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Introduction to Library Resources and Research (HC)

Lutnick Library

Lutnick Library Reading Room (Photo by Todd Shaffer, Architect, Perry Dean Rogers Partners)

Handbooks and Encyclopedias

Subject encyclopedias provide overviews of ideas, people, and events. They are a quick way to find out the basic facts and some current points of debate on a scholarly issue. 

When using an article in an encyclopedia, check the bibliography at the end for further reading. It will provide a selective list of  books, articles, and, often, Web sites that are most authoritative and up-to-date. 

The titles below reflect a few of the comprehensive encyclopedias available online through Tripod.  More specialized encyclopedias, such as the Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) History or the Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social and Political Movements, may also prove to be useful.

Tip:  To find more titles, search encyclopedias as a subject in Tripod along with topic keywords.    


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Companions, Handbooks, and Guides

These kinds of reference books provide overviews that address major issues and topics within a field of study.  The authors not only discuss key content but they also provide a more sophisticated level of analysis and contextualization than you might find in a textbook or introductory study.  The authors are chosen for their research in specific areas and deliver authoritative essays.  The material they choose to include in their bibliographies are good points of departure for further research and reading.

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      Results = 23 books

Collections of Handbooks from Notable Publishers: