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Reference Sources: Subject encyclopedias help you quickly get the "big picture."


Subject encyclopedias in your topic area are usually more helpful than general ones.  Jot down section heading terms & index keywords which will be useful in online searching.  Try some of the examples below or search MnPALS >>Adv. >>Lib to search: >>CC Reference.

 

Encyclopedia of Ethics Ref BJ63.E45 1992

Macmillan Ency of Philosophy Ref B41.E5
or
Internet Ency of Philosophy

 

Ency of World Cultures Ref GN307.E53 
Ency of Religion Ref BL31.E46 
or: Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Church
Ency of Bioethics Ref QH332.E52
 or National Ref Ctr for Bioethics Lit

 

 Ency of Psychology  Ref BF 31
Encyclopedia of Psychology Jacksonville SU 

 McGraw-Hill Ency of Science & Tech
    Ref Q121.M3 2007

Ency of the Renaissance  Ref CB361.E52

 Ency of Addictions & Addictive Behaviors  Ref RC564.G95

 

 

CQ Researcher Ref H35.E35 (print in lib or online)
Social Issues Encyclopedia

*For efficient printing, choose PDF!)

Points of View Reference Center  Ebscohost

Encyclopedia of Drugs & Alcohol RefHV5804.E53 

Opposing Viewpoints Research Center

 

West's Ency of Amer Law RefKF154.W47

General Encyclopedias: (use only when your topic is NOT academic):
Encyclopedia Britannica Ref AE5.E363 
 
(online or print in the library)

Once you have formulated your argumentative statement you are ready to gather Facts and Statistics to present your overview of the topic and to support your argument:

World Almanac RefAY67.N5W7

Infoplease (Time) Almanac   Ref AY64.I55 print in lib

Statesman's Yearbook  Ref JA51.S7

CIA World Factbook   Ref G122.U56

Statistical Abstract  Ref HA202 .S82     

FedStats (Stat Abst, Metro Area Databk, Health US, Educ Stats, Rept of the Amer Workforce, & Nat Transportation Stats)

Almanac of the 50 States  Ref A214.A44

Criminal Justice Statistics

County & City Data Book  Ref HA202.A36

U.S. Census Statistics 2010 homepage

eHRAF World Cultures research database

FirstGov  Federal Resources

Congressional Qtrly Almanac Ref JK1.C66

FRED: Federal Reserve Economic Data

Injury Facts   Ref HA217.A4  or
NSC.org  National Safety Council

Librarian's Index to the Internet

 

 Martindale's Ref Desk 

Thomas Legislative Information Lib ongress access to federal bills & laws

Northstar: MN Government   State of MN info

 World Climate 

Dictionaries & other Reference sources may help you understand what you read or direct you to other sources. 

Acronyms, Initialisms &  Abbrev. (define SCUBA) Ref P365.A28 

Acronyma (can't find it here? Check AI&A in print in lib)

Allusions--Cultural, Literary, Biblical & Historical Ref PN43.A4 

Glossary of Literary Terms

American Heritage dictionary Ref PE1625 .A24

Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary & Thesaurus

Cambridge Dictionary 

U.S. Government Documents

Contemporary Authors Ref Z1224.C158
& Contemp Literary Criticism PN771.C59
or Discovering Collection Select Literature: Authors/Works/Topics.

Chambers dictionary of quotations Ref PN6081.C43

 

Refdesk.com 

Oxford English dictionary OED Ref PE1625.M87 word origins
or AskOxford.com
(selected words)