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Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

- Atlas of North American English (Current NU Only)
Based on interviews and reflecting sound changes active in the 1990s, this online version includes audio files and interactive maps, as well as descriptive information and references.
- Biography Resource Center (Current NU Only)
Biographies, current and historic, with related full-text articles from hundreds of magazines and newspapers. Pictures, links to vetted websites. Search for people by name, occupation, nationality, ethnicity, birth/death dates and places, or gender, as well as keyword and full text. [More Info]
- Books@Ovid (Current NU Only)
Hundreds of medical texts and handbooks from Lippincott for students and researchers in the health care professions.
- Cabell's Directories (Current NU Only)
Information to help you publish your business journal article, including acceptance rate and refereed status of thousands of journals.
- Cambridge Histories Online (Current NU plus alumni)
Completely searchable full text of the 247 volumes in the Cambridge Histories series. Explore American and British history, ancient history, Islamic history, economic history, the histories of philosophy, science, music, literature, religion, social histories, and much more. "My Histories" allows you to create and share a personalized library with your own bookmarks and notes. [More Info]
- COS Funding Opportunities (CSA Illumina) (Current NU Only)
A database of available opportunities for grants, fellowships, prizes and other type of funding. Includes information from the public and private sector, including governments, foundations, and corporations. Includes calls for papers, scholar profiles, and Email alerting also available.
- CQ Electronic Library (Current NU plus Alumni)
Congressional Quarterly's portal for research in US government, politics, history, public policy, and current affairs. Includes CQ's Politics in America, as well as other almanacs, data, and news publications.
- Early English Books Online (Current NU Only)
Virtually every work printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and British North America and works in English printed elsewhere from 1473-1700, with digital facsimile page images.
- Encyclopaedia Judaica (Current NU Only)
Provides an exhaustive and organized overview of Jewish life and knowledge from the Second Temple period to the contemporary State of Israel, from Rabbinic to modern Yiddish literature, from Kabbalah to "Americana" and from Zionism to the contribution of Jews to world cultures. Corresponds to the 2nd edition 22-volume printed version.
- Encyclopedia Britannica (Current NU plus alumni)
One of the oldest and most well-known reference sources, with both short and book-length overview articles in almost all disciplines. Also includes historical timelines, multimedia, selected magazine articles, notable quotations, and a dictionary and thesaurus. [More Info]
- Encyclopedia of Communication and Information (Current NU Only)
Explores the full spectrum of communication, from careers to information technologies, in an interdisciplinary fashion. Emphasis is on both historical and current issues, topics, and people.
- Encyclopedia of Earth
All about the Earth, its natural environments, and their interaction with society. Free, fully searchable articles written by scholars, professionals, educators, and experts who collaborate and review each other's work. Written in non-technical language useful to students, educators, scholars, professionals, as well as to the general public.
- Encyclopedia of Genetics (Current NU Only)
Complete and authoritative coverage of genetics compiled into a single, comprehensive source, containing a clear presentation of cutting-edge knowledge. A reference work for everyone from the academic researcher to the educated layperson.
Terms of Use [More Info]
- Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology (Current NU plus Alumni)
A compendium of nearly 700 authoritative, research-based entries on the complete range of topics that, together, define the contemporary state of knowledge on technology and its organizational, managerial, behavioral, and social implications. Enhanced with definitions of thousands of technical and managerial terms, as well as a reference section that directs researchers, scholars, students, and practitioners to additional sources for further reading and research.
- Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (Current NU Only)
Spanning the entire spectrum of life sciences, the Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (ELS) features more than 4,400 specially commissioned and peer-reviewed articles. This alone makes it an essential read for life scientists as well as a valuable resource for teaching. The articles within ELS are written by leaders in the field to provide comprehensive and authoritative coverage of this subject area and are aimed at researchers, students and teachers alike.
All articles are accompanied by colour illustrations and tables. Appendix and glossary material provide essential information for the non-specialist, including biochemical and taxonomic information, acronyms, synonyms, units and other technical data. Importantly, since all articles have been peer-reviewed a balanced representation of the literature is ensured.
Terms and Conditions
- Encyclopedia of Materials: Science & Technology (Current NU Only)
Around 1,800 articles written by experts in their fields, resulting in a comprehensive coverage focusing on the following areas: * Functional Phenomena * Structural Phenomena * Fundamental Core Theory * Structural Materials * Polymers and Materials Chemistry * Functional Materials
Terms of Use [More Info]
- Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences (Current NU Only)
Over 400 encyclopedia articles, each approximately 3000-4000 words in length, with further reading lists and extensive cross referencing on the science of the oceans, including ancillary topics such as ocean technology, law of the oceans, global programs, marine policy, the use of the oceans for food and energy, and the impact of pollution and climate changes.Designed for a wide audience of students, academics, researchers, and professionals. The articles are written at a level that allows undergraduate students to understand the material, while providing active researchers with the latest technical information.
Terms of Use [More Info]
- Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine (Current NU Only)
Part of the Gale Virtual Reference Library
- Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer (Current NU Only)
Part of the Gale Virtual Reference Library
- Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders (Current NU Only)
Part of the Gale Virtual Reference Library
- Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (Current NU Only)
3rd edition, part of the Gale Virtual Reference Library
- Gale Virtual Reference Library (Current NU Only)
A collection of encyclopedias covering topics in the Arts, Biography, Business, Environment, History, Literature, Medicine, Multicultural Studies, Nation and World, Science and Social Sciences.
- Grove Art Online (part of: Oxford Art Online) (Current NU plus Alumni)
Now a part of Oxford Art Online, Grove Art Online is a scholarly art encyclopedia covering all aspects of Western and non-Western visual art. It includes the full text of The Dictionary of Art, edited by Jane Turner, and images of the most frequently studied works.
- Grove Dictionary of Music (Oxford Music Online) (Current NU plus alumni)
The full text of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London, 2001), plus numerous other Grove Music Dictionaries (Opera, Jazz), now all part of Oxford Music Online. [More Info]
- ICPSR
(Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research) ICPSR is a non-profit membership-based data archive based at University of Michigan. ICPSR maintains and provides access to a vast archive of social science data for research and instruction.
- International Encyclopedia of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Current NU Only)
This Encyclopedia is the first attempt in a generation to map the social and behavioral sciences on a grand scale. Not since the publication in 1968 of the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, edited by David L. Sills, has there been such an ambitious project to describe the state of the art in all the fields encompassed within the social and behavioral sciences. Available in both print (26 volumes) and online editions, it comprises 4,000 articles, commissioned by 52 Section Editors, and includes 90,000 bibliographic references as well as comprehensive name and subject indexes.
Terms of Use
- iPoll Databank (Current NU Only)
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- Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism (Current NU plus Alumni)
Review articles on literary theories, movements, and critics. Extensively revised in 2004 and updated annually.
- Knovel Library (Current NU Only)
Note: Firefox browser recommended for off-campus access! Download here
Knovel offers interactive books and databases for scientific and engineering information. For certain properties there are specific chemical equations and digital graphs. Analyze data, sort, filter and export from 'live tables', resolve equations and plot graphs, capture values from existing graphs and perform 'what if' experiments.
- Mental Measurements Yearbook (Current NU Only)
Produced by the Buros Institute at the University of Nebraska, provides users with a comprehensive guide to over 2,000 contemporary testing instruments. Allows for evaluation of test products in psychology, education, business, and leadership. This online service covers from Volume 9 to the present.
- Oxford Art Online (Current NU plus Alumni)
Formerly "Grove Art Online" this resource includes images, definitions, and analysis from Grove Art Online, the Oxford Companion to Western Art, Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms.
- Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature (Current NU plus alumni)
Surveys the vibrant terrain of American literature in 350 essays from leading scholars, encompassing the range and depth of American literary history from the 1600s to the present day. (Published in 2004)
- Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature (Current NU plus alumni)
Covers the history of literature in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland in the major literary languages (Anglo-Saxon, English, Welsh, Scots, Irish, and Latin). It includes substantial accounts of individual authors (e.g., Spenser, Pope, Austen) and detailed histories of particular themes, movements, genres, and institutions. (Published in 2006)
- Oxford Encyclopedia of Evolution (Current NU plus alumni)
A comprehensive guide to the essentials of evolutionary biology, these entries by leading experts survey essential concepts and theories, present methods, models and findings, and discuss both the history of the field and current controversies. Published in 2002.
- Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America (Current NU plus alumni)
From “Apple Pie” to “Zombie”— The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America covers the significant events, inventions, and social movements in American history that have affected the way Americans view, prepare, and consume food and drink. A collaboration of nearly 200 contributors this is a scholarly work with a generous bibliography. (Published in 2004.)
- Oxford English Dictionary (Current NU plus alumni)
Covers words from across the English-speaking world, tracing their origin and history, including earliest recorded usage, through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of sources. [More Info]
- Oxford Music Online (Current NU plus Alumni)
Comprises the full text of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London, 2001), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, edited by Stanley Sadie (London, 1992), and The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, second edition, edited by Barry Kernfeld (London, 2002) plus additional resources. [More Info]
- R2 Library
Collection of full text reference books and textbooks in pharmacy, nursing, and pharmaceutical sciences from key health science publishers. Fully searchable and includes A-Z drug and topic indexes. NU subscription currently includes eight selected titles.
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- Roper Center iPoll Databank (Current NU Only)
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- Safari Tech Books Online (Current NU Only)
A fully-searchable e-reference library that houses a vast collection of technical books from industry-leading publishers.
- Statistical Universe (Current NU Only)
Base and research edition, with tables from basic compilations of statistics like the Statistical Abstract of the US, and the UN Statistical Yearbook, along with additional tables from special studies like the AID Country Health Reports, the Economic Census, and World Bank Country Studies.
- Synthesis (Current NU Only)
Synthesis is an innovative information service for the research, development, and educational community in engineering and computer science. Synthesis includes 50- to 100- page dynamic 'Lectures' in an important research topic in engineering or computer science. Each lecture is a self-contained electronic book that gives more analysis and depth than typical journal articles.
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- Thomas Register (Open Access)
Note: Registration required. You may register under your own name (it's free) or use the library's user ID and password, which are: User ID: referenc Password: referenc
- Ulrichs Web (Current NU plus alumni)
Lists all journals, print and electronic, with publisher information, subscription prices, subject descriptions, web locations, and much more.
- Value Line Investment Survey (Current NU Only)
This company and industry research service includes the flagship ValueLine Investment Survey (Standard and Expanded), plus Mutual Fund Survey, Daily Options Survey, Special Situations Service, and Convertible Survey.
- World Development Indicators (Current NU Only)
Access to more than 700 development indicators, with time series for 208 countries and 18 country groups from 1960 to 2006. WDI offers chart and data export formats. Indicators include statistics on national and per capita income, trade, health, environment, and other measures of development.