Checking reference resources first will help you

• get an overview of the subject.  
• note key concepts/developments. 
• identify significant individuals. 
• see a chronology/timeline.
• discern connections/interrelationships with other developments. 
• develop a list of search terms.
• find bibliographies -- sources for more information on your topic.

• Some online reference collections, such as the Oxford Reference Online or the OhioLINK Electronic Reference Books (ABC-CLIO), allow you to search across hundreds of titles simultaneously or to narrow your search to a particular title.  These collections contain many subject-specific encyclopedias and dictionaries.

• A general encyclopedia, such as Encyclopedia Britannica, covers all areas of knowledge.  

• Subject-specific encyclopedias focus on a particular field of knowledge and usually offer more detailed and more technical information than general encyclopedias.  Subject-specific encyclopedias, which may use the term "dictionary" in their titles, are available for most subjects.  (In publishing, the words "dictionary" and "encyclopedia" are often used interchangeably.) 
• Examples of subject-specific encyclopedias and dictionaries are AccessScience (the online version of the McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology and the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms); Grove Art Online (the online version of the Dictionary of Art),   Conservation and Environmentalism: an Encyclopedia; Dictionary of the Middle Ages; Encyclopedia of Education; Encyclopedia of Folklore and Literature, and Encyclopedia of Life Sciences . 

• Biographical resources provide information about the life and work of a particular individual.  American National Biography Online, Contemporary Authors, and Wilson Biographies Plus Illustrated are examples of biographical references sources.

• Almanacs and statistical resources are particularly good sources of quantitative (numerical) data.  FedStats and STAT-USA both provide links to many United States government resources, while Facts on File, Information Please Almanac (infoplease.com), and World Almanac are commercial resources (which often compile government data.)  

• Dictionaries like the American Heritage Dictionary and MerriamWebster Online Dictionary not only provide definitions but also allow you to hear a word pronounced.  The largest dictionary of the English language, the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) Online, gives both current and historical definitions. 
• A thesaurus such as Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus suggests alternative and related terms.  

• A directory, such as the telephone directory, is a list.  The library offers directories of colleges and universities (CollegeSource), of physicians (The Official ABMS Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists), of companies (The Directory of Venture Capital & Private Equity Firms ), etc.

• Legislative and public policy information resources such as CQ Researcher and Pro & Con are examples of online reference resources that provide extensive background information on controversial topics of current interest. 

• Audio, Video, and Graphic Archives such as Naxos Music Library, OhioLINK's Multi-Subject Video Collections, and ARTstor offer immediate online access to media in digital formats. 

• Editions & Adaptations of Shakespeare and 20th Century American Poetry  are examples on some of the online literature collections that are available via the library webpages.

Get help via IM, email (Reference_Services@Shawnee.edu), or by phoning (740.351.3321).  

If you prefer face-to-face assistance, stop by the Clark Memorial Library Reference Counter or schedule a Research Consultation with a Reference Librarian.