ULibraries Research Guides: College of Education: Library and Research Resources: Reference and Other Broad Resources

Why Use Reference Books?

Before you begin writing a paper it's helpful to have a good overview of your topic. Reference books, handbooks and encyclopedias are great resources with a broad view. If a topic looks interesting, but you don't know enough about it, or you need to go beyond reference books but it is a great start!. You'll learn about the most important aspects of your topic, the important researchers, and many of these sources will list citations to key articles, books and book chapters.

Some related reference materials are listed below, and the box to the left tells you how to find other reference sources using Credo Reference. You can also ask a librarian about appropriate reference resources.

General Reference Resources

The Sage encyclopedia of qualitative research methods
Call Number: Electronic Resource
Defines and explains core concepts, describes the techniques involved in the implementation of qualitative methods, and presents an overview of qualitative approaches to research
Almanac of Higher Education
The State of Higher Education
Published annually, provides NEA higher education members with current information on the entire scope of American higher education. It contains up-to-date information on faculty salaries and benefits, the economic conditions in the states, faculty workload, trends in bargaining, and information on non-faculty professionals on campus.

Selected Reference Sources

ENCYCLOPEDIAS

Encyclopedia of the Social and Cultural Foundations of Education [electronic resource]. Available throught the library catalog.

Early Childhood Education: an international encyclopedia. Level 2, LB1139.23.E272 2007

Encyclopedia of Special Education : a reference for the education of children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities and other exceptional individuals. Check the library catalog for location.

Education and Technology: an encyclopedia. Level2, LB1028.E17 2004

World Education Encyclopedia: a survey of educational systems worldwide. LB15.W87 1988 (ARC)

DICTIONARIES

Dictionary of Education. Available online through the library catalog.

Dictionary of Multicultural Education. Level 2, LC1099.D53 1997

HANDBOOKS

The Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development Handbook: a complete K-12 reference guide. Level 2, PE1128.A2D45 2010

Handbook of Research on Literacy and Diversity. Level 2, LB1576.H2337 2009

Inclusion Strategies for Young Children: a resource guide for teachers, child care providers, and parents. Level 2, LC1201.M66 2009

The Sage Handbook of African American Education. Level 2, LC2717.S34 2009

The General Educator's Guide to Special Education. Level 2, LC4019.M215 2009