Library Research Guides: ENG/PEAC 334: Imagining Justice in Law and Literature: Research Your Keyword

Reference Databases

These databases contain a range of specialized encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, and other reference sources in different subject areas, allowing you to explore a keyword from a variety of perspectives.

Oxford Reference Online

Over 400 full-text academic encyclopedias, language dictionaries, books of quotations, and other sources. Includes subject-specific titles from art, classics, history, law, linguistics, literature, media studies, medicine, performing arts, philosophy, religion, science and technology, politics, and more.
Gale eBooks

Search across full-text encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference books in a variety of subject areas.
Credo Reference

Hundreds of full-text academic encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other sources for introductions to topics, definitions, or factual information. Includes subject-specific titles from art, literature, education, science, religion, history and more.

Search Tips

When you search one of these databases, you're searching through all of the articles in all of the reference books it contains. This can be a great way to get a range of disciplinary perspectives on a concept.
Getting too many irrelevant results? Try adding another search term to narrow the context. For example,
- disappearance AND "human rights"
You can also use the database filters to focus on a particular subject area, such as Law or Philosophy.
Articles may range from short dictionary entries to substantial articles written by scholars. Credo Reference and Oxford Reference have filters that allow you to limit your search to longer articles. After you run your search:
- In Oxford, check "Reference library" under "Narrow Your Choices" in the blue box.
- In Credo, choose the length under Filter options.