Research Guides: Encyclopedias Online: Overview

Reference Universe

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Subject Encyclopedias

Subject encyclopedias are a good starting point for researching a topic, especially an unfamiliar topic. The library provides access to hundreds of online encyclopedias, arranged here by subjects.

So why use these instead of Wikipedia? I suggest you use these in addition to Wikipedia, because unlike Wikipedia, the encyclopedias provided here are written by experts in a particular field, Wikipedia entries could be written by anyone; see the Wikipedia general disclaimer.

Online Reference Collections

Online Reference Collections

Britannica Academic
High-quality, comprehensive information, including access to the Britannica encyclopedia, atlas, world data, the Classics, biographies, news, multimedia, and more.
High-quality, comprehensive information, including access to the Britannica encyclopedia, atlas, world data, the Classics, biographies, news, multimedia, and more.
CRC Handbook of Chemistry & Physics
Provides the largest comprehensive physical science data source available.
Provides the largest comprehensive physical science data source available.
CQ Press Library
Includes six titles: CQ Almanac; CQ Researcher; CQ Magazine; Political Handbook of the World; Politics in America; and Supreme Court Yearbook.
Includes six titles: CQ Almanac; CQ Researcher; CQ Magazine; Political Handbook of the World; Politics in America; and Supreme Court Yearbook.
Credo Reference
Provides access to hundreds of reference books (encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, quotations) from over 70 academic publishers.
Provides access to hundreds of reference books (encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, quotations) from over 70 academic publishers.
Gale eBooks
Provides full text access to more than 250 reference sources, primarily encyclopedias.
Provides full text access to more than 250 reference sources, primarily encyclopedias.
Literary Reference Source Plus
Contains full text for classic texts, plot summaries, synopses, work overviews, literary criticism essays, author biographies and interviews, literary journals, book reviews, and poems.
Contains full text for classic texts, plot summaries, synopses, work overviews, literary criticism essays, author biographies and interviews, literary journals, book reviews, and poems.
Oxford Art Online
Contains the full text of The Grove Dictionary of Art with over 45,000 articles compiled over a period of 15 years.
Limited to 11 simultaneous users.
Oxford Handbooks
Each handbook takes an aspect of its discipline, explaining the key issues, the classic and contemporary debates on those issues, and setting the agenda for how those debates might evolve.
Each handbook takes an aspect of its discipline, explaining the key issues, the classic and contemporary debates on those issues, and setting the agenda for how those debates might evolve.
Oxford Music Online
Provides access to The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, which includes The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz and The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.
Provides access to The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, which includes The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz and The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.
Oxford Reference
Provides access to nearly 100 online encyclopedias covering history and culture, literature and language, arts, law, and the social sciences.
Provides access to nearly 100 online encyclopedias covering history and culture, literature and language, arts, law, and the social sciences.
Sage Knowledge
Full text access to more than 200 encyclopedias and over 100 handbooks in the social sciences and related subjects.
Full text access to more than 200 encyclopedias and over 100 handbooks in the social sciences and related subjects.

Encyclopedias Online: Overview

Librarian Contact

Reference Universe

Subject Encyclopedias

Online Reference Collections

Online Reference Collections

Librarian Contact