Contents of this page:

• Basic information
• Selected list of general encyclopedias
• Selected list of specialized encyclopedias
• Search strategy for locating encyclopedias using LEO

Basic information

Encyclopedia articles give a broad overview and background information. Each article, written by a subject specialist in the field, provides an introduction to the subject and includes a selective bibliography of books and articles on the subject. A general encyclopedia is often the best place to start research because it contains information on almost every subject. Specialized encyclopedias are focused on specific subject fields.

Selected list of general encyclopedias

• Encyclopedia Britannica
• Encyclopedia Americana, 2001 (Ref AE 5 E333)
• Collier's Encyclopedia, 1996 (Ref AE 5 C683)
• World Book Encyclopedia, 1995 (Ref AE 5 W55)

Selected list of specialized encyclopedias

• Social Sciences (Psychology, Political Science, Law, Sociology, Education)
• Science (Biology, Geology, Environment)
• Humanities (Literature, History, Religion, Philosophy, Art, Music)
• Health

Social Sciences
(Psychology, Political Science, Law, Sociology, Education)

• Encyclopedia of Psychology. (Ref BF31 .E523 2000)
• Encyclopedia of Human Behavior. (Ref BF31 .E5 1994)
• Encyclopedia of Multiculturalism. (Ref E184.A1 E58 1994)
• Encyclopedia of Marriage and the Family. (Ref HQ9 .E52 1995)
• African American Encyclopedia. (Ref E185 .A253 1993)
• Encyclopedia of criminology and deviant behavior.  (Ref HV6017 .E53 2001)
• The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Russia and the Former Soviet Union. (Ref DK14 .C35 1994)
• Encyclopedia of the Third World. (Ref HC59.7 .K87 1987)
• Encyclopedia of World Cultures. (Ref GN307 .E53 1991)
• West's Encyclopedia of American Law. (Ref KF154 .W47 1998)
• Encyclopedia of U.S. Foreign Relations. (Ref E183.7 E53 1997)
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mankind. (Ref GN11 .I5 1990)
• Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations. (Ref G103 .W65 1995)
• American Jurisprudence. (Ref KF 154 A42)
• Encyclopedia of American Social History. (Ref HN 57 E58 1993)
• Encyclopedia of Sociology. (Ref HM 17 E5 1992)
• Encyclopedia of Democracy. (Ref JC 423 E53 1995)
• Encyclopedia of the American Presidency. (Ref JK 511 E53 1994)
• The Encyclopedia of the United States Congress. (Ref JK 1067 E63 1995)
• Encyclopedia of the American Constitution. (Ref KF 4548 E53 1986)

Science
(Biology, Geology, Environment)

• McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology (Ref Q121 .M3 2002) 
• Encyclopedia of Biodiversity. (Ref QH541.15 B56 E53 2001)
• Macmillan encyclopedia of energy. (CISAT TJ163.28 M33 2001)
• Encyclopedia of human biology. (Ref  QP11 E53 1997)
• The Encyclopedia of Earthquakes and Volcanoes. (Ref QE521 .R58 1994)
• The Encyclopedia of the Environment. (Ref GE10 .E53 1994)
• The Grolier World Encyclopedia of Endangered Species. (Ref QL82 .S4513 1993)
• Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. (Ref QL 3 G7813 2003)

• The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. (Ref PN1021 .E5 1993)
• Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20th Century. (Ref PN771 .E5 1999)
• Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. (Ref CB361 E52 1999)
• The Oxford Companion to American Literature. (Ref PS21 .H3)
• The Oxford Companion to English Literature. (Ref PR19 O94 2000)
• Dictionary of the Middle Ages. (Ref D114 .D5 1982)
• The Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (Ref B51 .R68 1998)
• The Encyclopedia of Religion. (Ref BL31 .E46 2004)
• Man Myth and Magic. (Ref BF 1411 M25 1995)
• Encyclopaedia Judaica. (Ref DS 102.8 E496)
• Encyclopaedia of Islam and the Muslim World. (BP40 .E525 2004)
• Dictionary of American History. (Ref E 174 D52 1976)
• Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. (Ref E 185 E54 1996)
• Encyclopedia of World Art. (Ref N31 .E533)
• Grove Art Online
• The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

• Foods & Nutrition Encyclopedia. (Ref TX349 .F575 1994)
• The New Wellness Encyclopedia  (Ref RA776 .N396 1995)
• Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine.  (Ref RC41 .G35 1999)
• Encyclopedia of Bioethics. (Ref QH332 .E52 2004)

Find a specialized encyclopedia in LEO

• Search by Word for Dictionaries and Your subject

  Example:

  dictionaries and psychology

• Limit
• Choose Location
• Choose Reference