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  Reference Collection: Print and Online 
Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Biographical Sources,
Almanacs and Statistical Sources, Atlases, Reviews and Plot Summaries 

Remember to search Chesnutt Library's Online Catalog for the latest titles

CREDO Reference, Gale Virtual Reference Library and Gale Ready Reference Shelf
provide access to online reference materials (for FSU affiliated persons)
 

      Encyclopedias are often the best source for preliminary reading on the chosen research topic. At times, what is needed is a general or introductory account of the research topic. A good encyclopedia article can familiarize the researcher with important concepts and terms related to the topic, and give an idea of the breadth of the subject. If the article is quite brief, or if the subject is only mentioned in passing, this may indicate that it will be difficult to find sufficient research material on the subject.  
Encyclopedias in an Electronic Format

Columbia Encyclopedia
CREDO Reference - multiple online encyclopedias (FSU Only)
 Encyclopedia.Com
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online
Encyclopaedia Britannica Guide to Black History
Encyclopedia of the Orient
Encyclopedia of World History, Ancient, Medieval and Modern
Funk and Wagnall's New World Encyclopedia through NC Live
 Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

       A general encyclopedia is one that covers all fields of knowledge. These encyclopedias have comprehensive indexes which will locate the information on a particular subject that is dispersed throughout the set. Often, the index is separate, usually the last volume of the set. The bibliographies listed at the end of encyclopedia articles will often serve as a good starting point for further research.
General Encyclopedias

Academic American Encyclopedia  REF AE 5 .A23
Cambridge Encyclopedia  REF AG 5 .C26
Collier's Encyclopedia  REF AE 5 .C683
Columbia Encyclopedia  REF AG 5 .C725
Encyclopedia American  REF AE 5 .E333
Encyclopaedia Britannica  REF AE 5 .E363
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Encyclopedia  REF AG 5 .M49 
World Book Encyclopedia  REF AE 5 .W55

    Other reference sources that may be used to clarify a topic include specialized encyclopedias or dictionaries.  Specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries exist for almost every subject matter.  Using FSU's Online Catalog there are two ways to search for specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries:

     1. Do a keyword search, enter the word "encyclopedias" and your subject, or "dictionaries" and your subject . (Example:  encyclopedias and medicine or dictionaries and children). This should produce a list of relevant titles.
     2. You can also scan a list of encyclopedias or dictionaries under a subject heading by entering a subject (i.e., art, education) and then the word "encyclopedias" or "dictionaries" and scan through the list.
Specialized Encyclopedias:

Adolescence in America  REF HQ 796 .A33247
Encyclopedia of African American Heritage  REF E 185 .A455
Encyclopedia of African and African-American Religions  REF BL 2462.5 .E53
Encyclopedia of Allegorical Literature  REF PN 56 .A5 L44
Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal Welfare  REF HV 4708 .E53
Encyclopedia of Archaeology  REF CC 100 .E54 2001
Encyclopedia of Elder Care  REF RC 954.E53
Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians  REF QL 641 .E53
Encyclopedia of Understanding Alcohol and Other Drugs REF HV 5017 .O37
Encyclopedia of World Art  REF N 31 .E
Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine  REF R 733 .G34


     Dictionaries provide sources of information about words and their usage, spelling, pronunciation, meaning, origin and derivation. There are four types of dictionaries: general, special and thesauri, subject and foreign language.  Unabridged dictionaries are works that try to include almost every word in a given language.  Abridged dictionaries are smaller, and are limited to the more commonly used words.
Dictionaries in an Electronic Format

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
 Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
CREDO Reference - multiple online dictionaries (FSU Only)
 Language Dictionaries and Translators
Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online
Oxford English Dictionary Online
Roget's International Thesaurus of Words and Phrases  
Roget's Thesaurus

Unabridged Dictionaries:

Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary  REF PE 1625 .R293
Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged  REF PE 1625 .W36
Oxford English Dictionary  REF PE 1625 .O87

Abridged Dictionaries:

American Heritage Dictionary  REF PE 1628 .A623
Random House Webster’s New College Dictionary                      REF PE 1628 .R28  

 
Special Dictionaries and Thesauri:

     These dictionaries supply various information, including usage, synonyms, antonyms, abbreviations and quotations. 

Abbreviations Dictionary  REF PE 1693 .D4
Dictionary of American Slang  REF PE 2846 .W4
Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English   REF PE 3721 .F47
Facts on File Student's Thesaurus  REF PE 1591 .H45
Familiar Quotations  REF PN 6081 .B27
Home Book of Quotations  REF PN 6071 .S73
Magill’s Quotations in Context  REF PN 6081 .M292
Oxford Dictionary of Quotations  REF PN 6080 .O95
Random House Webster's College Thesaurus  REF PE 1591 .R314
Roget’s International Thesaurus  REF PE 1591 .R73
Webster's New Explorer Thesaurus  REF PE 1591 .W424

Foreign Language Dictionaries:

     There are various kinds of foreign language dictionaries. Bilingual dictionaries (those that include English and a foreign language) can be used for translating. 

Cassell’s Spanish Dictionary  REF PC 4640 C35
Chinese English Dictionary  REF PL 1455 .L68
Concise Cambridge Italian Dictionary  REF PC 1640 .R44
German Dictionary of Biology = Wörterbuch Biologie Englisch      REF QH 302.5 .G47 1999
Le Grand Dictionnaire Hachette-Oxford  REF PC 2640 .G684
Larousse Dictionnaire Compact Français-Anglais, Anglais-Français  REF PC 2640 .L317
Merriam-Webster's Spanish-English Dictionary  REF PC 4640 .M47
Oxford-Duden German Dictionary  REF PF 3640 .O94
Oxford Spanish Dictionary  REF PC 4640 .O94
A Standard English-Swahili Dictionary  REF PL 8703 .I5

     Biographical Sources give information about a person’s life and is written by another person. An autobiography is information written by a person about themselves. There are several  types of biographical sources: general, national or regional, and professional or occupational. 
Biographical Sources in an Electronic Format

American National Biography Online
 Biographical Dictionary
Biography.Com
CREDO Reference - multiple online sources (FSU Only)
   Chambers Biographical Dictionary
   Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage
   Debrett's People of Today 2006
   Marquis Who's Who in America
   Marquis Who's Who in the World
   The Hutchinson Dictionary of Scientific Biography
   The Macmillan Dictionary of Women's Biography
   The Penguin Biographical Dictionary of Women
   The Wisden Archive of Cricketers' Lives
Lives, the Biography Resource

General Biographical Sources:

Biography and Genealogy Master Index REF Z 5305 .U5 B51
Current Biography Yearbook  REF CT100 .C8Dictionary of American Biography  REF E 176 .D563
Dictionary of National Biography  REF DA 28 .D47
Who’s Who in America  REF E 176 .W642

Specialized Biographical Sources:

American Men and Women of Science  REF Q 141 .A47
Contemporary Authors  REF Z 1010 .C58
Dictionary of Literary Biography  REF PN 441 .D5
Notable American Women: The Modern Period               REF CT 3260 .N573 

     Some books are composed entirely of biographical information, but periodicals and other collected works may include biographical sketches. The most efficient way to search for these sketches is through use of an index.  Biography Index  PERIODICALS
Business Periodicals Index  PERIODICALS
Education Index  PERIODICALS
Reader's Guide to Periodical Indexes  PERIODICALS

     Almanacs and Statistical Sources contain compilations of statistics and other factual information. Old-style almanacs were written to provide astronomical and meteorological information to farmers and seamen. Now, almanacs are used primarily to access reference or factual material in a fast or brief format. Almanacs are often used when requests for specific information is needed; such as the scoring records of athletes or teams; award winning books and movies of the current or past years, statistics, current year events, deaths, and current information on countries or states. Each almanac is arranged differently and can contain different information, so the index, located in either the front or the back, must be used. Since the contents of almanacs differ, it can be helpful to consult several. In addition to almanacs, there are also publications designed to update statistics specifically.
Almanacs and Statistical Sources in an Electronic Format

InfoPlease.Com
Statistical Abstract of the United States
World Almanac for Kids Online  

Almanacs and Statistical Sources

America's Top-Rated Cities. a Statistical Handbook  REF HA 214 .A43 2002
An Almanack for the Year of Our Lord  REF AY 754.W5
Statistical Abstract of the United States  REF HA 2020 .A1
World Almanac and Book of Facts  REF AY 67 .N5 W7
 
     Atlases are a bound collection of maps. They often includes charts, tables, plates and explanatory text.  They can have a wide range of subject content. Maps and Atlases in an Electronic Format

MapQuest.Com
Yahoo!Maps

Maps and Atlases 

Atlas of African-American History  REF E 185 .C55 2001
Cambridge Star Atlas  REF QB .T537 2001
Hammond New Century World Atlas  REF G 1021 .H2735 2000
North Carolina Atlas  REF G 1300 .N7 2000
Rand McNally Road Atlas  REF G 1201 .P2 R352 2000
World Bank Atlas  REF G 1046 .G1 W6 2001
 

     Reviews and Plot Summaries are materials that review, evaluate or summarize a particular book, play, film, etc., published in a periodical or newspaper after its first appearance in print or first performance or showing.

     Book Reviews can be helpful in the selection of sources for a paper, and sometimes, for biographical information on individual authors. As most book reviews are published shortly after a book appears in the market, it helps to know the publication date of the item in question.  

     Book Reviews can also be identified by using periodical indexes, and looking under the "Book Reviews" section of the index.  Several indexes list book reviews such as:  Social Sciences Index; Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature; Education Index; Humanities Index; Index to Legal Periodicals; Business Periodicals Index; Applied Science and Technology Index; and Library Literature.

     Book Reviews are also found in review journals such as Booklist; Choice; Library Journal; New York Review of Books; New York Times Book Review; Publisher's Weekly; School Library Journal; and TLS, Times Literary Supplement.

Book Review Indexes

Book Review Digest (BRD) published monthly with an annual cumulation. It lists selective excerpts of reviews from several popular magazines and journals. It is arranged alphabetically by author and has a subject/title index.  Location:  Chesnutt Periodical Indexes

Book Review Index (BRI) published bi-monthly with an annual cumulation. It is an index to reviews in over 200 periodicals. The subject coverage of this source includes fiction, non-fiction, humanities, social sciences, librarianship, bibliography and children’s literature. It is more extensive than Book Review Digest but BRI does not include abstracts.  Location:  Chesnutt Periodical Indexes

Magill Book Reviews - Available through the database MasterFILE Premier through EBSCOHost

 

 
     Film Reviews of popular movies are often reviewed in periodicals, and are listed in periodical indexes. They are grouped in a separate section of the index, usually under "Motion Picture Reviews," and are not usually listed under the  individual film title. Film reviews may be located by using indexes such as Art Index, Humanities Index, New York Times Film Reviews, and the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. Film Reviews in an Electronic Format

Chicago Sun-Times, Ebert's Reviews
Internet Movie Database
Movie Review Query Engine (MRQE)
PluggedInOnline
Rotten Tomatoes
     Plot Summaries are summaries of books are not meant to be relied on entirely. Digests, synopses or summaries may be considered useful supplements to your reading, not substitutes for reading assigned works.  They usually identify the characters and themes within a work and give a brief description or summary of the story, with some general analytical content. Plot Summaries

Masterplots  REF PN 44 .M35
Masterplots : 1,801 plot stories and critical evaluations of the world's finest literature  REF PN 44 .M33 1996
Masterplots II:  American Fiction Series  REF PS373 .M37 2000
Masterplots II:  Drama Series  REF PN 6112.5 .M37 2000
Masterplots II:  Poetry Series  REF PN 1110.5 .M37 1992
Masterplots II: Short Story Series  REF PN 3326 .M27 1986 Masterplots II: Women's Literature Series  REF PN 471 .37 1995
Masterplots II: World Fiction Series  REF PN 3326 .M28 1987


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