UCSB IP addresses only] Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. 2010. - Also available in print at Ref E183 .E53 2010 v.1-7

Oxford companion to United States history .  [online resource; UCSB IP addresses only] New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. - Also available in print at Ref E174 .O94 2001.

The Princeton encyclopedia of American political history .  [online resource; UCSB IP addresses only] Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2010. - Also available in print at Ref E183 .P85 2010 v.1-2

Nash, Gary B.  Encyclopedia of American history .  New York: Facts on File, 2003. - Ref E174 .E53 2003 v.1-11

Kutler, Stanley I.  Dictionary of American history .  New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. - Ref E174 .D52 2003 v.1-10

Rosenfeld, Susan C.  Encyclopedia of American historical documents .  New York: Facts On File, 2004. - Ref E173 .E54 2004 v.1-3

Finkelman, Paul.  Encyclopedia of the United States in the nineteenth century .  New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2001. - Ref E169.1 .E626 2001 v.1-3

Kutler, Stanley I. Encyclopedia of the United States in the twentieth century .  London: Simon & Schuster and Prentice Hall International, 1996. - Ref E740.7 .E53 1996 v.1-4

Finkelman, Paul. Encyclopedia of African American history, 1896 to the present.  New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. - Ethnic & Gender Studies Ref E185 .E5453 2009 v.1-5Ling, et al. 

Asian American history and culture: an encyclopedia .  Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe, 2010. - Ref E184.A75 A8287 2010 v.1-2

Stavans, et al.  Encyclopedia Latina: history, culture, and society in the United States .  Danbury, Conn.: Grolier Academic Reference, 2005. - Ethnic & Gender Studies Ref E184.S75 E587 2005 v.1-4

See also the Blackwell Companions to American History : 

Do an Advanced Search in Library Catalog portion of UCSB Library Search for the Exact Phrase  " Blackwell Companions to American History " to find such titles as  A companion to the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (2017), A companion to Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover (2014), and  A companion to the American Revolution (2000).

American Civil War: the definitive encyclopedia and document collection .  [online resource; UCSB IP addresses only] Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2013.

Chronological history of U.S. foreign relations .  New York: Routledge, 2003. - Ref E183.7 .B745 2003 v.1-3

The Greenwood guide to American popular culture .  Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2002. - Ref E169.1 .G7555 2002 v.1-4

History of American presidential elections, 1789-2001 .  Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2002. - Ref E183 .H58 2002 v.1-11

Additional Reference Sources for U.S. History :

Additional encyclopedias are listed on the  World History (generally) research guide , under the "Reference Sources" → "Encyclopedias & Dictionaries" tab.

Additional encyclopedias are listed on the  World History by Period research guide , under the "Prehistory & Ancient" tab, the "Medieval History" tab, etc.

Additional encyclopedias are listed on the  World History by Region research guide , under the "Africa" tab, the "Asia" tab, etc. 

Additional encyclopedias are listed on the  World History by Topic research guide , under the "Commerce, Commodities & Material Culture" tab, the "Empires, Borderlands & their Legacies" tab, etc.

How to Find History Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Handbooks and more in the UCSB Library :

To find encyclopedias (or dictionaries, handbooks, etc.) in the UCSB Library using UCSB Library Search , do an Advanced Search and change the search from " Articles, Books and More " to " Library Catalog " before searching. 

In the top line of the search box, type in a word or phrase that represents the general topic of the encyclopedia you wish to find - here, we are searching for an encyclopedia that covers the Arab-Israeli conflict - and then type the word "encyclopedia*" into the second search line.

Change the drop-down box on the second search line from " Any field " to " Subject ."

You can also find a list of online encyclopedias, by title, under the Articles & Databases tab on the UCSB Library home page.

Broad, comprehensive Histories , from respected publishers, are often good places to begin your reading.

Chronologies place persons and events in their historical context..

Social history of the United States .  [online resource; UCSB IP addresses only] Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2009. v.1-10

Oxford history of the United States [unnumbered series] 

Middlekauff, Robert. The glorious cause: the American Revolution, 1763-1789 . New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. - Main Library E208 .M465 2005

Wood, Gordon S. Empire of liberty: a history of the early Republic, 1789-1815 . New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. - Main Library E164 .W63 2009

Howe, Daniel Walker. What hath God wrought: the transformation of America, 1815-1848 . New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. - Main Library E338 .H69 2007

McPherson, James M. Battle cry of freedom: the Civil War era . New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. - Main Library E173 .O94

White, Richard. The Republic for which it stands: the United States during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, 1865-1896 . New York: Oxford University Press, 2017. - Main Library E668 .W58 2017

Kennedy, David M. Freedom from fear: the American people in depression and war, 1929-1945 . New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. - Main Library E801 .K46 1999

Patterson, James T. Grand expectations: the United States, 1945-1974 . New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. - Main Library E175 .P38 1996

Patterson, James T. Restless giant: the United States from Watergate to Bush v. Gore . New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. - Main Library E839 .P38 2005

Herring, George C. From colony to superpower: U.S. foreign relations since 1776 . New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. - E183.7 .H44 2008

Schlesinger Jr., Arthur M. and Fred L Israel. History of American presidential elections, 1789-2001 . Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2002. - Ref E183 .H58 2002 v.1-11

Weeks, et al.   The new Cambridge history of American foreign relations . Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013. - Main Library E183.7 .N48 2013 v.1-4

Chronologies :

American decades .  Detroit: Gale Research, 1994- - Ref E169.12 .A419 1994 - v.1: 1900-1909. v.2: 1910-1919. v.3: 1920-1929. v.4: 1930-1939. v.5: 1940-1949. v.6: 1950-1959. v.7: 1960-1969. v.8: 1970-1979. v.9: 1980-1989. v.10: 1990-1999.

Brune, Lester H., and Richard Dean Burns. Chronological history of U.S. foreign relations .  New York: Routledge, 2003. - Ref E183.7 .B745 2003 v.1-3

Clements, John. Chronology of the United States . 2nd ed.  Dallas: Political Research, 1997. - Main Library E174.5 .C63 1997

Gordon, Lois G., and Alan Gordon. American chronicle: year by year through the twentieth century .  New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999. - Main Library E169.1 .G664 1999

How to Find Books on History :

To find books on history in the UCSB Library using UCSB Library Search , do an Advanced Search and change the search from " Articles, Books and More " to " Library Catalog " before searching. 

In the top line of the search box, type in a word or phrase that represents the topic of the history you wish to find - here, we are searching for a history of the Soviet Union - and then type the word "history" into the second search line.  Change the drop-down box on the second search line from " Any field " to " Subject ."

Historical atlases help researchers see the geographical connections between peoples and events.

Gazetteers are dictionaries of place names and geographic features (such as rivers, lakes and mountains) that give the location of each entry..

Fisher, Ron.  National Geographic historical atlas of the United States .  Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 2004. - Sciences & Engineering G1201.S1 F5 2004

Gilbert, Martin.  The Routledge atlas of American history . 6th ed. New York: Routledge, 2009. - Sciences & Engineering G1201.S1 G53 2009

Hayes, Derek. Historical atlas of the United States: with original maps .  Berkeley: University of California Press, 2007. - Sciences & Engineering G1201.S1 H4 2007

Hellmann, Paul T.  Historical gazetteer of the United States .  New York: Routledge, 2005. - Ref E154 .H45 2005

David Rumsey Map Collection .  Private collection of more than 150,000 maps, primarily rare 18th and 19th century maps of North and South America, along with maps of the World, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania

Historical Map Archive .  An online resource from the University of Alabama.

University of Texas at Austin. Perry-Castañeda Library Historical Maps .  - See also the Perry-Castañeda Library's extensive list of Historical Map Web Sites, with links to individual maps online from sources other than the Perry-Castañeda Library.

How to Find Atlases & Gazetteers :

To find atlases or gazetteers in the UCSB Library using UCSB Library Search , do an Advanced Search and change the search from " Articles, Books and More " to " Library Catalog " before searching. 

In the top line of the search box, type in a word or phrase that represents the general topic of the encyclopedia you wish to find - here, we are searching for an encyclopedia that covers the Roman empire - and then type the word "atlas*" OR "maps" or any other word that represents the type of item you want into the second search line.  In this instance, DO NOT change the drop-down box on the second search line from " Any field " to " Subject "; you may want to find this facet of your topic in a title, or table of contents, or other part of the catalog record.

Biographical dictionary  and encyclopedia entries can give you brief, authoritative information on the lives of individuals of note throughout history, as well as guidance for your further reading.

Special features: Search by genres in American history: Black History, Women's History, Asian Pacific American Heritage, American Indian Heritage, and Hispanic Heritage. Search by topics in American history: American Literature, Arts in America, Black History, Civil Rights Movement, Civil War, Depression and New Deal, Frontier and Western Expansion, Gilded Age, Hispanic American Heritage, Native American Heritage, Women's History, and World War II.

Biographical directory of the United States Congress, 1774-present .  United States. Congress. Historical Office. Washington, D.C.: The Congress 1998]-

formerly known as Biography Resource Center

How to Find Biographies :

To find biographies in the UCSB Library using UCSB Library Search , do an Advanced Search and change the search from " Articles, Books and More " to " Library Catalog " before searching. 

In the top lines of the search box, type in words or phrases that represents the general topic of the biography you wish to find - here, we are searching for biographies of U.S. presidents - and then type the word "biography" into the bottom search line.  Change the drop-down box on this search line from " Any field " to " Subject ."

The search above looks only in the Subject part of the catalog record for our search words. But there are a variety of ways to search for biographies. For example:

Keyword: Babe Ruth AND Subject: biography Keyword: Women AND politics AND biography

You can also search for biographies by Subject, without using the word "biography": Subject: Nixon, Richard M

And you can find autobiographies with an Author search: Author: Nixon, Richard M

Historical statistics of the United States .  Cambridge England; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006- - Also in print at Ref HA202.H57 Vol. 1-5 2006

Statistical abstract of the United States .  Links to the more or less annual statistical abstracts prepared with data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and many other Federal agencies and private organizations. Dating from 1878.

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database .  Records of voyages of slaving expeditions between 1514 and 1866, drawn from archives and libraries throughout the Atlantic world.

United States Historical Census Browser .   Census data describing the people and the economy of the US for each state and county from 1790 to 1970.

University of Wisconsin: On-Line Data Archive: Slave Movement During the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries .  Archive of raw data the history of the transatlantic slave trade, downloadable with free registration.

If you are looking for more sources for historical statistics, check out ...

PENN (University of Pennsylvania) Libraries. Historical Statistics - Research Guide .  - A selective annotated bibliography of sources of U.S. and international historical statistics.  - See also lists of resources found under the Public Opinion & Statistics tab and the American Government & Politics - Executive Departments & Agencies sub-tab in the UCSB Library Political Science subject guide . 

Barzun, Jacques. The Modern Researcher .  Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2004. - Main Library LB2369 .B28 2004

Berger, Stefan. Writing History . 3rd ed.  London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2020. - Main Library D13.W75 W75 2020

Boyd, Kelly. Encyclopedia of Historians and Historical Writing .  Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1999. - Ref D14 .E53 1999, v.1-2

Woolf, et al.  The Oxford History of Historical Writing .  New York: Oxford University Press, 2011-2012. - Main Library D13 .O94 2011  - v.1 Beginnings to AD 600; v. 2. 400-1400; v. 3. 1400-1800; v. 4. 1800-1945; v. 5. Historical writing since 1945.

Woolf, Daniel. A Concise History of History . [online resource; UCSB IP addresses only] Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019.

Kamp, Jeannette et al.  Writing History! A companion for historians . [online resource; UCSB IP addresses only] Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2018.

American Historical Association .  The American Historical Association is the largest professional organization serving historians in all fields and all professions. The AHA has become a trusted voice for history education, the professional work of historians, and the critical role of historical thinking in public life. ▪ See especially the site's " Resource Guide for Graduate Students ," " Resources for Early Career Professionals ," and " Resources for Historical Researchers ."

How to Find Historiography : 

To find books on historiography using UCSB Library Search , do an Advanced Search and change the search from " Articles, Books and More " to " Library Catalog " before searching.  Type "historiography" into the search box, and change the search from " Any field " to " Subject ." 

You can add another Subject search line to focus your results. In this instance, we are searching for books on the historiography of World War 2.

The results you see will be books that have been identified as covering the subject: historiography.  

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Why Use Reference Sources?

Use reference sources to find background information on your topic, and to locate brief, authoritative information (such as dates or statistics)..

• Last Updated: Jun 27, 2024 3:29 PM
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How do I find reference sources?

• Dictionaries
• Biographical Sources
• Citation Style Guides
• Encyclopedias

Starting Points - Dictionaries

Below are some starting points for dictionaries. Dictionaries for languages other than English and discipline-specific dictionaries can be found on our  subject guides .

• Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new window & more less... The accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of over half a million words, both present and past. It traces the usage of words through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources, from classic literature and specialist periodicals to film scripts and cookery books.
• Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window & more less... Provides access to over 120 language and subject dictionaries, reference works, and biographical directories in a variety of disciplines published by OUP that can be searched individually or in one cross-searchable database.
• Credo Reference This link opens in a new window & more less... Selection of reference books including encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and books of quotations, as well as a range of subject-specific titles covering everything from art to accountancy and literature to law.

Other Dictionaries

You can locate dictionaries for specific languages or subjects by using the advanced search in the Library Catalog.

For language dictionaries, enter the subject terms "[language] languages dictionaries". For example: 

• English language dictionaries -  English dictionaries
• English language dictionaries slang -  English slang dictionaries
• English language dictionaries Australia -  Australian English dictionaries
• Japanese language dictionaries English -  Japanese to English dictionaries
• Hebrew language dictionaries French -  Hebrew to French dictionaries
• Russian language Rhyme Dictionaries -  Rhyming dictionaries in Russian

For subject dictionaries, enter "dictionaries" as a subject term with additional keywords such as a discipline, era or event, occupation, etc.  

• United States Civil War Dictionaries
• Dictionaries Chemistry
• Economics Dictionaries
• Shakespeare Dictionaries

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