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English

This guide is intended to assist students who are conducting research on literature in English

Reference Sources

Use Reference Sources, such as encyclopedias, to get a general overview of your topic. They are not intended to be read cover-to-cover, but rather provide you with more concise information as you begin to explore a topic. Reference sources generally provide several things:

  • Background information about a topic.
  • Brief, factual overviews of topics.
  • Information about important dates, events, and people associated with a topic.
  • Terminology and definitions of terms related to a topic.
  • Articles written by authors with expertise in the subject matter.
  • Bibliographies of sources for further reading.

Reference books are located on the Main Floor of the Library.

Sample of Print Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, and Glossaries

Sample of Online Encyclopedias and Dictionaries