Below are a few places you can find definitions and encyclopedia articles; from off campus you will have to login with your myNOVA usernameand password.
Salem Press ScienceThis link opens in a new windowA full-text database of reference articles on global warming, environmental issues and forensic science. (NVCC)
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Gale eBooksThis link opens in a new window(Formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library) includes full-text encyclopedias, handbooks, and other sources for multidisciplinary research. (VIVA, NVCC)
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Science (Gale In Context)This link opens in a new windowScience topic overviews, biographies, periodical articles, images, videos and detailed experiments. (VCCS)
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Search Tips
Use broad terms, as encyclopedias usually provide general overviews of topics.
evolution
Use quotation marks ( " " ) around phrases (two or more words); this tells the database to look for the words in a specific order.
"cell divide"
Why to Use Reference Books
An encyclopedia is a type of reference book. Use a reference book to:
Defineimportant vocabulary words related to your topic,
Finda basic overview and main issues related to your topic,
Findreferences to additional resources, and
Discoverimportant background information related to your topic.
You will typically not use a reference book or encyclopedia as a source in your research. The information in these sources is for your own background knowledge.