Scholarly reference sources can give you a jumpstart into your research by summarizing themes or schools of thought, offering statistical compilations, or listing key publications.

These sources will provide articles by authorities in the field on topics, events, places, and persons. Articles will range in length from one or two paragraphs to dozens of pages. Most will give a bibliography of recommended books and articles for further research. There are hundreds of specialized subject encyclopedias. Look in OneSearch under keyword “encyclopedias” + your topic to find more.