Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
For Your Reference
Reference works such as dictionaries and encyclopedias provide background information. These resources are most 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.
Suggested Dictionaries
The following is a selection from our library catalog.
APA Dictionary of Psychology by Call Number: Ref. 150.3 Ap11 2nd ed.ISBN: 9781433819445Publication Date:This second edition of a landmark reference resource—created not only for psychologists, clinicians, students, and professionals from allied mental health professions, but for all interested readers—offers definitive information on the lexicon of the field, including almost 26,000 entries offering clear and authoritative definitions.
The Concise Dictionary of Psychology by Call Number: eBookISBN: 0203266153Publication Date:From atavistic to folie a deux, from engram to Weltschmerz and Seashore test, this edition of The Concise Dictionary of Psychology contains more than 1,300 references to words, phrases and eminent pioneers in psychology.
Dictionary of Psychological Testing, Assessment and Treatment by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781435603042Publication Date:The fully revised and updated second edition of this well-established reference provides over 400 new or improved terms, and is an exhaustive guide to the key terms used in psychological testing, assessment, and measurement.
Suggested Encyclopedias & Handbooks
Encyclopedia of Psychology by Call Number: Ref. 150.3 En196ISBN: 1557986509Publication Date:After more than a century of extraordinary growth and development, the science of psychology at last has a reference source that defines the study of mind and behavior. International in scope, the Encyclopedia of Psychology is the first place to turn to for authoritative information on every area of the field.
Encyclopedia of Psychology Research by Call Number: eBookISBN: 1621001490Publication Date:Presents important research advances in the study of psychology research. This book discusses such topics as cultural psychology; meta-mood research; child and adolescent psychiatry; psychological influences on child nutrition; psychotherapy of addictive diseases; sexual hormones and aggressive behaviour in schizophrenia; and more.
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.
The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology by Call Number: Ref. 150.3 G131ISBN: 9780787603724Publication Date:This reference is aimed at school and undergraduate students requiring accessible definitions and explanations of important psychological terms. Based on current psychology curricula, it should provide a supplement to existing student classroom materials.
The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology by Call Number: 150.198 H191ISBN: 0761921214Publication Date:Inspired by James F T Bugental’s classic, Challenges of Humanistic Psychology (), The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology represents the latest scholarship in the resurgent field of humanistic psychology and psychotherapy.
Handbook of Research and Quantitative Methods in Psychology by Call Number: Ref. 150.3 H191ISBN: 0898598672Publication Date:This comprehensive reference organizes extensive definitions and examples of key concepts in quantitative research into a single, convenient source.
The Psychology Research Handbook by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781452209050Publication Date:A comprehensive, easy-to-understand guide to the entire research process, this book quickly and efficiently equips advanced students and research assistants to conduct a full-scale investigation. The book is organized around the idea of a “research script”; that is, it follows the standard mode of research planning and design, data collection and analysis, and results writing.
Reference Databases
These research databases contain full-text reference works.
Their content includes encyclopedias and specialized dictionaries but may also include journal articles and other sources.
General Reference
- Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
- Why search here? This encyclopedia features brief topical overviews useful for beginning almost any research project.
- What’s included? This is a general encyclopedia containing over 25,000 full-text entries.
- Oxford English Dictionary Online
- Why search here? The Oxford English Dictionary is the most authoritative and exhaustive dictionary of the English language, past and present. With the OED, a student can track how the meaning of a word has changed over time. This is especially valuable for students of English.
- What’s included? The OED includes not only current definitions but historical definitions and usages accompanied by examples from a wide range of literature.
Legal & Business Information
- Legal Information Source
- Why search here? Legal Information Source contains legal forms and legal information aimed at the layman rather than the specialist. Topics include family law, property law, and business law, among others.
- What’s included? The collection includes legal reference books from Nolo and thousands of legal forms.
- Small Business Source
- Why search here? Small Business Source contains multiple resources on starting or managing a business. This may be useful for Business majors.
- What’s included? Contents include almost 400 full-text magazines and journals and 400 full-text reference books, as well as market and industry research reports. Additional resources include instructional videos and state-specific demographic information.
English & Literature
- Gale Literature Resource Center
- Why search here? This is the most important database for the English program, and it is also useful for other fields in the humanities.
- What’s included? This database contains full-text author biographies, literary analyses, and reviews for a wide range of literature, conveniently sorted by resource type.
- Poetry & Short Story Reference Source
- Why search here? This database features full-text poems, short stories, and dramatic works, as well as biographies, critical essays, and eBooks.
- What’s included? The database contains 400,000 poems, over 50,000 short stories, over 4,000 dramatic works, and over 1,100 eBooks.
Health & Psychology
- Consumer Health Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This collection of reference texts supplements Consumer Health Complete.
- What’s included? The collection includes almost 370 full-text, health-related reference works aimed at the general reader.
- Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print
- Why search here? The Mental Measurements Yearbook contains descriptions and reviews of commercially available psychometric tests used in education, business, and psychology. Although potentially useful to all students whose field of research involves mental tests, this database is particularly important for graduate students planning their own research projects.
- What’s included? The Mental Measurements Yearbook annually produces extensive descriptions of new testing instruments with reviews by subject experts. Tests in Print maintains a bibliography of all testing instruments currently available in English.
Home & Craft
- Hobbies & Crafts Source
- Why search here? Hobbies & Crafts Source contains an array of popular publications on crafts, hobbies, and recreation.
- What’s included? The database contains over 740 magazines and books as well as over 700 instructional videos.
- Home Improvement Source
- Why search here? Home Improvement Source contains magazines, reference materials, and instructions on all aspects of do-it-yourself home improvement and repair.
- What’s included? The database contains thousands of repair instructions and a wide range of home-improvement magazines and reference books.
Schools & Public Libraries
- MAS Complete
- Why search here? This database contains popular magazines and books on a wide range of nonfiction subjects. Although intended for high schools, it may be useful for subjects such as sports science, fine arts, social science, social work, and others.
- What’s included? Contents include over 540 full-text magazines, 440 reference books, thousands of biographies and primary-source documents, and an image collection.
- MAS Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference book collection supplements MAS Complete. Although intended for high school students, its contents may be useful in undergraduate classes.
- What’s included? Over 370 reference books on a wide variety of subjects are included.
- MasterFILE Complete
- Why search here? This collection contains a wide selection of popular magazines, reference books, and primary-source documents on many subjects. It is especially useful for researching business and current events.
- What’s included? The collection includes over 2,300 magazines, 1,100 eBooks, 55,000 primary-source documents, and 75,000 Associated Press videos, as well as an image collection.
- MasterFILE Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference collection supplements MasterFILE Complete. Although intended for public libraries, its contents may be useful in undergraduate classes.
- What’s included? Almost 780 reference books on a wide variety of subjects are included.
- Middle Search Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference book collection supplements Middle Search Plus. Although intended for middle schools, its contents may be useful in undergraduate classes.
- What’s included? Over 300 reference books on a wide variety of subjects are included.
- Primary Search Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference book collection supplements Primary Search. Although intended for elementary school students, its contents may be useful to the Division of Education or anyone looking for a cursory overview of a topic.
- What’s included? A large collection of children’s reference books on a wide variety of subjects is included.
