Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Reference Works
Reference works such as dictionaries and encyclopedias provide background information. These resources are useful when you:
- Want to quickly learn about a topic.
- Are having trouble selecting a topic for an assignment.
- Don’t know what search terms to use.
- Need to find facts and figures.
Virtual Reference
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language.
Use this widget to search seven collections of reference books.
Sociology Dictionaries
The following is a sample from our reference collection.
The Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology by Call Number: Ref. 301.03 C1442ISBN: 9780521832908Publication Date:Providing an authoritative and comprehensive overview of the classical and the contemporary, this volume is an indispensable guide to the vibrant and expanding field of sociology.
Dictionary of the Social Sciences by Call Number: Ref. 300.3 D561ISBN: 9780195123715Publication Date:The Dictionary of the Social Sciences is a comprehensive reference work with over 1,700 entries ranging from fifty to five hundred words covering topics such as anthropology, sociology, economics, political science, cultural studies, human and cultural geography, and Marxism.
Sociology Encyclopedias
Encyclopedia of Research Design by Call Number: eBookISBN: 1452265828Publication Date:Comprising more than 500 entries, the Encyclopedia of Research Design explains how to make decisions about research design, undertake research projects in an ethical manner, interpret and draw valid inferences from data, and evaluate experiment design strategies and results.
Encyclopedia of Sociology Research by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781626180765Publication Date:This new book presents current research and findings in the study of sociology. Topics discussed include social capital, entrepreneurial capital and economic growth; disruption of social development in children with autism spectrum disorders; children's social interactions in cultural context; everyday theorizing and the construction of knowledge; participation, pedagogy and practice in design education; community participation in formulating sustainable forest policy; increasing the economic sustainability of online communities and a comparison between theoretical and naïve definitions of community.
International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences by Call Number: Ref. 300.3 Int8ISBN: 0029287510Publication Date:Provides entries for terms, phrases, people, and other aspects of the social sciences, and includes quotations from individuals in various fields.
History Dictionaries
Dictionary of American History by Call Number: Ref. 973.03 D561 2d ed.ISBN: 9780684138565Publication Date:Contains 7,200 alphabetically arranged entries that provide information about various aspects of American history, covering politics, the arts, science and technology, the military, economics, and other topics; and includes a cross-referenced index.
A Dictionary of American History by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781405165785Publication Date:This book is a concise, easy-to-use guide to the individuals, peoples, parties, movements, events, decisions, and wars that have shaped the history of the United States.
Merriam-Webster’s Geographical Dictionary by Call Number: Ref. 910.3 W3998 1997ISBN: 9780877795469Publication Date:A comprehensive source of geographical, economic, historical, and political information. Over 54,000 entries and 250 maps.
History Encyclopedias
Encyclopedia of American History by Call Number: Ref. 973.03 M8338e5ISBN: 9780060130817Publication Date:Unequaled in the amount of information contained within a single volume, and designed to be read as a narrative, the Encyclopedia chronicles all the essential facts of American history, from government and politics to science, thought and culture.
An Encyclopedia of World History by Call Number: Ref. 902 L262e5ISBN: 9780395135921Publication Date:Using both a geographical and chronological arrangement, the author outlines the major events in world history to .
The Oxford Companion to United States History by Call Number: Ref. 973.03 Ox2ISBN: 9780195082098Publication Date:With over 1,400 entries written by some 900 historians and other scholars, it illuminates not only America’s political, diplomatic, and military history, but also social, cultural, and intellectual trends; science, technology, and medicine; the arts; and religion.
The Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781400833566Publication Date:An essential resource for anyone interested in U.S. history and politics, this two-volume encyclopedia covers the major forces that have shaped American politics from the founding to today.
