E-Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, & More: English Encyclopedias

English encyclopedias, bibliographies, and other reference works

These Library-subscribed resources offer reliable and credible background information on a wide range of topics. Unlike free online alternatives like Wikipedia, they are not updated by just anyone, but by professionals and experts in the particular field. 

Encyclopaedia Britannica Academic

​Encyclopædia Britannica is the oldest English-language general encyclopaedia. This online version provides a combination of content from Encyclopædia Britannica, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, magazines, periodicals, and other handy research tools such as "Compare Countries" and "This Day in History". 

Credo Reference

This platform allows you to search across a wide range of electronic reference materials (encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, etc.) covering all subject areas.

One unique feature is the ability to visualize the connections between different topics in the database. This is an excellent way to explore a topic, and a great tool to help stimulate your thinking when you need to come up with a research question.

Oxford Reference Online

Provides a one-stop gateway to reference works published by Oxford University Press, including dictionaries, companions, and encyclopedias, spanning 25 different subject areas. 

Cambridge Companions Online

Cambridge Companions are a series of authoritative guides, written by leading experts, offering lively, accessible introductions to major writers, artists, philosophers, topics, and periods.

These companions cover topics in the following subject areas:

• Literature and Classics
• Philosophy, Religion, and Culture
• Music

Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints

Covers contemporary social and political issues, such as terrorism, stem cell research, and gun control, by presenting evidence for both sides of the debate, in the form of academic articles, primary sources, statistics, and viewpoint essays.

Oxford Bibliographies Online

These subject bibliographies have been collaboratively developed by leading scholars and librarians from around the world. Combining the best of annotated bibliographies and high-level encyclopedias, you will be quickly guided to the best scholarship available in your subject.

The Library's subscription currently includes:

• American Literature
• British and Irish Literature
• Chinese Studies
• Cinema and Media Studies
• Communication
• Education
• Geography
• International Relations
• Linguistics
• Political Science

Springer Nature Major Reference Works

These sources provide access to authoritative, comprehensive, and established knowledge. The Library has so far purchased over 240 titles in this collection.