LibGuides: Physics & Astronomy Guide: Encyclopedias

Reference Sources

Specialized encyclopedias and other reference books such as the ones listed below are a good place to begin your research. In books such as these you will find basic material that will help you work on your topic. This is also a good place to look for a bibliography with references to primary research articles and images to use in presentations. Reference books are located on the first floor of the library, behind the Circulation Desk.

Searching for Reference Books

Search CONSORT for Reference Books containing basic information on your topic. Add the expression "AND (encyclopedia OR dictionary OR handbook)" to your regular Keyword search to find this type of resource in our collection. To search for Reference Books in print in the Library Commons, go to CONSORT's Advanced search and select "Location: DEN Reference"

Online Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, and Handbooks

Encyclopedias, Dictionaries and Handbooks are a good place to begin your research.

Reference Universe This link opens in a new window
Database of article titles and back-of-the-book indexes for subject encyclopedias and reference works.
Off Campus Access: Authenticate with your MyDenison login.

Subject Areas: Library Science

Reference Universe is an updated database of article titles and back-of-the-book indexes for subject encyclopedias and reference works.

Find the most relevant, authoritative reference works of interest to you. The best way to use Reference Universe is to simply type your term or phrase of interest and note the works that are returned in the order of greatest number of hits. Make sure you check the link to see if your library holds the work.

Format: Index to Reference Books
Dates of Coverage: Varies
Update Schedule: Updated every two weeks
Database Producer: Paratext
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Over 500 online reference sources on every major subject.
Off Campus Access: Authenticate with your MyDenison login.

Subject Areas: General

Credo Reference is an online reference solution for learners and librarians. Offering more than 500 highly-regarded titles from over 70 publishers, Credo Reference covers every major subject from the world's best publishers of reference.

Format: Full Text Books, Reference Sources
Dates of Coverage: Varies
Update Schedule: Ongoing
Database Producer: Credo Reference
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Online access to over 3,000 reference books in all subject areas.
Off Campus Access: Authenticate with your MyDenison login.

Subject Areas: General

Gale eBooks (formerly known as Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL)) provides online access to over 3,000 reference books in all subject areas.

Format: Full Text Books
Database Producer: Gale Cengage.
Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window
Full text of 400 dictionaries, general reference, language reference, and subject reference works from Oxford University Press.
Off Campus Access: Authenticate with your MyDenison login.

Subject Areas: General

Oxford Reference combines Oxford Reference Online and Oxford Digital Reference Shelf to provide full text of 400 dictionaries, general reference, language reference, and subject reference works from Oxford University Press. Link directly to:

* Encyclopedia
* Maps
* Names & Places
* Quotations

Format: Full Text Books
Database Producer: Oxford University Press
Access Science: Encyclopedia of Science & Technology Online This link opens in a new window
Online encyclopedia of science and technology.
Off Campus Access: Authenticate with your MyDenison login.

Subject Areas: Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Environmental Studies, Geosciences, Medicine, Physics & Astronomy, Psychology

AccessScience is an online encyclopedia of science and technology. It contains encyclopedia articles, dictionary terms, biographies, research updates, and science news.

Format: Reference Works
Database Producer: The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Wikipedia

Remember to VERIFY any information found in Wikipedia with a more RELIABLE scholarly source. Cite those sources, not Wikipedia.

Additional sources

CRC handbook of chemistry and physics
Call Number: QD65 .H3
American Institute of Physics handbook (Physics Library)
Call Number: QC61 .A5 1963
Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics by Paul Murdin (Editor)
Call Number: QB14 .E54 2001
ISBN: 0333750888
Publication Date: 2001-01-01
A collaboration between the Institute of Physics Publishing and Macmillan Reference Ltd, this work presents an extensive and comprehensive reference on astronomy and astrophysics. It has 800 contributors, over 2500 entries, is extensively cross-referenced - over 7500 links, and has extensive indexes - up to 12000 index entries. It should be of interest to undergraduates, graduate students, researchers and professionals, as well as to committed amateurs, librarians and lay people.
Encyclopedia of Physics by Joe Rosen
Call Number: QC5 .R596 2004
ISBN: 9780816049745
Publication Date: 2004-05-01
Encyclopedia of Physics presents a broad overview of the field at a level and in a format suitable for students and general readers. Focused on pure physics - which deals with the most fundamental aspects of nature such as light, sound, movement, and force - its scope of coverage is wide and significant, including entries on concepts, terms, effects, laws, principles, theories, experiments, observations, people, institutions, organizations, issues, laboratories, and other subjects. Complementing the coverage of pure physics topics, concise, general entries discuss interdisciplinary subjects, such as applied physics, astrophysics, biophysics, chemical physics, geophysics, and medical physics. Biographical entries present personal profiles of important physicists, past and present, and list their accomplishments. Details about their achievements are presented in separate, cross-referenced entries.
Encyclopedia of Modern Optics by Bob D. Guenther (Editor-In-Chief); Duncan G. Steel (Editor)
Call Number: QC351.2 .E53 2005
ISBN: 0122276000
Publication Date: 2004-11-25
The encyclopedia provides valuable reference material for those working in the field who wish to know more about a topic outside their area of expertise, as well as providing an authoritative reference source for students and researchers. Undergraduate students should find it a useful source of material, as will teachers and lecturers. It will also be useful at the postgraduate level for summarizing a broad range of theoretical topics, for practical advice on research techniques and for insights into new ways of approaching research problems. Subjects covered: light and optics, lasers, optical fibers, and optical fiber systems, optical materials, and LED's, and applications of all these in control and manufacturing, data processing and storage, applications in environment, engineering, defence, ocean study, medicine and biology. Also available online via ScienceDirect - featuring extensive browsing, searching, and internal cross-referencing between articles in the work, plus dynamic linking to journal articles and abstract databases, making navigation flexible and easy. For more information, pricing options and availability visit www.info.sciencedirect.com.
The Cambridge Handbook of Physics Formulas by Graham Woan
Call Number: QC61 .W67 2000
ISBN: 0521573491
Publication Date: 2000-06-19
The Cambridge Handbook of Physics Formulas is a quick-reference aid for students and professionals in the physical sciences and engineering. It contains more than 2000 of the most useful formulas and equations found in undergraduate physics courses, covering mathematics, dynamics and mechanics, quantum physics, thermodynamics, solid state physics, electromagnetism, optics and astrophysics. An exhaustive index allows the required formulas to be located swiftly and simply, and the unique tabular format crisply identifies all the variables involved. The Cambridge Handbook of Physics Formulas comprehensively covers the major topics explored in undergraduate physics courses. It is designed to be a compact, portable, reference book suitable for everyday work, problem solving or exam revision.
Q is for quantum : an encyclopedia of particle physics
Call Number: QC793.2 .G747 1998
ISBN: 068485578X
The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers by Thomas Hockey (Editor-In-Chief); Thomas A. Hockey; JoAnn Palmeri (Other Adaptation by); Katherine Bracher (Editor); Marvin Bolt (Other Adaptation by); Richard Jarrell (Editor); Jordan D. Marché (Editor); F. Jamil Ragep (Editor); Virginia Trimble (Editor); Thomas R. Williams (Editor)
Call Number: QB35 .B565 2007
ISBN: 9780387310220
Publication Date: 2007-11-20
The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers is a unique and valuable resource for historians and astronomers alike. The two volumes include approximately 1550 biographical sketches on astronomers from antiquity to modern times. It is the collective work of about 400 authors edited by an editorial board of 9 historians and astronomers, and provides additional details on the nature of an entry and some summary statistics on the content of entries. This new reference provides biographical information on astronomers and cosmologists by utilizing contemporary historical scholarship. Individual entries vary from 100 to 1500 words, including the likes of the superluminaries such as Newton and Einstein, as well as lesser-known astronomers like Galileo's acolyte, Mario Guiducci.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Universe by Ian Ridpath; Martin Reese (Foreword by)
Call Number: B14 .I588 2001
ISBN: 0823025128
Publication Date: 2001-07-01
From mobile phones and desktop computers to washing machines and microwave ovens, the graphical user interface (GUI) is a part of everyday life.Interface Designtraces these amazing developments and offers tested techniques and practical advice for constructing clear, dynamic GUIs that combine functionality with cutting-edge design. Readers will find an in-depth overview of the various graphic elements of an interface—including icons, galleries, color palettes, and dialogue boxes. Then, they’ll find a comprehensive discussion on the interfaces used by popular animation and 3D software packages, and learn how to design interfaces that aid efficient navigation with links.