Encyclopedias and dictionaries are a useful starting point for your research.
They provide:
- overviews of subjects to help you find a topic
- background information and key facts
- definitions of important words or concepts
- suggestions for more sources about your topic
Most Popular:
Humanities & Social Sciences
- Gale Virtual Reference - large collection of specialized encyclopedias
- Europa World Plus - info on countries & regions
- Daily Life Through History - covers prehistory to present
- Oxford Research Encyclopedias - large collection of specialized encyclopedias
Creative Arts
- ARTstor - images from museum collections.
- Grove Art Online - lengthy articles on art and design
- Image Collections - sites with images to use in assignments
Dictionaries
- Oxford Dictionaries - meanings plus grammar, usage and multilingual translations
- OED (Oxford English Dictionary) - includes historical and current meanings
Health Sciences
- Anatomy.tv - extensive anatomy and physiology resources
- Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals - free textbook of internal medicine
- Medline Plus - health information for the general public
- CPS - current Canadian drug information
Literature
- Gale Artemis: Literary Sources - author biographies and criticism
- Gale Virtual Reference - includes Short Stories for Students, Literature and Its Times
Sciences
- AccessScience - encyclopedia articles and science news