Reference sources such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks can provide excellent information to use for background research on a topic.While you may not be able to cite Wikipedia as a credible source of background information, the library has many excellent subject encyclopedias that can be used and cited for academic papers. Some will be in print and housed in our Reference Collection, but others will be available online.
All of these are also searchable in OneSearch, but can be also searched individually from the links below:
This link opens in a new window This link opens in a new window This link opens in a new windowSome subject encyclopedias in our Reference Collection - just a sample, there are many others
International Encyclopedia of Social and Behavioral Sciences by
This Encyclopedia is the first attempt in a generation to map the social and behavioral sciences on a grand scale. Not since the publication in 1968 of the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, edited by David L. Sills, has there been such an ambitious project to describe the state of the art in all the fields encompassed within the social and behavioral sciences. Available in both print (26 volumes) and online editions, it comprises 4,000 articles, commissioned by 52 Section Editors, and includes 90,000 bibliographic references as well as comprehensive name and subject indexes.
Encyclopedia of Human Rights by
Winner of the 2010 Dartmouth Medal, this major five-volume encyclopedia offers comprehensive coverage of all aspects of human rights theory, practice, law, and history. The set will provide situation profiles and full coverage of the development of the movement, historical cases of abuse, the key figures, major organizations, and a range of other issues in economics, government, religion, and journalism that touch on human rights theory and practice. In addition to providing original analytical articles covering standard subjects such as the right to health and health care, Amnesty International, the Balkan wars, and former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, it offers innovative coverage of such subjects as the Internet, intellectual property rights, the American civil rights movement, globalization, and Brazil in historical context. Focusing primarily on developments since 1945, it offers an unrivaled reference source for students and researchers; even human rights experts are likely to find much original material and keen insights in many of the entries. KEY SUBJECT AREAS INCLUDE: ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS: American Civil Liberties Union, World Health Organization, UNICEF, Carter Center LEADING FIGURES: Adolf Hitler, Steve Biko, Elie Wiesel, Simone de Beauvoir, Joseph Stalin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Pol Pot, Shirin Ebadi, Kim Jong Il HUMAN RIGHTS EVENTS AND CRISES: Darfur, Irish Famine, Soviet Gulag, Central America in the 1980s, Colonialism, Belgian Congo, AIDS HUMAN RIGHTS NORMS: Ethnic Cleansing, Women's Rights, Religious Freedom, Torture: International Law, Disability Rights
Handbook of Child Psychology by
This four-volume handbook is the definitive reference in the field of child development. It serves as a sourcebook, encyclopedia, and research review.
Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science by
The quaternary sciences constitute a dynamic, multidisciplinary field of research that has been growing in scientific and societal importance in recent years. This branch of the Earth sciences links ancient prehistory to modern environments. Quaternary terrestrial sediments contain the fossil remains of existing species of flora and fauna, and their immediate predecessors. Quaternary science plays an integral part in such important issues for modern society as groundwater resources and contamination, sea level change, geologic hazards (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis), and soil erosion. With over 360 articles and 2,600 pages, many in full-color, the Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science provides broad ranging, up-to-date articles on all of the major topics in the field. Written by a team of leading experts and under the guidance of an international editorial board, the articles are at a level that allows undergraduate students to understand the material, while providing active researchers with the latest information in the field. Also available online via ScienceDirect (2006) - featuring extensive browsing, searching, and internal cross-referencing between articles in the work, plus dynamic linking to journal articles and abstract databases, making navigation flexible and easy. For more information, pricing options and availability visit www.info.sciencedirect.com.
Academic encyclopedia and dictionary articles are written by academic authors, rigorously examined by editors, and offered via the libraries' subscriptions from many scholarly publishers. To find encyclopedia articles in OneSearch, follow these tips:
Look for articles from encyclopedias.
If you click on the bookmark icon or pin, it will save into your bookmarks in the upper right hand corner. When you have all the articles you want, you can click on your bookmarks to email the articles to yourself with the APA citations.