Get an overview of your topic
Before you start collecting books and articles, get an overview of your topic by exploring reference material such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, or atlases. Using reference material helps you:
- Get a brief overview of your topic
- Understand leading research themes and theories on your topic
- Identify experts, researchers, and theorists
- Discover concepts and related vocabulary
- Identify potential research questions or ways to narrow your topic
- Locate facts, statistics, and bibliographies (lists of related sources)
Wikipedia is convenient, but you should not rely on it alone; besides, most UVic instructors do not accept Wikipedia as a cited source for your assignments. Instead, check out the extensive reference section in McPherson Library. For example, the library has a four-volume set titled The International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family and has seven dictionaries on the environment alone.
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The online Oxford English Dictionary is the most frequently used reference source at UVic Libraries. Make it a link on your browser's toolbar for quick and authoritative definitions. |
For more information contact:
Teaching and Learning Office