Getting Started
Encyclopedias are a great reference resource that provides quick, reliable background information about a topic. They are excellent starting points for research because they will provide important background information about a topic, including relevant concepts, events, dates, places, and names. Entries will often include reference lists of other resources for further reading.
When you start doing research, it can be very helpful to keep a list of search terms that you can use. You will likely try different combinations of these terms in order to find just the research you are looking for. To get ideas on additional search terms, try the following:
- Brainstorm synonyms, larger concepts, and narrower concepts
- Check out background sources (like encyclopedias) for additional terms
- Look at the list of subject terms when you locate an article using the library's databases
Reference Books
Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy 10V by ISBN: 9780415073103Publication Date: 1998-05-26The Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy is the most ambitious international philosophy project in many years. Edited by Edward Craig and assisted by thirty specialist subject editors, the REP consists of ten volumes of the world's most eminent philosophers writing for the needs of students and teachers of philosophy internationally. The REP is a project on an unparalleled scale: Over 2000 entries ranging from 500 to 15,000 words in length - thematic, biographical and national 10 volumes consisting of over 5 million words of text plus considerable bibliographic material A Chief Editor and thirty specialist Subject Editors from across the world Over 1200 authors from all over the world. The importance of the REP is not to be found just in the sheer size of the project but also in its breadth of subject matter. It covers: The core of most Anglo-American philosophy - the metaphysical, epistemological and logical questions The usual menu of ethics, political philosophy and the history of philosophy The philosophy of other cultures - from Chinese, Arabic and Jewish philosophy to the philosophy of Africa and Latin America The most impressive range of authors have been gathered together on this unique project: William Alston, Roderick Chisolm, Fred Dretske, Joel Feinberg, Sandra Harding, Larry Laudan, Martha Nussbaum, Richard Popkin, Richard Rorty, Alan Ryan, Gyatri Chakravorty Spivak, Stephen Stich, Patrick Suppes and Bernard Williams, to name just a few. Also available online: www.rep.routledge.com
The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy by ISBN: 9781107015050Publication Date: 2015-04-27This is the leading, full-scale comprehensive dictionary of philosophical terms and thinkers to appear in English in more than half a century. Written by a team of more than 550 experts and now widely translated, it contains approximately 5,000 entries ranging from short definitions to longer articles. It is designed to facilitate the understanding of philosophy at all levels and in all fields. Key features of this third edition include: * 500 new entries covering Eastern as well as Western philosophy, and covering individual countries such as China, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain * Increased coverage of such growing fields as ethics and philosophy of mind * More than 100 new intellectual portraits of leading contemporary thinkers * Wider coverage of Continental philosophy * Dozens of new technical concepts in cognitive science and other areas * Enhanced cross-referencing to add context and increase understanding * Expansions in both text and index to facilitate research and browsing
Reference Websites and Databases
- Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyGood for background information. Provides up-to-date articles on philosophical themes (such as metaphysics, ethics, law); world philosophies (such as African, Japanese, Tibetan); periods; world religions (such as Islam, Christianity, Buddhism)
- Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
Search reference sources across disciplines. Includes historical timelines, multimedia, selected magazine articles, notable quotations, and a dictionary and thesaurus.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Search database of encyclopedias and reference sources within the Gale eBooks platform. For multidisciplinary research.
- Routledge Encyclopedia of PhilosophyGood for background information. Provides up-to-date articles on philosophical themes (such as metaphysics, ethics, law); world philosophies (such as African, Japanese, Tibetan); periods; world religions (such as Islam, Christianity, Buddhism).