LibGuides: EN 101: College Composition : Getting Started

Where to Begin

General background information is helpful in the early stages of a research project. These databases are an excellent place to begin.

Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window General database for scholarly articles in most disciplines.
Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window Also includes atlas, world data, the Classics, biographies, news & multimedia plus Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window Reports on topics of national interest including overview, chronology, pro/con & more.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window Credo contains full text encyclopedias and dictionaries.
Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new window The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words— past and present—from across the English-speaking world
Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window Oxford Reference is a comprehensive online reference product, spanning 25 different subject areas, bringing together two million digitized entries across Oxford University Press’s Dictionaries, Companions and Encyclopedias.
Points of View Reference Center (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window Full text database designed to provide students and schools with a series of controversial essays that present multiple sides of a current issue. Essays provide questions and materials for further thought and study and are accompanied by thousands of supporting articles from the worlds top political and societal publications. Hosted on the EBSCOhost platform.
ProQuest Central This link opens in a new window General database for scholarly and popular articles on most disciplines.
Research Library (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window

Why Should I Use Reference Resources?

Beginning your research with reference resources helps you discover background information like terminology, central figures and dates and an overview of existing literature on your topic. Look for:

Definitions of key terms
Historical context
Biographical information
Critical interpretation of texts
Bibliographies detailing relevant scholarship

Reference

Use these specialized encyclopedias and reference texts to get an overview of the subject, or to familiarize yourself with terminology and key concepts.