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Biology: Locating Encyclopedia Articles

Biology Research Resources Available to Cayuga Students. Find a variety of sources in our databases and in our library.

Using Background Readings

Reference sources such as specialized encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks are good places to begin research on a topic.  Articles and entries in these publications often are written by scholars in the field.  Encyclopedia articles can provide:

  • background information
  • topic overviews
  • basic facts about a topic
  • definitions of related terms
  • lists of additional sources and recommended readings.

Locating Print Sources

The Library owns specialized encyclopedias and other types of reference sources in many academic disciplines, or fields of study. 

Titles in the reference collection can be searched in the online catalog, using a general subject area as a search term. For example:

education AND encyclopedias

anthropology AND dictionaries

The reference shelves can also be browsed by general subject area, using the Library of Congress system of call numbers. 

Always ask a reference librarian for additional help.