Online Encyclopedias
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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)
- Salem Press Science This link opens in a new windowA full-text database of reference articles on global warming, environmental issues and forensic science. (NVCC)
- ScienceDirect This link opens in a new windowIncludes e-books, encyclopedias and journal articles in the Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Health and Social Sciences & Humanities fields. After doing your search, you can limit your results to just books, reference, or journals. (VIVA)
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new windowCollection of full-text encyclopedias, handbooks, and other sources for multidisciplinary research. (VIVA, NVCC)
Geographic Reference Sources
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- AtoZ: Maps Online This link opens in a new window A collection of over 145,000 maps and other geography resources. (NVCC)
- AtoZ: The USA This link opens in a new window A wealth of reference information about all fifty U.S. states. Includes information about demographics, crime, the economy, history, maps and more. (NVCC)
- AtoZ: World Culture This link opens in a new window A wealth of reference information about the nations of the world. Includes information about demographics, climate, culture and travel. (NVCC)
Why to Use Reference Books
An encyclopedia is a type of reference book. Use a reference book to:
- Define important vocabulary words related to your topic,
- Find a basic overview and main issues related to your topic,
- Find references to additional resources, and
- Discover important 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.