Online dictionaries, encyclopedias and other reference sources
Use these sources to find authoritative definitions and summaries – a useful starting point for seminar presentations and projects. They are a reliable alternative to Wikipedia!
General works and collections
- Britannica Online - search across the full 32 volumes of Encyclopædia Britannica
- Credo Reference - search across multiple works in all subjects
- Oxford Reference Online - search across multiple works in all subjects
See also our list of Quick reference sources.
For more information on using some of these resources, check out our info tip on Believable alternatives to Wikipedia
Subject-specific works and collections
- Brill's New Jacoby - fragments of ancient text
- Brill's New Pauly - encyclopedia of the ancient world
- Gale Virtual Reference Library - covers arts and humanities
- Catholic Encyclopedia
- Development Control Practice
- Dictionary of Food Science and Technology on FSTA (once connected to FSTA click on the Dictionary link on the right of the screen)
- International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences ( Athens login required for off-campus use)
- Grove Art Online - see Oxford Art Online
- Grove Music Online - see Oxford Music Online
- ISIHighlyCited - a gateway to the most influential scientists and scholars
- OED - Oxford English dictionary
- Oxford Art Online
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- Oxford Language Dictionaries Online - French, German, Italian and Spanish
- Oxford Music Online
- Who's Who & Who Was Who