Penn State University Libraries - AAA S 146/RL ST 146, Sec.1: The Life & Thought of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Using Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, and other Reference Works

Use identified keywords to find encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works. These will provide background information and overviews of a topic.

To find encyclopedias and other reference works, general books and other formats, use Advanced Search in The CAT and limit your search to format, year, library, etc.

Online Encyclopedias: available in Databases by Title (A-Z List):

• Oxford African American Studies Center

• Gale Virtual Reference Library

• American National Biography

• Biography and Genealogy Master Index

Use LionSearch to locate Encyclopedias and other Reference Works

Using the LionSearch Advanced Search menu:

• use your keywords in the appropriate search boxes
• limit your search to a particular publication, items with full text only, etc.

Finding Books and other materials in The CAT

Use identified keywords to find general books and other materials in The CAT (Penn State Libraries' online catalog).

• Cite at least two books published by a university press

The following databases are available through the Libraries' Databases by Title (A-Z list):

• America: History and Life

• Race Relations Abstracts

• JSTOR

• Sociological Abstracts

• Project MUSE

• International Index to Black Periodicals

• Ethnic NewsWatch

• Worldwide Political Science Abstracts

Newspapers can provide context as well as important information about your topic. See the Libraries' Research Guide: News and Newspaper Sources Research Guide for resources to access news content online and in the Libraries.

The following resources are available through the Libraries' Databases by Title (A-Z List):

• CQ (Congressional Quarterly) Almanac

• ProQuest Congressional

• CQ (Congressional Quarterly) Electronic Library — includes:

  • CQ Weekly

  • CQ Researcher

  • CQ Congress Collection

• Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports

• Statistical Insight

• Catalog of U.S. Government Publications

• Gale Virtual Reference Library [search by subject law]

• Index to Legal Periodicals

• African American Studies

• African American History

• Political Science

• Sociology

• Women's Studies

Citation and Writing Guides, a Penn State Libraries' Research Guide, provides links to online citation guides as well as citation management tools that will help you correctly format your bibliographic references.