Charles W. Chesnutt Library - Reference Department
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CREDO Reference, Gale Virtual Reference Library and Gale Ready Reference Shelf
provide access to online reference materials (for FSU affiliated persons)
About the Reference Collection
Reference Collection: Print and Online
- Encyclopedias
- Dictionaries
- Biographical Sources
- Almanacs and Statistical Sources
- Atlases
- Reviews and Plot Summaries
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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 FormatColumbia Encyclopedia |
| 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 EncyclopediasAcademic American Encyclopedia REF AE 5 .A23 |
| 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. |
Specialized Encyclopedias:Adolescence in America REF HQ 796 .A33247 |
| 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 FormatAmerican Heritage Dictionary of the English Language |
Unabridged Dictionaries:Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary REF PE 1625 .R293 |
Abridged Dictionaries:American Heritage Dictionary REF PE 1628 .A623 |
Special Dictionaries and Thesauri:These dictionaries supply various information, including usage, synonyms, antonyms, abbreviations and quotations. Abbreviations Dictionary REF PE 1693 .D4 |
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 |
| 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 FormatAmerican National Biography Online |
General Biographical Sources:Biography and Genealogy Master Index REF Z 5305 .U5 B51 |
Specialized Biographical Sources:American Men and Women of Science REF Q 141 .A47 |
| 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 FormatInfoPlease.Com Almanacs and Statistical Sources America's Top-Rated Cities. a Statistical Handbook REF HA 214 .A43 2002 |
| 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 FormatMaps and AtlasesAtlas of African-American History REF E 185 .C55 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 IndexesBook 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 |
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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 FormatChicago Sun-Times, Ebert's Reviews |
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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 SummariesMasterplots REF PN 44 .M35 |