Library: Norwalk Art &amp; Art History: Reference Works

What are Reference Works?

Reference works are authoritative resources that provide facts and/or summaries of information. They should be used in your research process to gain a quick overview or summary of your topic (encyclopedias); define unfamiliar terms (dictionaries); and find geographic information (atlases and maps). Many U.S. government websites provide reference resources with statistics for quantitative support of your research topic arguments. Reference works are usually considered Tertiary Resources. They are used as a jumping off point for further research.

Find Background Information

Once you have a general idea about what you want to research, you might need a little help to create your thesis question (that is, exactly what you want to know about this specific topic). Try browsing through some background resources such as:

Encyclopedias
Dictionaries
Thesaurus (a resource that offers synonyms and other words that are relevant to one of your keywords).

These are great sources for general information about your topic and related topics. Write down key terms from these resources that you might not have thought of, and don't forget to look at the bibliography and references for each encyclopedia article that you read!

Some recommended databases to gather background information include:

TOPICsearch This link opens in a new window Current events database for social, political, and economic issues, scientific discoveries, and more. Full text sources include international and regional newspapers, periodicals, biographies, public opinion polls, book reviews, pamphlets, and government information. 
New York Times (1985-present) This link opens in a new window This ProQuest version of full-text articles from The New York Times newspaper (Coverage Dates: 1985 to Present) includes local, regional, national, and international news coverage, including archived articles. Alternately, if you are looking for access to The New York Times Online Edition, please create a free library account at https://library.ctstate.edu/nytimes
CQ Press Library This link opens in a new window CQ Press provides the reference resources for research in American government, politics, history, public policy, and current affairs. Includes access to the following collections: Congress Collection, CQ Almanac, CQ Researcher Plus Archive, CQ Magazine, Encyclopedia of American Government, Politics in America, Public Affairs Collection, Supreme Court Collection, Supreme Court Yearbook, Voting and Elections Collection.
Encyclopedia Britannica Academic - Norwalk Campus This link opens in a new window Britannica is a well-respected brand and has a long tradition of providing accurate and educational information on just about any subject you can think of. We pride ourselves in encouraging all our customers, young and old, to discover more about the world we live in.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window Credo Reference is a general knowledge database providing articles, images, charts, maps and other materials on thousands of topics.  With 750+ searchable, full-text titles, Credo Reference places particular emphasis on subject encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and reference handbooks. Also included are more than 1,100 short reference videos, more than 475,000 high-resolution art images, photographs, and maps across all subject areas.
SAGE Knowledge This link opens in a new window Authoritative eReference Titles in the Social Sciences. SAGE Knowledge includes an expansive range of SAGE eBook and eReference content, including scholarly monographs, reference works, handbooks, series, professional development titles, as well as business case studies, and streaming video.