Subject & Research Guides: Electronic Reference: Encyclopedias

Why use an encyclopedia?

An encyclopedia can give you a solid background or introduction into a topic very quickly, and it can easily lead you into further topics and further sources. While most professors will not want you to cite encyclopedia articles in your papers, you might very well wind up citing the books and articles to which encyclopedias lead you.

Remember that you can also use the library's Database page and choose a subject, and get access to subject-specific encyclopedias. A lot more subject-specific encyclopedias can be found, print as well as online, using the library's OneSearch tool.

Try these...

Gale Virtual Reference Library
Here you'll find a strong source for multiple subject-specific encyclopedias; it's easy to search all of its holdings together, or to select one by topic (e.g., "arts," "literature," "science") or by specific title.
Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern World
This online encyclopedia has information about many global topics, with coverage from 1750 to the present.
U.S. History in Context
This resource features a wide array of materials, including scholarly articles, primary sources (newspapers, etc.), and reference sources, relating to many aspects of U.S. history. To limit to reference sources only, choose "Reference" just above the search box at the top.
World History in Context
The companion database to "U.S. History in Context," this provides a similarly wide range of materials relating to global history. Again, choose "Reference" above the search box to limit to encyclopedias and other reference tools.
Wikipedia
We'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention Wikipedia, likely the most-used reference source in the history of the world. While it can be an excellent source for further online links -- and invaluable for certain pop-culture references that can't be found in more scholarly sources -- it nonetheless must be used with caution, as it lacks the verification and rigorous citations found in many published works. Be sure to verify the information you find here elsewhere.