Research Assistance
Research assistance in the social sciences and humanities is available at the Charles E. Young Research Library. See Reference and Research Help for complete reference service options.
General Online Reference Sources
What Are Reference Sources?
Reference sources are authoritative works that you can refer to for quick information. They may contain specific information or introductory articles. Types of reference sources include encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, handbooks, atlases, bibliographies, and so on.
Use these electronic reference resources to provide an overview of your topic. If connecting from home, make sure your computer is configured for off-campus access.
- Gale E-Books (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library) This link opens in a new window
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Full-text, cross-searchable online library of several interdisciplinary reference books. - Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window
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Spans 25 different subject areas, bringing together 2 million digitized entries across Oxford University Press’s Dictionaries, Companions and Encyclopedias. UC subscription allows limited simultaneous users, so if you can't connect try again later. - Reference Universe This link opens in a new window
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A good place to start, but note that it is an index to over 15 million articles in 11,000 subject encyclopedias and handbooks, both print and online and does not provide full-text articles. Instead, it will connect you to our catalog so you know where to find the appropriate encyclopedia, dictionary or other reference work. You will be linked to UCLA's holdings for any entries you find.
Key Reference Resource
Created by the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Primate Factsheets serves as a starting point for finding information about various primate species. Each factsheet "covers one or more species, including morphology, ecology, behavior, and conservation with range maps, images, and an extensive glossary of terms to illustrate the text."
Encyclopedias
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution by ISBN: 0521323703
Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior by ISBN: 0313327459
Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia [electronic resource] by ISBN: 0787653624
Encyclopedia of Anthropology by Call Number: GN11 .E63 2006
Research Handbooks
A Guide to Primate Sociobiological Theory and Research by Call Number: GN365.9 .G946 1984 (Biomed); GN365.9 .G85 1984 (YRL)ISBN: 0875367305
Handbook of paleoanthropology [electronic resource] by ISBN: 354033761X
Dictionaries
These resources are available in print only.
Animal Behavior Desk Reference: A Dictionary of Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution (2nd ed.) by Call Number: QL750.3 B278a 2001ISBN: 0849320054Location: Biomed Reference Core; online
Dictionary of Concepts in Physical Anthropology by Call Number: GN50.3 .S847d 1991ISBN: 0313247560Location: Biomed Reference Core
More Reference Sources
Mammalian SpeciesCall Number: QL708 .M311Location: Biomed Library; online
A series with more than 800 monographs, each providing a thorough synthesis of the biological knowledge of an individual species, including taxonomy, ecology, and conservation status.
The Pictorial Guide to Living Primates by Call Number: QL737.P9 R675 1996ISBN: 0964882507Location: College Library
World Atlas of Great Apes and Their Conservation by Call Number: QL737.P96 W68 2005ISBN: 0520246330Location: College Library
Recommend a Reference Resource
Is there a reference resource that you think the library should have? You can recommend a book purchase here or make a comment below.