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For individual research help, schedule an appointment to meet with a librarian.
Online Encyclopedias
- 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)
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window(Formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library) includes full-text encyclopedias, handbooks, and other sources for multidisciplinary research. (VIVA, NVCC)
- Science (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new windowScience topic overviews, biographies, periodical articles, images, videos and detailed experiments. (VCCS)
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.