Reference works are useful for understanding new concepts or subject specific terminology. They are a useful starting point when carrying out research in a new area. Here is a small list of titles which are available to you. Search the Library for individual titles. Alternatively use the reference collections listed on the right hand side of the page to search across multiple reference works at once or browse by topic.

access to the texts of the Cambridge Histories series providing up to date and authoritative scholarly content. 

 a cross-searchable collection of reference works. As well as general reference works (dictionaries, thesauri etc) specific subject works are also available including philosophy, history, social sciences, law.

Oxford Language Dictionaries: Electronic dictionaries for French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Chinese.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB): Biographies of people who shaped the history of the British Isles from earliest times to 2004. Print edition available at Ref CT773.S9L4G04 on Level 2.

Who's Who and Who was Who:Directory of over 100,000 entries for the "noteworthy and influential in all walks of life, in the UK and worldwide."

a collection of general and subject related reference works. Particularly useful for Biographies but also includes titles in the areas of philosophy, history, social science and religion.