Research Guides: UNH-4U (UNH Durham): Background Info

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You may want to start your research by getting background information using a dictionary, encyclopedia, or other reference source.

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Online reference library that provides access to a selection of reference books including encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, and books of quotations, not to mention a range of subject-specific titles covering everything from art to accountancy and literature to law.
Britannica Online Academic Edition This link opens in a new window
Includes the complete encyclopedia, as well as Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, the Britannica Book of the Year, and an Internet directory that includes more than 130,000 links to Web sites selected, rated, and reviewed by Britannica editors.
Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new window
Contains the complete text of the 20-volume Second Edition, first published in 1989, together with its 3-volume Additions Series, published in 1993 (volumes 1 and 2) and 1997 (volume 3), and recent online updates.

More encyclopedias
a list of more than 50 encyclopedias in a variety of subjects

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Contains original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news, providing in-depth, unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. Reports are published 44 times a year by CQ Press. Note: There is a limit of 10 concurrent users. Dates of coverage: 1991-current
Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Covers current social issues, from capital punishment to immigration to marijuana. It supports science, social studies, current events, and language arts classes. Informed, differing views help learners develop critical-thinking skills and draw their own conclusions.

Library Search Box

Reference sources are good places to gather background information on a topic or get ideas when choosing a topic.

Background information:

Types of reference sources