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.
Reference Sources
Below are links to reference sources and collections that are most useful for this subject:
- Reference Universe This link opens in a new windowSearchable index of the library's entire reference collection, both print and electronic.
A Dictionary of Education by Education is of relevance to everyone but it involves a specialized vocabulary and terminology which may be opaque or unfamiliar to those new to the field. Coverage includes all sectors of education: pre-school, primary, secondary, further and higher education, special needs, adult and continuing education, and work-based learning. It also includes major legislation, key figures and organizations, and national curriculum and assessment terminology.
Encyclopedia of Special Education by Comprehensive and thoroughly up to date, this is the essential, A-Z compilation of authoritative information on the education of those with special needs.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities by Call Number: AC Frost Reference LC2781 .B755 2011This exhaustive analysis of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) throughout history discusses the institutions and the major events, individuals, and organizations that have contributed to their existence. A complete timeline of events extending from the founding of the first HBCU in 1837 through the 21st century Photographs of HBCUs and key figures in their histories over a 150-year period.
Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning by The Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning provides an up-to-date, broad and authoritative coverage of the specific terms mostly used in the sciences of learning and its related fields, including relevant areas of instruction, pedagogy, cognitive sciences, and especially machine learning and knowledge engineering. This modern compendium will be an indispensable source of information for scientists, educators, engineers, and technical staff active in all fields of learning. More specifically, the Encyclopedia provides fast access to the most relevant theoretical terms provides up-to-date, broad and authoritative coverage of the most important theories within the various fields of the learning sciences and adjacent sciences and communication technologies.
