Research Guides: 🔎 Get Started with Library Research: Reference Resources

Find Background Information

An excellent starting-point for research are Reference Sources, such as encyclopedias and dictionaries. They provide the background information you need to better understand your topic and to develop keywords for searches.

Below are selected resources that can help you start researching your topic.

Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Provides information on various social issues, including pro and con articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.
Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new window
Oxford English Dictionary (OED), published by the Oxford University Press, is a descriptive dictionary of the English language. Included is the complete text of the 2nd. ed. of the Oxford English dictionary with quarterly updates, including revisions not available in any other form.
Very Short Introductions This link opens in a new window
Very Short Introductions (VSI) offers concise introductions to a diverse range of subjects, written by experts in the field who combine facts, analysis, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make challenging topics highly readable.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
Concurrent user limit: 12 users on the platform
Oxford Reference Online includes subject and language reference sources from Oxford University Press, including many titles from the Oxford Companions Series. Browse or search single titles, specific subject areas, or the entire collection.

Note About Wikipedia

Wikipedia can be great reference resource to start learning about your topic. It can help you with:

Developing some background knowledge about your topic, including an overview, definitions, and outline.
Discovering keywords, including related terms, sub-topics, and names of notable people, places, and events.
Finding links to other relevant resources.

It's generally true that Wikipedia should:

NOT be used as a main or only source of information for your project.
NOT be quoted/cited as a reference source in your final project.

|REMEMBER: Always make sure to follow the requirements communicated by your teacher. The appropriateness of different information resources varies depending on the circumstances of specific assignments and topics.

Keywords and Key Concepts

An important part of the research process is developing a list of keywords that will help you locate relevant information on your topic. Here are some tips to help you with this process:

Constructing Searches

Once you have some keywords for your topic, you can begin searching for information. This video provides strategies to develop effective searches using Boolean Operators.