Guides: Education Studies: Encyclopedias & More

What Are Reference Sources?

Reference sources include encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, directories, and other succinct background or factual materials to aid in research. Use reference sources to:

Find a succinct overview of a topic.
Help you identify a topic to explore in depth.
Access quick, reliable facts.
Find bibliographies that will lead you to detailed studies.

Education Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of Education by James W. Guthrie
ISBN: 9780028658827
Publication Date: 2004
Part of Gale Virtual Reference Library
Encyclopedia of educational philosophy and theory by Michael Peters
ISBN: 9812875883
Encyclopeida of Language and Education by Nancy H. Hornberger
ISBN: 0387328750
Publication Date: 2007

Databases for Background Research

Reference Research Guide
How to find print and electronic encyclopedias, dictionaries and handbooks in the libraries at Middlebury.

Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
A fully searchable and browsable collection of authoritative references, including Britannica articles, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, the Britannica Book of the Year and links to websites selected by Britannica editors
Gale In Context: Biography This link opens in a new window
600,000+ biographies covering more than 525,000 individuals
Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
A collection of subject-specific encyclopedias published by Gale. Search across the whole collection or narrow your search by subject area or title of reference work.
Opposing Viewpoints (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new window
Covers current controversies and hot topics. It features viewpoint articles/topic overviews and also references full-text magazines, academic journals, newspaper articles, primary sources, statistics, images, podcasts, and websites
Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window
Access and cross-search Oxford’s acclaimed, regularly updated art reference works: the Grove Dictionary of Art and the Benezit Dictionary of Artists. Also includes content from the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics (2nd edition), The Oxford Companion to Western Art, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography This link opens in a new window
Over 60,000 biographies, 72 million words, 11,000 portraits of significant, influential or notorious figures who shaped British history
Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new window
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words— past and present—from across the English-speaking world.
Oxford Reference Online: Premium This link opens in a new window
General reference resources, including encyclopedias, bilingual dictionaries, chronologies, and maps and illustrations.
SAGE Research Methods Online This link opens in a new window
Explore methods concepts to help you design research projects, understand particular methods or identify a new method