Specialized E-Reference
 
This page provides links to important online reference works -- dictionaries, directories, and encyclopedias -- purchased by the library in specific academic fields. Off-campus access to many of these resources is restricted to WSU faculty, staff, and students.

For other types of resources in your subject area: check out the subject listings of Electronic Databases and Electronic Journals held by the library. Under Resources by Subject, you will find lists of important Web and other resources compiled by WSU Subject Librarians. Also, General E-Reference provides links to many free Web resources on a variety of topics. To find additional print and electronic books on your topic that are held by the library, use the Online Catalog. If you have any questions, please Ask! a librarian for help.

Anthropology, World Cultures

• Companion Encyclopedia of Archaeology (Routledge, 1999)
• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology 
• Countries and Their Cultures (Gale, 2001)
• Dictionary of Anthropology (Blacvkwell, 2000)
• Encyclopedia of Anthropology (Gale, 2006)
• Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology (Routledge, 1998)
• Encyclopedia of World Cultures (Gale, 1996)
• Encyclopedia of World Cultures Supplement (Gale, 2002)
   

Art

• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists 
• The Concise Dictionary of Art Terms
• Contemporary Fashion (Gale, 2002)
• The Dictionary of Architecture (Oxford)
• Dictionary of Modern Design (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art (Oxford)
• Oxford Art Online (i.e. Grove Dictionary of Art)
• Oxford Companion to Western Art
• The Oxford Dictionary of Art
   

Astronomy

• A Dictionary of Astronomy (Oxford)

Biological Sciences

• Beacham's Guide to the Endangered Species of North America (Gale, 2000)
• Biology - Macmillan Reference (Gale, 2002)
• A Dictionary of Ecology (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of Biology (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of Plant Sciences (Oxford)
• Dictionary of Scientists (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of Zoology (Oxford)
• Encyclopedia of Bioethics (Gale, 2004)
• Environmental Encyclopedia (Gale 2003)
• Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia (Gale, 2004)
• Magill's Encyclopedia of Science: Animal Life (2002)
• Magill's Encyclopedia of Science: Plant Life (2003)
• Oxford Companion to the Body
• Oxford Companion to the Earth
   

Business, Accounting, and Finance    

• Business Plans Handbook  Volumes:  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11  (Gale, 1995-2006)
• A Dictionary of Accounting (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of Business (Oxford)
• Dictionary of E-Business: A Definitive Guide to Technology and Business Terms (2003)
• A Dictionary of Finance and Banking (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of Human Resource Management (Oxford)
• Encyclopedia of Small Business (Gale, 2002)
• The Handbook of International Financial Terms (Oxford)

Chemistry

• Chemistry: Foundations and Applications (Gale, 2004)
• A Dictionary of Chemistry (Oxford)
   

Children's Literature

• 100 More Popular Picture Book Authors and Illustrators: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies (2000)
• 100 More Popular Young Adult Authors: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies (2002)
• Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators (2002)

Classical Studies

• The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature 
• The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization
• Who's Who in the Classical World
   

Computer Science

• A Dictionary of Computing (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of the Internet (Oxford)
• Elsevier's Dictionary of Computer Science (2001)
• Encyclopedia of Data Warehousing and Mining (Gale, 2006)

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Criminal Justice

• Dictionary of Terrorism (2004)

Economics

• A Dictionary of Economics (Oxford)
• Elsevier's Economics Dictionary (2001)
• Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History (1999)
• Who's Who in Economics (2003)

Education

• Dictionary for School Library Media Specialists (2001)
• Encyclopedia of Education (Gale, 2003)
• Encyclopedia of Multicultural Education (Greenwood, 1999)
• Historical Dictionary of American Education (Greenwood, 1999)

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Engineering

• ASM Handbooks Online
• Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics (2003)
• Encyclopedia of Space Science & Technology (2003
• Knovel Library of over 800 reference titles
• Plastics Materials and Processes: A Concise Encyclopedia (2003)
   

• Dictionaries
  • The Canadian Oxford Dictionary
  • The Concise Oxford English Dictionary
  • A Dictionary of First Names (Oxford)
  • The New Oxford American Dictionary
  • A New Dictionary of Eponyms (Oxford)
  • Oxford English Dictionary
  • The Oxford Essential Dictionary of Foreign Terms in English 
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Idioms
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs
  • The Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language
  • The Oxford American Dictionary of Current English
  • The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology

• English Grammar, Usage, Style, Composition
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations
  • The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style
  • The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar
  • Pocket Fowler's Modern English Usage (Oxford)
  • Writer's Directory (Gale, 2006)
     
• English Literature
  • The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature
  • The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature 
  • The Concise Oxford Companion to Irish Literature 
  • The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms 

  • A Dictionary of Shakespeare (Oxford)

  • A Dictionary of Writers and their Works (Oxford)

  • The Oxford Companion to American Literature

  • The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature

  • The Oxford Companion to English Literature

  • The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare

  • The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Poetry in English
     

• Linguistics
  • The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics

Ethnic Studies, American

• American Ethnic Writers (2000)
• Civil Rights Movement (Salem, 2000)
• The Concise Oxford Companion to African American Literature
• Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History (Gale, 2006)
• Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic Studies (2004)
• Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America (Gale, 2000)
• Native American Women: A Biographical Dictionary (2001)
• Who's Who Among African Americans (Gale, 2005)

Film

• International Dictionary of Film and Filmmakers (Gale, 2000)

Geography

• A Dictionary of Geography (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of British Place-Names (Oxford)
• Modern Dictionary of Geography (2001)

Geology

• A Dictionary of Earth Sciences (Oxford)
• World of Earth Science (Gale, 2003)

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Health Sciences  

• Concise Medical Dictionary (Oxford)
• An A-Z of Food and Drink (Oxford)
• An A-Z of Medicinal Drugs (Oxford)
• Dictionary of Environmental Health (2003)
• A Dictionary of Nursing (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition (Oxford)
• Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise (Oxford)
• Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine (Gale, 2005)
• Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer (Gale, 2002)
• Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders (Gale, 2002)
• Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (Gale, 2002)
• Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health (Gale, 2002)
• MIT Encyclopedia of Communication Disorders (2004)
• The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science and Medicine

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History

• Dictionary of American History (Gale, 2003)
• A Dictionary of British History (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of Contemporary World History (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of World History (Oxford)
• Dynasties of the World (Oxford)
• The Kings and Queens of Britain (Oxford)
• The Oxford Companion to American Military History 
• The Oxford Companion to Australian History
• The Oxford Companion to British History
• The Oxford Companion to Canadian History
• The Oxford Dictionary of Local and Family History
• The Oxford Companion to Military History
• The Oxford Companion to United State History
• The Oxford Companion to World War II
• The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military
• St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture (Gale, 2000)

Law 

• A Dictionary of Law (Oxford)
• The Oxford Companion to American Law
• The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States
• The Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court Decisions
• West's Encyclopedia of American Law (Gale, 2005)

Library and Information Science

• Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology (2005)
• International Encyclopedia of Information and Library Science (2003)

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Mathematics and Statistics

• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics
• A Dictionary of Statistics (Oxford)
• McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Mathematics (2003)
   

Meteorology

• A Dictionary of Weather (Oxford)
• Weather Almanac (Gale, 2004)

Modern Languages and Literature

• French
  • The Concise Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary (English-French)
  • The Concise Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary (French-English)
  • The Oxford Business French Dictionary (English-French)
  • The Oxford Business French Dictionary (French-English)
  • The Oxford Business French Dictionary (French-English)
  • The Oxford Business French Dictionary (English-French)
     
• German
  • The Concise Oxford-Duden German Dictionary (English-German)
  • The Concise Oxford-Duden German Dictionary (German-English)
     
• Italian 
  • The Pocket Oxford Italian Dictionary (English-Italian)
  • The Pocket Oxford Italian Dictionary (Italian-English)
     
• Latin 
  • The Pocket Oxford Latin Dictionary (English-Latin)
  • The Pocket Oxford Latin Dictionary (Latin-English)  

• Spanish
  • The Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary (Spanish-English)
  • The Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary (English -Spanish) 
  • The Oxford Business Spanish Dictionary (English -Spanish)
  • The Oxford Business Spanish Dictionary (Spanish-English)
     

Music

• Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Popular Musicians Since 1990 (Gale, 2004)
• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music
• Oxford Music Online  (various Grove dictionaries of music)
• The Oxford Companion to Music
   

Mythology and Folklore

• A Dictionary of African Mythology (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of Asian Mythology (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of English Folklore (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of Superstitions (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of World Mythology (Oxford)

Performing Arts

• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera 
• The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre
• Encyclopedia of Latin American Theater (2003)
• The Oxford Companion to American Theatre

• The Oxford Dictionary of Dance

• Performing Arts (Oxford)

• Who's Who in Opera (Oxford)

• Who's Who in Contemporary World Theatre (2002)

Philosophy

• Concise Encyclopedia of Western Philosophy (2005)
• Concise Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2000)
• Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Gale, 2006)
• The Oxford Companion to Philosophy
• The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy
   

Physics

• A Dictionary of Physics (Oxford)

Political Science, Countries and States

• Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Political Thought (2000)
• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics         
• A Dictionary of Political Biography (Oxford)
• The Oxford Companion to the Politics of the World
• The Oxford Guide to the United States Government
• Worldmark Encylclopedia of the Nations (Gale, 2004)
• Worldmark Encyclopedia of the States (Gale, 2004)

Psychology

• Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science
• Dictionary of Cognitive Sciences (2004)
• A Dictionary of Psychology (Oxford)
   

Religion

• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
• A Concise Companion to the Jewish Religion
• A Dictionary of Buddhism (Oxford)
• A Dictionary of the Bible (Oxford)
• Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World (Gale, 2004)
• The Oxford Companion to the Bible
• The Oxford Dictionary of Islam
• The Oxford Dictionary of Popes
• The Oxford Dictionary of Saints
• The Oxford Guide to People and Places of the Bible
• Routledge Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons (2004)
• Routledge Dictionary of Judaism (2004)

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Science, General

• American Men and Women of Science (Gale, 2005)
• Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics (Gale, 2005)
• Encyclopedia of the History of Technology (2002)
• The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science
   

Social Science, General

• Dictionary of the Social Sciences (Oxford)
• Social Science Encyclopedia (2003)
   

Sociology

• Blackwell Dictionary of Sociology (2000)
• A Dictionary of Sociology (Oxford)

Women's Studies

• Cambridge Guide to Women's Writings in English (Gale, 1999)
• Encyclopedia of Feminist Theories (2000)

Updated: December 31, 2004    Contact: Reference and Research Services Web Administrator