Temple University Subject Guides - Online Reference

Quick search

E-reference Sources Quick Search

Library Links

Search Reference Books

Reference Universe is an index to both print and e-reference subject encyclopedias.

(Use the Reference Universe link instead of the box if you are off-campus.)

Online Encyclopedias - Britannica or Wikipedia?

Britannica Online has carefully edited articles on all major topics. It fits the ideal purpose of a reference source as a place to get started-- or to check on as you read and write: articles written by easy-to-identify (or signed) credible authors that give you the most accepted facts and opinions about a topic. Most articles give you links or references to additional research.

You can generally cite these articles without your professor frowning at it as a source. (Ask first: some faculty don't want you to cite from any encyclopedias.)

Wikipedia is "written collaboratively by volunteers from all around the world" and relies on the collective wisdom of its volunteers to get the facts right and to balance the opinions expressed in the articles. It can be very useful as a starting point for most topics, especially for obscure topics and topics with very special or passing popular interest.

Some Temple University faculty instruct their students not to use Wikipedia as a source because of the volunteer approach to editing, which can be unreliable at times. So, to be safe, use Wikipedia to get started, but move on from Wikipedia to works with an identifiable author from a traditionally edited or published source.

Comments (0)

Specific Web Sources

Categories:

Acronyms & Abbreviations Biography & Quotations Books, Libraries & Publishing Dictionaries, Thesauri & Concordances Directories: Phone, Zip, Area Code Encyclopedias & Almanacs Financial Aids, Grants, Higher Education Health / Medical Jobs & Careers		Law & Government Maps, Countries & Weather Other Online Reference Directories Philadelphia & Region Statistics & Demographics Temple University Times & Measures: Calculators & Converters Writing Aids: Style & Citation Guides

Acronyms & Abbreviations Journal Abbreviation Source A registry of Web resources that list or provide access to the full titles of journal abbreviations Acronym Finder Human-edited database of acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms. Genamics JournalSeek
Biography & Quotations Biography.com Includes brief biographical information on over 25,000 people, past and present International Who's Who Includes brief biographical entries on 23,000 eminent contemporary figures from all over the world Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Collection of over 50,000 illustrated biographies of important people in the history of the British Isles
Books, Libraries & Publishing Both amazon.com and bn.com have excellent, updated, attractive sites for lists of book awards: Less flashy, but straightforward, a bit more informative about the awards, and with links to the award body's site is the awards page at Bookspot.com: Bookfinder.com Search for new, used, rare and out of print books from over 70,000 sellers Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science Online encyclopedia with essays covering a broad array of topics in library and information science Global Books in Print (TU only) - Books in Print for the US, Canada, UK, and Australia Libweb Listing of over 7200 web pages from libraries in over 125 countries Local/Worldwide Library Catalogs ODLIS: Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science Dictionary of terminology used in libraries of all kinds Search Engine Showdown Guide to web searching that compares and evaluates Internet search engines from the searcher's perspective Ulrich's Periodical Directory (TU only) - Directory of journals, newspapers, magazines, and zines
Dictionaries, Thesauri & Concordances Browser's Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases Dictionary of commonly used foreign words and phrases, with definitions and pronunciation guides Cambridge Thesaurus of American English A concise thesaurus focusing on idioms, verb phrases and slang Dictionary.com Online dictionary and thesaurus search service that indexes several English language and subject dictionaries Dictionary of Legal Terms : A Simplified Guide to the Language of Law A quick reference source that presents more than 2,000 definitions of legal terms Foreignword.com A collection of over 265 language dictionaries for 73 languages, as well as text translation for 65 languages Glossarist.com A searchable directory of glossaries & topical dictionaries NTC's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions A dictionary of American slang terms and expressions in common use in the 20th century OED Online (Oxford English Dictionary) Searchable contents of the full Oxford English Dictionary, Including over 1/2 million definitions with 2.5 million quotations showing usage changes over time. Roget's Thesaurus The classic thesaurus online Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged Searchable contents of the unabridged text of America's most authoritative English language dictionary. Word Spy A collection of definitions for new words, as well as usage notes and examples
Directories Anywho.com Find phone numbers, addresses, maps & directions for businesses and people in the U.S. Scholarly Societies Project Database of information listings with links and contact information for over 4000 scholarly societies Telephone Directories on the Web Index of over 400 online phone books from over 180 countries Temple University Directories Searchable directory of contact information for people and academic departments at Temple World of Learning Reference resource with entries and contact information for learned societies, research institutes, libraries, archives, museums, art galleries, universities colleges and people ZIP+4 Code Look-up Enter an address to return the ZIP +4 Code
Encyclopedias & Almanacs Britannica Concise Concise edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica Columbia Encyclopedia Online version of one of the best single volume encyclopedias around Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia Searchable database that indexes over 25,000 records covering an array of topics, available through EBSCOhost Grove Art Online Online access to the entire text of the print version of The Dictionary of Art with ongoing additions and updates, plus extensive image links Grove Music Online Online access to the entire text of the print versions of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, and The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz Infoplease Online encyclopedia, dictionary, atlas, and almanac Scientific American Science Desk reference Concise ebook reference that provides general factual information about the sciences, arranged by subject with an index
Financial Aid, Grants, Colleges & Universities Braintrack Index of higher education institutions in 196 countries Community of Science An up-to-date database of national and international funding opportunities, and resource to help locate research partners from institutions around the world FastWeb Search service for locating college scholarships Federal Student Aid (U.S. Dept of Education) Includes online FAFSA, school codes, and guidance in navigating the maze of federal student aid FinAid Collection of information and tips about student financial aid and related topics Peterson's Online Search for undergraduate/graduate schools and programs, take practice standardized tests, find information about financial aid, and more U.S. News.com: Education Includes college & grad school rankings, an e-learning directory, and financial aid information World of Learning Reference resource with entries and contact information for learned societies, research institutes, libraries, archives, museums, art galleries, universities colleges and people
Health / Medical AccessMedicine (TU only) McGraw-Hill medical school texts with updates, alerts and patient information sheets. Encyclopedia of Aging NetLibrary ebook that covers topics about age, aging, and the aged https://libproxy.temple.edu:2343/login?url=Encyclopedia of Public Health NetLibrary ebook that covers topics related to public health Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders NetLibrary ebook containing over 400 entries on mental disorders and their treatment HealthWeb Directory of health/medical related Web sites MedlinePlus Health Information A health information service from the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health that includes a medical encyclopedia, dictionary, drug information, and more Merck Manuals Online versions of the popular Merck manuals including the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, the Merck Manual of Medical Information - Home Edition National Center for Health Statistics Health statistics compiled by the Federal Government National Institutes of Health Health related information, research, and grants from the nation's medical and behavioral research agency
Job & Career Monster.com One of the largest national job search web sites. Includes resume help. Occupational Outlook Handbook Career information by occupation from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Philadelphia Help Wanted Search for jobs in the Philadelphia area USA Jobs Official source of U.S. Government job and employment information
Law & Government Dictionary of Legal Terms : A Simplified Guide to the Language of Law A quick reference source that presents more than 2,000 definitions of legal terms Encyclopedia of Crime & Justice NetLibrary ebook that covers criminal behavior, its causes, and societies' responses to it Findlaw Directory of legal resources for professionals, students and the general public that includes court cases, federal & state laws, legal dictionary, and more FirstGov Gateway to the U.S. Federal Government online Foreign Government Resources on the Web Directory of foreign government and government related web resources from the University of Michigan documents Center Google Uncle Sam Google search for U.S. government web resources with .gov or .mil domains GovEngine.com Directory of federal, state, and local government web sites GPO Access Federal government documents from the U.S. Government Printing Office, including the Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Register, US Code, Congressional Bills, historical documents (Constitution, etc.), judicial resources, and much, much more Internet Legal Research Group Directory A categorized index of more than 4000 select web sites in 238 nations, islands, and territories, as well as thousands of locally stored web pages, legal forms, and downloadable files Legal Information Institute Court decisions, the U.S. Code, statutes, international treaties and other legal materials published in electronic format by Cornell University Law School LexisNexis Academic (TU only) - Case law, codes & regulation, legal news, patents, and international law materials Thomas Current and historical U.S. federal legislative material from the Library of Congress
Maps, Countries & Weather 50states.com State facts and links to state information CIA World Factbook Profiles of every country in the world Cities of the World Current information on cultural, geographic, and political conditions in 193 countries and their cities based on the Department of State's Post Reports, including maps and photos Earth Resource System Data on over 2600 U.S. cities Ethnologue: Languages of the World A very inclusive collection of entries containing information on the languages of the world, including language maps and statistical summaries Europa World Online version of the Europa World Yearbook, covering political and economic information for over 250 countries, territories and international organizations Geo-Data: The World Geographical Encyclopedia Electronic reference book from the Gale Virtual Reference Library with entries describing the physical geography of every nation and dependency on Earth, featuring physical relief maps and an appendix ranking major features of the Earth (largest river, tallest mountains, deepest oceans, etc.) Library of Congress Country Studies Offers detailed information on over 100 countries (excludes many Western countries) Mapquest Find street and road maps with driving directions Maptech Mapserver View U.S. topographic maps NationalAtlas.gov The National Atlas of the United States provides various maps from over 20 federal agencies, as well as an option for creating your own map with custom data National Weather Service Current weather conditions and forecasts Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection Large collection of current and historical maps U.S. Department of State Background Notes A collection of entries that include facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty.
Other Online Reference Directories INFOMINE Searchable directory of university level internet resources that has been built and maintained by librarians Internet Public Library Selective directory of annotated links to quality internet resources, as well as expert research guides for various topic areas and more Librarians' Index to the Internet A well organized directory of librarian-selected internet resources Resource Discovery Network Directory of internet resources selected and cataloged by subject experts
Philadelphia & Region GoPhila.com Gateway to Philadelphia regional events and information sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation Pennsylvania State Government Official Web site of the state of Pennsylvania Philadelphia Architects and Buildings Searchable database of information on three centuries of Philadelphia buildings and designers Philadelphia City Government Official Web sites including the mayor's office, city council, city services, administration, agencies, authorities, boards, commissions, and justice/legal divisions Philadelphia City Planning Commission Includes census data, city maps, planning resources, and other PCPC publications Philadelphia neighborhoodBase Searchable database of statistics and descriptions of Philadelphia neighborhoods from the University of Pennsylvania's Cartographic Modeling Lab Philly.com (Philadelphia Inquirer) Gateway to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and other regional information sources SEPTA Routes, schedules, travel alerts and a trip planner for SEPTA regional rail, subway, bus, and trolley lines
Statistics & Demographics American Factfinder Current U.S. population, housing, economic and geographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau CensusScope A portal to U.S. census data produced by the Social Science Data Analysis Network at the University of Michigan Current Population Survey Data from the monthly survey of U.S. households conducted for the Bureau of Labor Statistics that serves as the primary source of information on U.S. labor force characteristics FedStats Online gateway to statistics from over 100 Federal agencies GeoHive: Global Statistics World population statistics and links to world statistical agencies Historical U.S. Census Data U.S. census data from 1790 to 1960, from the University of Virginia Library's Geostat center International Database (U.S. Census Bureau) Demographic and socioeconomic data for 227 countries and world areas Ntional Archives - Mid-Atlantic Region - Family History Research Located at 9th and Chestnut, Philadelphia, PA has Census Schedules on microfilm, the most detailed records with family names Philadelphia neighborhoodBase Searchable database of data and descriptions of Philadelphia neighborhoods from the University of Pennsylvania's Cartographic Modeling Lab Statistical Abstract of the U.S. Online version of current and selected past editions of Statistical Abstract of the U.S., as well as supplemental features and links to other statistical reference products Statistical Resources on the Web A directory of annotated links to a wide variety of statistical web resources U.S. Census Bureau Economic Programs U.S. economic statistics from the Census Bureau
Temple University Temple Computer Labs Hours and locations for all campus computer labs Temple Computer Services Web site for Computer and Information Services Temple Directories Contact information for Temple faculty, staff, students and academic departments Temple Events List of ongoing and daily events at Temple Temple University Fact Book Annual student profile, and general facts and figures for Temple Temple Maps & Directions Maps and Directions for the temple campuses, as well as visitor information Temple Transportation Schedules Schedules for Temple shuttle bus routes Temple Web Site Directory (Site Index) An alphabetical listing of all Temple University departments, centers, and affiliated organizations that have registered Temple web sites, as well as other authorized Temple web resources
Times & Measures EasyCalculation.com A well organized page of mathematical and scientific formula calculators. Martindale's Calculators On-Line Center Directory of over 19,000 calculators for just about any thing you can imagine Online Conversion.com Conversion calculators for just about any unit of measure, including length, temperature, time, clothing size, and much more Timeanddate.com Provides time and date calculations as well as customized calendars
Writing Aids Online! Citation Styles Guidelines for citing online materials using APA, CBE, Chicago, and MLA styles, as well as links to other online citation guides Temple University Dissertation Handbook Manual outlining Temple University's requirements for acceptable dissertations and theses Temple Writing Center Resources Handouts, tip sheets, writing guides and Citation Guides (APA, Chicago, MLA) from the Temple writing center

Comments (0)

Reference Librarian

Rick Lezenby

Online Chat / Networks:

Contact Info:
rlfile@temple.edu
phone: 215-204-4571

Paley Library (017-00)
Room: 315 (Third Floor - West side near stairs)
1210 W. Berks Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Send Email

Links:
Website / Blog
Profile & Guides

Subjects:
Political Science, Psychology, General Reference

Description

Loading content... please wait

Your Name:
Your Email:
Post Subject:
Post Text:

Your Name:
Your Email:
Post Subject:
Post Text:

Your Name:
Your Email:
Post Subject:
Post Text:

Your Name:
Your Email:
Post Subject:
Post Text:

Online Reference