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CHS 230: Family and Sexual Violence

General Reference Sources

General reference sources fall into broad categories, such as biographical sources, dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories, article databases. Reference tools in the social sciences and humanities are found on the Reference Sources in the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Guide.

Why Dictionaries?

You want to sure you are using the correct word to express your ideas. If you are not sure, you should check the definition in a dictionary.

Why Encyclopedias?

Encyclopedias are a good place to start if you need an overview of a topic you are unfamiliar with. They will often include a bibliography of sources that you can consult for more information.

The links below lead you to a selection of encyclopedia titles/collections that might be relevant to your Comm Studies assignments. Some of the links are to groups of titles from a single publisher--you can select those that seem appropriate to your topic.