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Subject Guide: General Reference

Indexes and Databases
What's an index?

Websites

Reference Books
What's a Reference Book?


This subject guide provides access to general information sources. If your topic is better suited to a particular subject, it would be a good idea to check the links on that subject guide as well.

If you're looking specifically for journal articles, start by using one of the indexes listed. Enter some keywords to find out what's been published on your topic. Then use GetIt! Trent to link from the citations to the articles, when possible. If you don't find the results you hoped for, try altering your search terms or look in a different index.

Under "Other Online Resources" find links to some of our more unique databases that might apply to your topic.

To find general books in the library, use TOPCAT (the library catalogue). Find help using TOPCAT in our tutorials.

General Reference Indexes and Databases

link to proxy server Most links below already have the proxy connection built into them. Click on the red button only if you experience a connection problem.
Title
Access
Description
Coverage
Online Groups of Databases
These search engines allow you to search multiple databases simultaneously. Search all at once, or select those that apply to a topic.
EBSCO Group of Databases offers a choice of many databases.
Trent
C & FT
Gale Group of Databases (through Knowledge Ontario) offers a choice of many databases.
Trent
C & FT
ProQuest Group of Databases offers a choice of many databases.
Trent
C & FT
Scholars Portal Journals searches the majority of our e-journals.
Trent
FT
General Reference and Multi-Subject Indexes
Academic One File through Gale InfoTrac
Trent
C & FT
Academic Search Elite through EBSCOhost
Trent
C & FT
ALPSP Journals through Swets
Trent
FT
CPI.Q (Canadian Periodical Index) ONLY (this database is also included in the full Gale Group search)
Trent
some FT
JSTOR (online journal storage for 1100+ journals in a variety of subjects)
Trent
FT
Print General Reference Indexes
Book review digest  Z 1219 .B66 REF
in library
C
Book review index Z 1035 .A1 B6 REF
in library
C
New York Times index AI21 .N44 REF
in library
C
Reader's guide to periodical literature  AI3 .R4 REF
in library
C

Other Online Resources for General Reference  See E-Resources for more.
Bartleby. Great Books Online. Dictionaries, Biographies, Quotations, Shakespeare and more
Britannica Online The online version of the Encyclopedia Britannica
The Canadian Encyclopedia Online The full text of the Canadian Encyclopedia.
Globe & Mail online
OED Online The Oxford English Dictionary, online. The Oxford English Dictionary is a guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of over half a million words, both present and past. It traces the usage of words through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources, from classic literature and specialist periodicals to film scripts and cookery books.
xreferplus An online collection of 100 reference books

General Reference Websites
 
Librarians' Index to the Internet
"A searchable, annotated subject directory of more than 9,000 Internet resources selected and evaluated by librarians for their usefulness to users of public libraries."
World Newspapers
World newspapers, magazines, and news sites in English.
 

General Reference Books

 

General Reference Books
   
  Atlas of the world  G 1021 .A7545 2000  REF DESK
  Canadian almanac & directory  F 5003 .C2 REF DESK
  The Canadian who's who F 5009 .C23 REF DESK
  The encyclopedia of world facts and dates CB 69 .C37 1993 REF DESK
  The Fitzhenry & Whiteside book of quotations  PN 6081 .F53 2006 REF
  The New York Public Library desk reference AG 6 .N49 1993 REF DESK
  The World almanac and book of facts AY 67 .N5 W7 REF DESK
   
Style Guides
 
  The Canadian writer's guide 13th edition PN 161 .C35 2003
  The Chicago manual of style Z 253 .U69 1993 REF DESK
  Documenting electronic sources : a guide to online referencing PN 171 .D37 T38 2000 REF DESK
  The MLA style manual PN 147 .A28 1998 REF DESK
  Notes on the preparation of essays in the arts and sciences PN 147 .T73 2001 REF DESK
  Publication manual of the American Psychological Association BF 76.7 .A46 2001 REF DESK
   
Academic Skills Centre Publications
   
  101 tips for academic success : a guide for new students  LB 1049 . B69 2006 REF DESK
  101 trouble spots for ESL learners   PE 1128 .K78 2006 REF DESK
  Avoiding plagiarism : an essentail skills guide  PN 167 .A4 2002 REF DESK
  Do you read philosophy carefully? : a guide to text comprehension and control B 52 .E5 2000 REF DESK
  Formula for success : a mathematics survival guide   QA 11 .B73 2000 REF DESK
  Listening & notetaking skills : the lecture experience ... and beyond  LB 2395.25 .B68 1996 REF DESK
  On compiling an annotated bibliography [REF DESK] Z 1001 .H33 2000
  Powerful punctuation : a handbook on commas, semi-colons, colons, and dashes  PE 1450 .S6 2001 REF DESK
  The strategic learner : knowing your learning style, overcoming procrastination, and managing exam anxiety LB 1060 .C654 2001 REF DESK
  Thinking it through : a practical guide to academic essay writing LB 2369 .T465 2005 REF DESK
  Thinking it through : a procedure for evaluating intellectual content  BC 177 .E5 2002 REF DESK
  Writing academic reviews  PN 98 .B7 T39 1996 REF DESK
 

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Last modified: July 6, 2011
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