Online Reference Sources

The following sections link to resources licensed by the Library plus free online resources drawn primarily from the Internet Public Library, the Librarians' Internet Index, and Library Spot.

• Reference Databases
• Abbreviations & Acronyms
• Almanacs
• Citation Guides & Style Manuals
• College & University Rankings
• Country Information
• Dictionaries
• Directories
• Encyclopedias
• Maps & Atlases
• Search Engines
• Statistical Resources
• Web Catalogs & Directories

Reference Databases

Gale Virtual Reference Library

Also known as Virtual Reference Library
Provides the full text of over 200 subject encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, and directories.

Oxford Reference Online

A collection containing over 120 dictionaries and reference titles covering a broad spectrum of subjects from general reference and language to science and medicine, and from humanities and social sciences to business and professional.

Reference Universe

Reference Universe contains links to over 6000 online encyclopedias and printed specialized subject encyclopedias. Includes back of the book indexes and article titles.

Abbreviations & Acronyms

Sources which explain shortened forms of a word used instead of the whole word, and words or names formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts of the name of an organization or term (such as USA).

• Abbreviations + Acronyms (Librarians' Internet Index)
• Acronyms (Library Spot)

Almanacs

Handy compendiums containing a variety of useful facts of a miscellaneous nature, and statistical information.

• Internet Public Library
• Librarians' Internet Index
• Library Spot

Citation Guides & Style Manuals

Guides to creating footnotes, endnotes, or a list of works cited.

• Citation Guides & Style Manuals
• Style and Writing Guides (The Internet Public Library)
• Grammar/Style (Library Spot)
• Writing an Annotation (pdf)
  

College & University Rankings

Sources which rate and compare colleges and universities based upon various statistical data, reputation, or other factors.

• College and University Rankings (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
• U.S. News & World Report

Country Information

Sources providing economic, political, statistical, and other kinds of information about countries throughout the world.

• CountryWatch
  Detailed economic, political information and news for 191 countries. Country reviews include historical and political information, five years of hard data for key economic sectors, economic overviews, detailed maps, environmental situations, stock markets, investment climates, and taxation information. Continuously updated.
• Country Information Pages
  
• Library Spot

Dictionaries

• Oxford English Dictionary - OED
  The Oxford English Dictionary is a historical dictionary of English, covering the language from the earliest times to the present day. Entries contain detailed etymological analysis, and are illustrated by quotations from a wide range of English language sources from around the world.
  
• Merriam-Webster Online
  
• Internet Public Library
  English, non-English, bilingual (translation), and specialized dictionaries.
  
• Librarians' Internet Index
  English, bilingual, slang, American Sign Language, and numerous subject specific dictionaries.
  
• Library Spot
  Popular, foreign language, and subject specific dictionaries.

Directories

Lists of people or organizations giving their addresses, contact information, affiliations, functions, etc.

• Library Spot
• Guidestar, a Directory of Non-Profit Organizations,

Encyclopedias

• Encyclopaedia Britannica Online (SCU users only)
  Also known as Britannica Online
  Searchable and browsable collection of Encyclopedia Britannica's latest article database, Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, the Britannica Book of the Year, and thousands of links to other World Wide Web sites selected by Britannica editors.
  
• Internet Public Library
  
• General Encyclopedias (Librarians' Internet Index)
  
• Specialized Encyclopedias (Librarians' Internet Index)
  
• Library Spot

Maps & Atlases

Two-dimensional representations of geographic areas on Earth or another celestial body, and collections of many of them together, often under a common theme.

• Internet Public Library
  
• Librarians' Internet Index
  
• Library Spot

Search Engines

• Internet Public Library
  

Statistical Resources

• Statistical Abstract of the United States (1878 - )
  The Statistical Abstract is a compilation of statistics published by the U.S. government and some private organizations. This is THE starting point for statistical information as it gives sources for all tables and frequently has time-series data. Almost all volumes from 1878 to the present are accessible from this web site. The University Library has print editions from 1918 to the present.
  
• FedStats
  FedStats provides links to more than 100 statistical agencies of the United States government.
  
  • Bureau of Justice Statistics
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • National Center for Education Statistics
  • National Center for Health Statistics
  • U.S. Census Bureau
    The Census Bureau site is the primary source for Census 2000 data. Much of the data can be manipulated online and the results downloaded. In addition, the Census Bureau provides population estimates and projections, economic statistics, government finance data, and much more.
• Statistical Agencies (International)
  Provides links to statistical agencies in numerous countries.

Web Catalogs & Directories

Sites on the World Wide Web, created by human indexers, which identify, describe, and link to other Web sites based upon their subject matter and content.

•  Internet Public Library

Page created April 1, 2007.
Page last updated July 30, 2009.