LibGuides: Controversial Topics/ Argumentative essays: Reference Sources

Reference Sources are used to define, words, concepts and gather background information

Dictionaries and Thesauri
Encyclopedias

A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information.

A thesaurus is a book in which words that have the same or similar meanings are grouped together.

Online Dictionaries

A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information.

Print Dictionaries and Thesauri

The Oxford English Dictionary by James A. H. Murray. Henry Bradley, W. A. Craigie, C. T. Onions
Call Number: REF PE 1625 .O87 1961 v.1-20
Publication Date: 1933 (reprinted 1961)
Concise Oxford American Thesaurus by Oxford (Editor)
Call Number: REF PE 1591 .C665 2006
ISBN: 9780195304855
Publication Date: 2006-04-20
This new thesaurus is an essential tool for everyone who needs to write quickly, clearly, and well. A convenient and complete thesaurus for school, work, and home, The Concise Oxford American Thesaurus includes more than 15,000 main entries and over 350,000 synonyms, sample sentences andphrases for virtually every sense. Synonym Studies that show the subtle differences in meaning among a group of easily confused words are included, as well as the Oxford exclusive Language Guide, with information about grammar, usage, punctuation, frequently misspelled words, and much more. AllOxford American dictionaries use an easy-to-use respelling system to show how entries are pronounced. It uses simple, familiar markings to represent common American English sounds.
Roget's International Thesaurus by Barbara Ann Kipfer; Robert L. Chapman
Call Number: REF PE 1591 .R73 2010
ISBN: 9780061715228
Publication Date: 2010-08-03
Themost up-to-date edition of the world’s bestselling thesaurus, Roget’sInternational Thesaurus, 7thEdition gives writers of all levelsan unparalleled aid in using language with precision, grace, and power. Themost comprehensive, user-friendly thesaurus available, Roget’s featuresmore than 325,000 words and phrases, including more than 2,000 all-new entriesthat reflect the very latest in culture and technology, from “alpha male” to“zero tolerance.” The seventh edition has reduced archaic terminology and added50 new word lists, providing greater ease-of-use and accessibility than anyother writer’s reference book on the market. An indispensable asset forstudents, writers, reporters, and editors, Roget’s International Thesaurus, 7th Edition is your key to unlocking the power of language.

The World Book Encyclopedia by World Book, Inc Staff (Contribution by)
Call Number: Reference Collection
ISBN: 9780716601128
Publication Date: 2011-12-01
'The World Book Encyclopedia' is well written and engaging, with generous illustrations and an appealing format.

Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition, containing over 73,000 articles, is a comprehensive, convenient, and accurate resource from which one can begin his or her research. Several bonus features are included in this online reference tool: Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus; thousands of photographs, illustrations, and sound files; complementary Web site hot links; hundreds of relevant videos; hot links from Encyclopaedia Britannica articles to related magazine and journal articles from EBSCO and ProQuest online databases; World Data containing information and customizable charts and tables about nations of the world; over 4,000 Notable Quotations from historical and contemporary important men and women; and Gateway to the Classics, 225 works by 140 significant writers of the Western world.
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition, containing over 73,000 articles, is a comprehensive, convenient, and accurate resource from which one can begin his or her research. Several bonus features are included in this online reference tool: Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus; thousands of photographs, illustrations, and sound files; complementary Web site hot links; hundreds of relevant videos; hot links from Encyclopaedia Britannica articles to related magazine and journal articles from EBSCO and ProQuest online databases; World Data containing information and customizable charts and tables about nations of the world; over 4,000 Notable Quotations from historical and contemporary important men and women; and Gateway to the Classics, 225 works by 140 significant writers of the Western world.