Media Studies

Reference works -- like encyclopedias, handbooks, and dictionaries -- provide great overviews and background information. 

• They help you contextualize your topic and generate questions.
• They help identify keywords you can use later when searching for scholarly sources. 
• They contain bibliographies that lead you to the most respected secondary and most useful primary sources on a topic.

In short, reference works are a great way to begin your research. 

Need to look up a name, place, term, or event?  The sources below contain many different kinds of encyclopedias and dictionaries and are excellent starting points for getting an overview on your topic as well as possible search terms to use later. Try them.