REFERENCE RESEARCH GUIDE: DICTIONARIES AND ENCYCLOPEDIAS

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Dictionaries
Dictionaries present information in alphabetical order. They can be similar to an encyclopedia or they can be listings of terms with short definitions. Examples of general and specialized dictionaries include:

• Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary, 3 vols.
  Reference Stacks PE1693 .G3
• American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
  Reference Stacks PE1628 .A623
• Cassell Dictionary of Contemporary Quotations
  Reference Stacks PN6081 .A6516
• Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English: Colloquialisms and Catch-Phrases, Solecisms and Catachreses, Nicknames, and Vulgarisms
  Reference Stacks PE3721 .P3
• Familiar Quotations: A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature
  Reference Stacks PN6081 .B27 1992
  Also online at: Bartleby.com
• Oxford English Dictionary
  Reference Stacks PE1625 M964 1989
  Also online: Oxford English Dictionary < about >
• Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations Requested from the
  Congressional Research Service
  Reference Stacks PN6081 .R435 1987
• Roget's International Thesaurus
  Reference Stacks PE1591 .R73 1992
• Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged
  Reference Stacks PE1625 .W36 1993

Encyclopedias

General
General encyclopedias provide introductory information on a multitude of subjects. Examples of general encyclopedias include:

• New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 32 vols.
  Reference Stacks AE5 .E192
  Also online: Britannica.com

Specialized
Specialized encyclopedias focus on specific areas of knowledge and present information in a detailed, comprehensive manner. Examples of specialized encyclopedias include:

• American Heritage Encyclopedia of American History
  Reference Stacks E174 .A535 1998
• Dictionary of Art, 34 vols.
  Reference Stacks N31 .D5 1996
• Encyclopedia of Psychology, 4 vols.
  Reference Stacks BF31 .E52 1994
• Encyclopedia of Religion
  Reference Stacks BL31 .E46 1986
• International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, 19 vols.
  Reference Stacks H40.A2 I5
• McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology, 20 vols.
  Reference Stacks Q121 .M3 1997
• New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 20 vols.
  Reference Stacks ML100 .N48
• Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 10 vols.
  Reference Stacks B51 .R68 1998

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