E-Reference Tools
Use these online sources to gather reliable background and supporting information.
For more recommendations and pointers, ask a librarian!
Encyclopedias
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online (classic encyclopedia, good for overviews)
Oxford Reference Online (includes online encyclopedias for variety of subjects)
Credo Reference (includes online encyclopedias for a variety of subjects)
Biographical Information
Current Biography (thorough multiple page descriptions)
Marquis' Who's Who on the Web (brief, non-biased descriptions)
Biography.com (descriptions are a few paragraphs, often include bibliographies)
Statistics & Facts
Statistical Abstract of the United States (data from more than 5,000 federal statistical publications)
iPoll Databank - Roper (statistics from polls on a variety of topics)
Facts.com (facts included under Reference Shelf tab after you search on a topic)
Writing & Citing Your Paper
UW-Madison Writing Center's Handbook (directions for how to cite your sources in various styles)
RefWorks (keeps track of your citations, creates bibliographies)
MLA (Modern Language Association Web site) MLA style guide (in print)
APA (American Psychological Association Web site) APA style guide (in print)
Maps & Atlases
Credo Reference (search for The Collins World Atlas Gazetteer to find maps of any part of the world)
National Atlas.gov (quickly creates U.S. map including various data. i.e. crops, electoral votes, Amtrak stations)
Color Landform Atlas of the United States (links to multiple maps for each state and/or the entire United States)
Dictionaries
Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus (includes biographical and geographical names)
OED Online (Oxford English Dictionary) (includes date of origination, old meanings of words, and cross-references)
Oxford Reference Online (contains bilingual dictionaries and dictionaries for a variety of subjects)
Credo Reference (contains English language dictionaries and a thesaurus)