LibGuides: Reading & Research: Reference Sources

Why Use Reference Books?

Reference books give you:

A quick introduction to your subject by covering a lot of points briefly;
In-depth background on some of the major elements of your topic;
Vocabulary to use for searches in other resources; and
Bibliographies that can give you ideas for other resources, among other things.

Reference materials can also help you choose a topic, spell correctly (we have lots of dictionaries), choosing alternative words (Want to sound smart? Use a thesaurus), answering grammar questions, and even finding a pithy quote to impress your professor!

Reference Databases

Here are some databases that emphasize reference materials:

Credo Reference
Credo Reference is an online reference service, which includes entries from hundreds of titles. The collection contains dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, quotations and atlases, plus a wide range of subject-specific titles in subjects from Art and Business to Social Sciences and Technology.
Biography In Context
Includes biographies of more than 380,000 people as well as articles from magazines and newspapers, images, and links to selected Web sites.
Funk & Wagnall's New World Encyclopedia
Provides thousands of encyclopedia entries covering a variety of subject areas, plus images and brief biographies.