GCSU Library Subject Guide
General Reference
General Reference
Dictionaries Encyclopedias Thesauri Quotations Almanacs
Geographic Resources Internet Directories Citation Resources Contact A Librarian
Dictionaries Dictionaries are of course used to check the definitions, spellings, and pronunciations of words. Most of the dictionaries with which we are familiar strive to cover the entire English language; however, some are limited to words or phrases dealing with specific subjects. Many dictionaries provide the history of a word (These are known as etymological dictionaries).
- The American Heritage College Dictionary (Ref PE 1628 .A6227 2004)
Cassell Dictionary of Cliches (Ref PE 1699 .R42 1996)
Dictionary of American Regional English (Ref PE 2843 .D52 1985)
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (Ref PE 1628 .M36 2003, available at the Reference Desk): This general English language dictionary is available in the GCSU Library and in GALILEO.
The New Comprehensive American Rhyming Dictionary (Ref PE 1519 .Y68 1991)
The New Oxford American Dictionary (Ref PE 1628 .N429 2005, available at the Reference Desk)
NTC's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions (Ref PE 2846 .S64 1995, available at the Reference Desk)
The Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus (Ref PE 2835 .092 1996)
The Oxford English Dictionary (Ref PE 1625 .O87 1989): This dictionary traces the development of the English language. It provides not only current definitions but also historical information on words, as well as quotations to demonstrate the different uses of words over time. OED is available in the GCSU Library Reference Collection and through GALILEO.
Picturesque Expressions: A Thematic Dictionary (Ref PE 1689 .PF 1985): This dictionary provides the definition and origins of phrases that have entered the general language.
Random House Webster's College Dictionary (Ref PE 1628 .R28 1995, available at the Reference Desk)
Webster's New Encyclopedic Dictionary (Ref PE 1628 .W55693 2002)
Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (Ref PE 1628 .W5638 1991)
Encyclopedias General encyclopedias contain a wealth of information on a wide array of topics in a single, well organized resource. A general encyclopedia is often the best place to start the research process, since it can familiarize you with a topic before you move on to more specialized resources.
- Collier's Encyclopedia (Ref AE 5 .C683 1997)
Encyclopedia Americana (Ref AE 5 .E333 2004)
The New Encyclopdia Britannica (Ref AE 5 .E363 2002): The Micropedia contains shorter articles arranged alphabetically. When appropriate, the Micropedia will refer you to longer, more in depth articles in the Macropedia. Encyclopdia Britannica Online
is available through GALILEO. The World Book Encyclopedia (Ref AE 5 .W55 2005)
Thesauri A thesaurus is a specialized dictionary that provides you with synonyms (words with the same meaning) and/or antonyms (words with the opposite meaning) for a given word.
- Roget's International Thesaurus, fifth edition (Ref PE 1591 .R73 1992)
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus (Ref PE 1591 .K54 1992)
The Thinker's Thesaurus: Sophisticated Alternatives to Common Words (Ref PE 1591 .M464 2005)
Thesauri from Bartleby.com
The Thesaurus of Slang (Ref PE 3721 .L45 1988)
Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus (Ref PE 1591 .W38 1988)
Quotations Quotation resources usually contain quotes from a wide array of people on a wide array of topics; however, many are limited to a specific subject.
- American Heritage Dictionary of American Quotations (Ref PN 6081 .A623 1997)
American Quotations (Ref PN 6084 .A5 C37 1992, available at the Reference Desk)
The Chambers Book of Business Quotations (Ref PN 6081 .B8 1987)
Chambers Dictionary of Quotations (Ref PN 6081 .C43 1997)
Dictionary of Quotations (Ref PN 6081 .E9)
Familiar Quotations, sixteenth edition (Ref PN 6081 .B27 1992, available at the Reference Desk)
The New Quotable Woman (Ref PN 6091.5 .Q65 1992)
The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, revised fourth edition (Ref PN 6080 .O95 1996)
The Penguin Dictionary of Modern Humorous Quotations (Ref PN 6084 .H8 M4 2001)
Political Quotations (Ref PN 6084 .P59 1994)
Quotation Sources from Bartleby.com
Science Fiction Quotations: From the Inner Mind to the Outer Limits (Ref PN 6084 .S34 S35 2005)
Almanacs Almanacs are useful resources for locating statistical and factual information. most contain a wide array of information focusing on topics such as sports, entertainment, business addresses, first aid, zip codes, etc.
- Information Please Almanac
Time Almanac with Information Please (Ref AY 64 .I552, most recent edition is available at the Reference Desk)
The World Almanac and Book of Facts (Ref AY 67 .N5 W7, most recent edition is available at the Reference Desk)
World Almanacs
(available via GALILEO) Geographic Resources - Background Notes
Encyclopedic World Atlas (Ref G 1021 .G417 2002, located on the atlas display next to the Reference Desk)
Essential World Atlas (Ref G 1021 .E88 2002)
Nation Master
National Geographic Atlas of the World, seventh edition (Ref G 1021 .N38 1999)
The Times Atlas of the World (Ref G 1021 .T5644 1999, located on the atlas display next to the Reference Desk)
World Atlas Millennium Edition (Ref G 1021 .W6 1999)
The World Factbook
Internet Directories and Search EnginesThe following resources will assist you in locating reliable information via the World Wide Web. Always be sure to examine websites carefully for accuracy and currency.
- The Librarians' Internet Index: a directory of Internet sites that have been evaluated by librarians for quality and reliable content
Infomine: a directory of scholarly Internet material
Google Scholar: searches the Internet for scholarly literature
The Scout Report: contains reviews of websites and mailing lists. You can search by keyword or browse by subject heading.
SKS WebSelect:
a GALILEO database of Internet resources Citation Resources When conducting scholarly research, you will need to document your findings and give proper credit to your sources of information. Your professor may specify which style guide you should use.
The following citation manuals are available at the Library Reference Desk:
- A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, sixth edition: commonly referred to as Turabian (Ref LB 2369 .T8 1996)
The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition (Ref Z 253 .U69 2003)
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, sixth edition (Ref LB 2369 .G53 2003)
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, fifth edition: commonly referred to as APA (Ref BF 76.7 .P83 2001)
The following websites may also be helpful for formatting citations:
- Citation Machine
Citation Style Guides from the University of Georgia Libraries
The Owl at Purdue
Contact A Librarian For further assistance, contact the Reference Desk in the GCSU Library.