A Reference Source is usually a physical or digital document that you would refer to for more information about a topic. When doing academic research, it is sometimes much better to consult a reference resource than to type your question into google. Reference resources are usually curated around specific topics, making them more credible and informative than the advertisement suggestion that will pop up at the top of your google search!
Examples of Reference resources:
These are accessible online to search in at any time!
Encyclopaedia Britannica Public Library Edition.
Considered the authoritative dictionary of the English language.
Biographies of novelists, poets, playwrights, nonfiction writers, journalist and scriptwriters, from the early 1900s to present.
Biographies of and other information about writers currently active in poetry, fiction and nonfiction, journalism, drama, television and movies.
Literature encyclopedias, dictionaries and other reference books, published by Oxford University Press. Some books limited to 5 users at one time. Please close the website when you are done.
Biographies of and essays on influential literary figures.
A concordance is an alphabetical list of the words (especially the important ones) present in a text, usually with citations of the passages in which they are found. It is a helpful reference text for large bodies of literary work that might be hard to navigate. Below are some popular online concordances that you might consult when looking for a particular passage or reference in someones literary output.
These resources are available in the Dinand library reading room as physical resources. You may use them for up to three hours within the library walls. If you'd like to use them please feel free to take them from the shelves! Please just be sure to put them on a cart or return them to the library front desk for proper re-shelving when you are done.