Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

The encyclopedia should be the first reference work a student uses when doing research. The encyclopedia will provide a basic overview of the topic and help the student gain a better understanding of his subject. It will also help the student identify key terms and concepts that can be used as search terms when performing online searches.

Encyclopedias such as Britannica and World Book are considered general encyclopedias. They cover a wide range of topics from A-Z. In contrast, a subject encyclopedia covers one narrow range of topics in depth. Examples include The Encyclopedia of Psychology and the Encyclopedia of Family Life. If you are having trouble locating your topic in a general encyclopedia, try a subject encyclopedia. 

Brown Library has several subscriptions to online encyclopedias. These include the general encyclopedia Encyclopedia Britannica as well as several subject encyclopedias such as Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice. In addition we also have print-based encyclopedias, such as World Book and Americana. These encyclopedias are located in the reference section on the main floor.