Finding out more about your topic
Background information can be found in encyclopedias, dictionaries and handbooks. These sources may also point out other books or articles relevant to your topic and can be helpful to find keywords, important terms, concepts and author names to use when searching databases.
UBC Library provides access to many excellent resources in both print and online versions; a select number are listed below.
Subject specific sources
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Knovel Basic AcademicKnovel contains dozens of handbooks in engineering and the physical sciences. Special features include data search, interactive tables, and case studies.
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Synthesis Digital Library of Engineering and Computer ScienceShort (typically 75 to 125 pages) electronic books that synthesize an important research or development topic, authored by a prominent contributor to the field. Synthesis is organized by series and each topic is peer reviewed to assure quality.
General
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Oxford Reference OnlineOver 300 key Oxford University Press dictionaries and other reference works. Multidisciplinary.
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Oxford Research EncylopediasOxford Research Encyclopedias (OREs) offers peer-reviewed, article-style writings that are authored and edited by leading scholars in a variety of subject areas.
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Merriam-Webster DictionaryThe World Wide Web edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary & Thesaurus.
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Oxford English Dictionary (OED)The OED is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language. It is a guide to the meaning, history, & pronunciation of 600,000 words from across the English-speaking world.
