Judy Reading & Mat Andrews WISER: looking things up Reference sources online This session will introduce some useful online reference resources such as biographical sources, encyclopaedias, dictionaries and handbooks for questions requiring quick answers.

What will you learn in this session? Which general online databases on OxLIP can be used to find quick answers to a range of questions Which subject- or area- specific online databases will help most in finding quick answers, in particular questions about people and statistics How to make basic searches on these databases

Why not just use Wikipedia or Google? Facts not opinion: anyone can edit Wikipedia or put up a webpage; Wikipedia has a bias towards certain countries and types of information Go to the source: these resources are based on printed works which employ professional research teams – if facts on the internet are right, this is often where they will have originated Don’t waste time: you will find lots of inappropriate search results on Google

General online reference tools KnowUK Oxford Reference Online Science Direct Blackwell Reference Online CREDO Encyclopaedia Britannica Ken Livingstone; sub-prime mortgages Afon; St. Catherine; Jewish calendar [conversions]; spleen Blavatsky Coeducation; asbestosis Tidal power;[statistics]

Key individual resources Look in Title list or within Subject List in OxLIP eg Oxford English Dictionary World of Learning Look within the collections to see the titles they include eg Whitaker’s Almanack is in KnowUK

Subject or area specific resources Look under Subject in OxLIP eg Grove Art Online Knovel Critical Tables If you have a query you can’t answer ask your subject librarian – see

Biographical resources Historical: Who Was Who (via KnowUK) Oxford Dictionary of National Biography American National Biography World Biographical Information System Current: KnowUK: Who’s Who, etc

Statistical resources Statistical sources: Social Science Library Data Search CIA World FactFile Nationmaster.com National statistics International organisations: UNESCO, OECD, World Bank, IMF Databanks: Economic and Social Data Service for National and International data UK Data Archive SourceOECD OU Data Library at Nuffield Help from Mark Janes at Social Science Library and Jane Roberts at Nuffield

Any questions? Ask an Oxford Librarian: Bodleian Main Enquiry Desk (2)77162 Subject librarians listed at Your presenters: Judy Reading Mat Andrews