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Law, Jurisprudence, & Social Thought Research Guide

Tip: What are reference sources, and why would I use them?

Reference sources can include encyclopedias, bibliographies, dictionaries, handbooks, and atlases

  • They provide overviews of and background information on a topic
  • They help you identify or refine your topic 
  • They provide quick, reliable facts  
  • They include bibliographies that will lead you to additional sources of information on your topic

You can find the Library's collection of reference books on Floor 1 of Frost. We also have many online databases that include collections of edited scholarly encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference sources.

Encyclopedias

Dictionaries

Handbooks

Multi-Subject Encyclopedias