Ask WWU Libraries

Finding an article in a reference database

You can search one of our reference databases for articles inside multiple Encylopedias. Gale Virtual Reference Library and Oxford Reference contain Encyclopedias that you may search with a more focused keyword search such as 'childhood poverty'.

Or you can look for a Print Encyclopedia. 

Finding a Print Subject Encyclopedia

You can find an article in one of over 1,000 print subject encyclopedias housed in our Reference Room. With print encyclopedias you will use Research Central to search for an encyclopedia.  Then you will go to the library, locate the encyclopedia on the shelves in the Reference collection, and look for an article within that encyclopedia on your topic.  

Conducting Your Search in Research Central

• Use a keyword search with encyclopedia as one search term and a term describing the broader aspect of your topic (for instance, medicine instead of vaccines). 

​Once you have found the subject encyclopedia that looks like it will work for you, note down the call number and location and stop by the Reference Room. 

When you pull the encyclopedia off the shelf the Table of Contents (usually in the front of the first volume) or the index (usually in the back of the last volume) will help you locate an article on your specific topic. Generally speaking, an article from a print encyclopedia should be more than one page in length to be useful for an academic paper.  If it isn't, you need to look for something else.  If you are using it for an assignment you may need to note the location and call number information for your professor.