Outline of this guide: Reference Works Books Articles

Related guides: Course Reserves/E-reserves for this Class Book Review Sources Film Review Sources Narrowing or Broadening a Topic RefWorks RefWorks: A Guide Research Log Research Planner Scholarly Articles: How to Identify Them

• Reference Universe
  Don't know where to begin? Try Reference Universe, an index of the indexes in many of the library's reference books and e-books. Reference Universe will tell you which titles contain information on your topic.
• Style Guides
  Note: you can also use RefWorks to generate notes and bibliographies (including annotated bibliographies) in MLA style format. For details, see RefWorks: A Guide.
  • The Bedford Handbook. Diana Hacker. 7th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006.
    Little Library Reference Desk R 808.02 H118B7
  • MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Joseph Gibaldi. 6th ed. New York: Modern Language Association, 2003.
    Little Library Reference Desk R 808.02 M689mo6
    Music Library Reference 808.02 M689mo6
• English Language Dictionaries
  • The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000.
    The library also has a copy of the 3rd edition in Reference (R 423 A512 1992).
  • Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 2003.
    Reference R 423 W38nc 2003
  • The Oxford English Dictionary (OED). Ed. J.A. Simpson and E.S.C. Weiner. 2nd ed. 20 vols. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989.
    Reference R 423 O98m
  • Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged. Ed. Philip Babcock Gove. Springfield, MA: G & C Merriam, [1971].
    Reference R 423 W38n, 1971

• Food
  • 101 Chemicals in Everyday Products. Grace Ross Lewis. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley, 1999.
    Reference R 363.17 L674o
  • American Books on Food and Drink: A Bibliographic Catalog of the Cookbook Collection Housed in the Lilly Library at the University of Indiana. William R. Cagle and Lisa Killion Stafford. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1998.
    Reference R 016.64 C131a
  • Bowes & Church's Food Values of Portions Commonly Used. Jean A.T. Pennington and Judith Spungen Douglass. 18th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2005.
    Reference R 613.2 P414b
  • The Cook's Encyclopedia: Ingredients and Processes. Tom Stobart. New York: Harper & Row, 1981.
    Reference R 641.03 S863c
  • Credo Reference
    A collection of online reference books, including several food resources, such as the International Dictionary of Food and Cooking.
  • Encyclopedia of Foods: A Guide to Healthy Nutrition. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 2002.
    Reference R 641.3 E56
  • Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food. Andrew Smith. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2006.
    Reference R 641.5 S642e
  • Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition. Ed. Benjamin Caballero et al. 2nd ed. 4 vols. New York: Elsevier, 2005.
    Reference R 613.2 E56
  • Encyclopedia of Kitchen History. Mary Ellen Snodgrass. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2004.
    Reference R 643.3 S673e
  • Encyclopedia of North American Eating & Drinking Traditions, Customs, & Rituals. Kathlyn Gay and Martin K. Gay. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1996.
    Reference R 394.1 G285e
  • Food and Drink in Literature: A Selectively Annotated Bibliography. Norman Kiell. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1995.
    Reference R 016.8 K47f
  • The Food Encyclopedia. Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman. Toronto, Canada: Robert Rose, 2006.
    Reference R 641.3 R749f
  • Food in the Ancient World from A to Z. Andrew Dalby. London: Routledge, 2003.
    Reference R 394.1 D137f
  • Food Lover's Companion: Comprehensive Definitions of over 2000 Food, Wine, and Culinary Terms. Sharon Tyler Herbst. New York: Barron's, 1990.
    Reference R 641.503 H538f
  • Gale Virtual Reference Library
    A collection of electronic reference books, including:
    • Cambridge World History of Food. Ed. Kenneth F. Kiple and Kriemhild Coneè Ornelas. 2 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2000.
      Reference R 641 C178
    • Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Ed. Solomon H. Katz. 3 vols. New York: Scribner, 2003.
      Reference R 394.1 E56
    • Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. 3rd ed. 5 vols. Detroit, MI: Gale, 2006.
  • Handbook of Food Additives. Comp. Michael Ash and Irene Ash. Brookfield, VT: Gower, 1995.
    Reference R 664.06 H236
  • Larousse Gastronomique: The Encyclopedia of Food, Wine, & Cookery. Ed. Charlotte Turgeon and Nina Froud. New York: Crown, [1961].
    Reference R 641.03 M75L
  • Nectar and Ambrosia: An Encyclopedia of Food in World Mythology. Tamra Andrews. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2000.
    Reference R 398.2 A56n
  • The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink. Ed. Andrew Smith. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2007.
    Reference R 641.03 O981
  • The Oxford Companion to Food. Alan Davidson. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2006.
    Reference R 641.03 D252o2
  • The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. Ed. Andrew Smith. 2 vols. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2004.
    Reference R 641.03 O98
  • Statistical Abstract of the United States
    Reference R 317.3 U54 (Note: most recent year is shelved at Reference Desk)
    Government Document Stacks C 3.134
    Online (1995 to present)
  • The World Encyclopedia of Food. L. Patrick Coyle. New York: Facts on File, 1982.
    Reference R 641 C881w
• Culture, Ethics, & Society
  See also Religion.
  • The Cambridge World History of Human Disease. Ed. Kenneth F. Kiple. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1993.
    Reference R 610.9 C178
  • Dictionary of Art. Ed. Jane Turner. 24 vols. New York: Grove's Dictionaries, 1996.
    Reference R 703 D554
  • Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History. Ed. Ed. Mary Kupiec Cayton and Peter Williams. 3 vols. New York: Scribner's, 2001.
    Reference R 973.04 E564
  • Encyclopedia of American Social History. Ed. Mary Kupiec Cayton et al. 3 vols. New York: Scribner's, 1993.
    Reference R 301.097 E56
  • Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics. Ed. Ruth Chadwick. 4 vols. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 1998.
    Reference R 170.3 E561
  • Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues. Ed. Craig W. Allin. 3 vols. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 2000.
    Reference R 363.7 E56
  • Encyclopedia of Ethical, Legal, and Policy Issues in Biotechnology. Ed. Thomas H. Murray and Maxwell J. Mehlman. 2 vols. New York: Wiley, 2000.
    Reference R 174.2 M981e
  • Encyclopedia of Ethics. Ed. Lawrence C. Becker and Charlotte B. Becker. 2nd ed. 3 vols. New York: Routledge, 2001.
    Reference R 170.3 E56 2001
  • Encyclopedia of Global Change: Environmental Change and Human Society. 2 vols. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2002.
    Reference R 363.7 E561
  • Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology. Ed. Alan Bernard and Jonathan Spencer. New York: Routledge, 1996.
    Reference R 305.8 E562
  • Encyclopedia of World Cultures. Ed. David Levinson. 5 vols. New York: Macmillan, 1991.
    Reference R 306 E56
  • Environmental Encyclopedia. Ed. Marci Bortman et al. 3rd ed. 2 vols. Detroit, MI: Gale, 2003.
    Reference R 363.7 E564
  • The Folklore of American Holidays. Ed. Hennig Cohen and Tristram Potter Coffin. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1987.
    Reference R 394.2 F666
  • The Folklore of World Holidays. Ed. Margaret Read MacDonald. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1992.
    Reference R 394.2 F6661
  • Gale Virtual Reference Library
    A collection of electronic reference books, including:
    • Countries and their Cultures. Ed. Melvin Ember and Carol R. Ember. 4 vols. New York: Macmillan, 2001.
      Reference R 306 C855
    • Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 10 vols. New York: Scribner's, 2003.
      Reference R 973 D554 2003
    • Encyclopedia of Anthropology. Ed. H. James Birx. 5 vols. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2006.
    • Encyclopedia of Bioethics. Ed. Stephen G. Post. 3rd ed. 5 vols. New York: Macmillan, 2004.
      Reference R 174.2 E56 2004
  • Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary. Ed. Helen Henderson. 3rd ed. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, 2003.
    Reference R 394.2 H7321
  • Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life. Timothy L. Gall. 4 vols. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1998.
    Reference R 305.8 W927
• Gender
  • Encyclopedia of Psychology. Ed. Alan E. Kazdin. 8 vols. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2000.
    Reference R 150.3 E561
  • Encyclopedia of Sociology. Ed. Edgar F. Borgetta. 2nd ed. 5 vols. New York: Macmillan Reference, 2002.
    Reference R 301.03 E561 2000
  • Encyclopedia of Women and Gender. Ed. Judith Worrell. 2 vols. New York: Academic Press, 2001.
    Reference R 305.4 E56
  • Men & Masculinities: A Social, Cultural, and Historical Encyclopedia. Ed. Michael Kimmel and Amy Aronson. 2 vols. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2004.
    Reference R 305.31 M534

• Religion
  • The Bible
    The Library has many different translations of the Bible; most are shelved in the stacks at call number 220.52 and in Reference at call number R 220.52.
  • Encyclopedia of Christian Theology. Ed. Jean-Yves Lacoste. 3 vols. New York: Routledge, 2005.
    Reference R 230.03 D5441-T
  • Encyclopedia of Christianity. Ed. Erwin Fahlbusch et al. 5 vols. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999- .
    Reference R 230.03 E92
    Note: This set is still being published. The Library currently has volumes 1-3.
  • Encyclopedia of Islam. Ed. H.A.R. Gibb et al. New ed. 11 vols. to date. Leiden: Brill, 1960- .
    Reference R 956.03 E56
  • Encyclopedia of Judaism. Ed. Ed. Jacob Neusner et al. 4 vols. Boston, MA: Brill, 2005.
    Reference R 296.03 E563
  • Gale Virtual Reference Library
    A collection of electronic reference books, including:
    • Encyclopaedia Judaica. Ed. Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik. 2nd ed. 22 vols. Detroit, MI: Macmillan, 2007.
    • Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World. Ed. Richard C. Martin. 2 vols. New York: Macmillan, 2004.
    • Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed. Lyndsay Jones. 2nd ed. 15 vols. Detroit, MI: Macmillan Reference, 2005.
      Reference R 203 E562 2005
    • Encyclopedia of Science and Religion. Ed. J. Wentzel Vrede van Huyssteen. 2 vols. New York: Macmillan, 2003.
      Reference R 215 E56
    • New Catholic Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. 15 vols. Washington, DC: Catholic Univ., 2003.
      Reference R 282 C36n2
  • How to be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook. Ed. Stuart M. Matlins and Arthur J. Magida. 3rd ed. Woodstock, VT: Skylight Paths, 2003.
    Reference R 291.3 H847 2003
  • The New Encyclopedia of Islam. Cyril Glassé. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2001.
    Reference R 297.03 G549n
  • The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Ed. F.L. Cross and E.A. Livingstone. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1997.
    Reference R 203 O98 1997

• To find books at Davidson, search the following:
  • Library Catalog
    Includes information about books, government documents, and journals, magazines, and newspapers in the Library.
    • To locate videos, do a keyword search and limit your search by the format "video materials (VHS/DVD)."
    • To locate appropriate Library of Congress Subject Headings, start with a keyword search and then browse records.
      Useful subject headings include:
      • Beverages
      • Biotechnology
      • Condiments
      • Convenience foods
      • Cookery
      • Diet
      • Dinners and dining
      • Drinking customs
      • Eating philosophy
      • Farm produce
      • Fasting
      • Fasts and feasts
      • Food
      • Food additives
      • Food biotechnology
      • Food crops
      • Food habits
      • Food in literature
      • Food preferences
      • Food religious aspects
      • Food substitutes
      • Frozen food
      • Fruit
      • Gastronomy
      • Genetically modified foods
      • Groceries
      • Jews dietary laws
      • Menus
      • Natural foods
      • Nutrition
      • Snack foods
      • Transgenic plants
    • To locate works about a person, do a subject search for the person's name (last name first).
    • To locate bibliographies on a person or topic, do a keyword search and add the following: su bibliography.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use a dollar sign $
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • ebrary
    A collection of over 38,000 e-books published by over 220 academic, trade, and professional publishers; covers all subject areas. Also includes tools that allow you to create your own virtual bookshelf, bookmark pages, and add and save notes and highlights.
    Note: for full functionality, you need the ebrary Reader. This plugin is on all library and ITS computers, but if you are using your own computer, you can download it from the ebrary home page.
• To find information about books that might be available from other libraries, search the following:
  • WorldCat
    Indexes books, periodicals, and other materials held by libraries around the world. Search WorldCat to identify additional books on your topic and then order the books on interlibrary loan.
    Note: It can be helpful to identify relevant Library of Congress Subject Headings in the Library Catalogue first; you can then do a subject search in WorldCat to find additional items with these subject headings.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: insert a "w" between the words in a phrase (for example, "cold w war")
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?

• Starting points
  • Academic Search Premier
    (1975 to present) Indexes popular and scholarly articles in a broad range of subject areas; also includes citations to book reviews and citations to articles in several national newspapers.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • LexisNexis Academic
    (Approx. 1980 to present) Includes the full text of articles from local, national, and international newspapers, magazines, and trade journals as well as articles from law reviews and federal and state cases.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an exclamation point
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use an asterisk *
  • OmniFile Full Text Mega
    (1982 to present) Indexes articles from over 3,000 scholarly and popular periodicals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences; also includes the full text of selected articles from over 1,650 of these periodicals.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • Readers' Guide Abstracts
    (1890 to present) Indexes articles in popular periodicals; also includes citations to book and film reviews.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
• Culture, Ethics, History, & Society
  • Contemporary Women's Issues
    (1992 to present) Indexes popular articles, scholarly articles, books, newsletters, and reports on all aspects of women's studies, including gender, sociology, education, political science, and health.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: automatic
    • Phrase searching: automatic
  • Historical Abstracts & America: History & Life
    (Time period covered: 1450 to present [world history]; prehistory to present [U.S. and Canadian history]. Publication coverage: 1954 to present). Indexes journal articles, book chapters, doctoral dissertations, and book reviews. (Each database can also be searched separately.)
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • Humanities Abstracts
    (1907 to present). Indexes articles in over 500 English-language journals in the fields of archaeology, art, classics, communication, film, folklore, history, languages and literatures, music, philosophy, religion, and theatre. Also includes citations for book, theatre, and film reviews as well as interviews, obituaries, and some original creative works. Includes the full text of selected articles from 1995 to the present.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • Social Sciences Abstracts
    (1907 to present) Indexes journal articles and some book reviews on all social sciences subjects, including history, political science, international relations, law, economics, area studies, gender studies, anthropology, psychology, and sociology.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
    (1975 to present) Indexes articles on a broad array of political science and international relations topics; international in scope.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: automatic
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?

• Film
  • Film Indexes Online
    (1893 to present) Contains both Film Index International (FII) and The American Film Institute Catalog (AFI). Includes full production and cast information for films from over 170 countries as well as plot summaries, production notes, and citations to reviews, criticism, and articles on film and film personalities.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: automatic
  • Film & Television Literature Index
    (c. 1937 to present) Indexes articles, film reviews, and book reviews from over 300 film and television periodicals; international in scope..
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • Humanities Abstracts
    (1907 to present). Indexes articles in over 500 English-language journals in the fields of archaeology, art, classics, communication, film, folklore, history, languages and literatures, music, philosophy, religion, and theatre. Also includes citations for book, theatre, and film reviews as well as interviews, obituaries, and some original creative works. Includes the full text of selected articles from 1995 to the present.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?

• Gender
  • Contemporary Women's Issues
    (1992 to present) Indexes popular articles, scholarly articles, books, newsletters, and reports on all aspects of women's studies, including gender, sociology, education, political science, and health.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: automatic
    • Phrase searching: automatic
  • PsycINFO
    (1887 to present) Contains citations and summaries of journal articles, book chapters, books, and technical reports, as well as citations to dissertations, all in the field of psychology and related disciplines.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • Sociological Abstracts
    (1963 to present) indexes journal articles in sociology and related fields, including anthropology, economics, education, philosophy, political science, and social psychology.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: automatic
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?

• Literature
  • Humanities Abstracts
    (1907 to present). Indexes articles in over 500 English-language journals in the fields of archaeology, art, classics, communication, film, folklore, history, languages and literatures, music, philosophy, religion, and theatre. Also includes citations for book, theatre, and film reviews as well as interviews, obituaries, and some original creative works. Includes the full text of selected articles from 1995 to the present.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • MLA International Bibliography
    (1926 to present). Indexes journal articles, books, and doctoral dissertations in the fields of English, American, European, Asian, African, and Latin American linguistics, modern languages and literatures, film studies, and folklore.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
• Religion
  • ATLA Religion Database
    (1949 to present) Indexes book reviews on all aspects of religion and theology.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: automatic
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • Humanities Abstracts
    (1907 to present). Indexes articles in over 500 English-language journals in the fields of archaeology, art, classics, communication, film, folklore, history, languages and literatures, music, philosophy, religion, and theatre. Also includes citations for book, theatre, and film reviews as well as interviews, obituaries, and some original creative works. Includes the full text of selected articles from 1995 to the present.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • Proquest Religion
    (1986 to present) Indexes articles from more than 90 religion periodicals.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
• Other resources
  • General Science Abstracts
    (1984 to present) Indexes articles in over 250 English-language periodicals in a variety of science disciplines, including physics, astronomy, biology, chemistry, environmental science, mathematics, and medicine.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • JSTOR
    Includes pdf copies of scholarly articles from a core collection of journals; also includes book reviews. Note:JSTOR does not contain articles from the most recent 3-5 years.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use a plus sign +
    • Phrase searching: automatic
  • Project Muse
    Includes pdf and HTML copies of journal articles published by university and scholarly presses.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "