Ray W. Howard Library: ENGL&102 (Idiart): Background & Encyclopedias

Reliable, Credible, & Factual

Encyclopedias are a great place to start your research. They can help you get acquainted with a topic without wading into the opinions or perspectives often seen in journalistic resources such as newspaper or magazine articles.

Online Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Encyclopedia of Human Rights
The five-volume Encyclopedia of Human Rights, edited by David Forsythe, offers comprehensive coverage of all aspects of human rights theory, practice, law, and history in over 300 entries signed by leading scholars and human rights experts. The coverage includes major figures, organizations and institutions, human rights events and crises, and human rights norms.
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
This database provides over 25,000 encyclopedic entries covering a variety of subject areas.
Gale eBooks, formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library
IEP Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (IEP) was founded in 1995 as a non-profit organization to provide open access to detailed, scholarly information on key topics and philosophers in all areas of philosophy. This is a peer reviewed, academic resource.
Merriam Webster Online Dictionary
For more than 150 years Merriam-Webster has been America's leading and most-trusted provider of language information. Each month, Merriam-Webster.com offers guidance to more than 40 million visitors.

Databases for Background Research

MasterFILE Reference eBooks
This ebook reference collection offers a rich selection of eBook titles covering a broad range of general reference subjects. Topics include biography, history, careers, cooking, literature, genealogy, health, parenting, personal finance, politics, architecture, science, current events, social-emotional health, sports, and travel.
TopicSearch
TOPICsearch contains full text for over 150,961 articles from 475 diverse sources including international and regional newspapers, EBSCO's collection of periodicals, biographies, public opinion polls, book reviews, pamphlets, and government information.