Reference Tools

Dictionaries

Oxford English Dictionary

The traditional authority on the English language, including information on variant spellings, pronunciation, and word origins.

Oxford Language Dictionaries

French, German, Italian, and Spanish to English and vice versa.

Encyclopedias

Wikipedia

See our video tutorial, Wikipedia: Beneath the Surface.

Biography

Scholarly encyclopedia with biographical essays about famous (non-living) American individuals. Each entry provides an overview of the life and contributions of the individual, and includes a bibliography with suggestions for further research.

Marquis Who's Who on the Web

An electronic version of Whoís Who in America combined with other biographical directories from the same publisher. This resource includes many contemporary individuals who are known in their fields, and provides basic data about employment, awards, political affiliation, religion, and contact information.

Dictionary of Scientific Biography

DH Hill Jr. Ref. Q141 .D5 1981
Provides information on the history of science through articles on the professional lives of scientists. All periods of science from classical antiquity to modern times are represented. Includes both biographical information and lists of primary and secondary resources

Biography and Genealogy Master Index

Index to many biographical reference sources (mostly in print). If you don’t find the biographical information you need in one of the electronic reference sources listed on this page, this resource will help you do a much more comprehensive search of other sources of information about people.