The library maintains subscriptions to many online reference sources. These sources provide excellent background material, and because they are published by a reliable source and vetted by editors, publishers and librarians, you can rest assured that the information is reliable.

Both the sources you will be using are limited to UCI faculty, students and staff, so you will need to Connect From Off Campus through the VPN http://www.lib.uci.edu/services/how/connect.html if you are using the resources from off campus.

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Encyclopedia Britannica Online

An encyclopedia is a good place to look when beginning to gather information about a well-established subject. Encyclopedias provide a good introduction and overview of a topic, and often lead you to other resources.

Let’s think about thinking. The theme for this quarter in Humanities Core is “Thinking”. Use the Encyclopedia Britannica for an introduction and overview of the concept of thought.

To access the Encyclopedia Britannica, go to http://uclibs.org/PID/6805.
Do a search for ‘thought’.

1. What are the four progressive stages of divergent (or creative) thinking? Why do you think creative thinking is called "divergent" thinking?
2. What does the article suggest are the benefits and drawbacks of thinking in groups?
3. Look at the "Additional Reading" list at the end of the article. Which work would you be most likely to read if you had time to follow up on this article? Why?

Your search results:

The entry for 'thought':

The Oxford English Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary, also known as the OED, is another important reference tool. It is an etymological dictionary, which is used to determine the meaning and historical origins of a word. The OED traces the development and usage of words from their earliest recorded occurrence. Entries contain detailed etymological analysis, and are illustrated by quotations from a wide range of English language sources from around the world, making the OED a unique historical record.

To access the OED, go to http://uclibs.org/PID/8102

Jane Austen writes about the world of the English gentry. Look up the word 'gentry' in the OED to investigate the origins and meanings of the word.

4. Click on the date chart and find the year of the OED's first example of gentry.
5. Which definition most clearly applies to the period in which Austen lived?

Your results:

Helpful research tips:

These are only two of the many online reference resources. In addition to a general encyclopedia like Encyclopedia Britannica, we also have subject specific encyclopedias. For a more in-depth discussion of the novel Persuasion, take a look at the Encyclopedia of the Novel (http://uclibs.org/PID/17104).

To find other subject specific encyclopedias, from the UCI Libraries home page (www.lib.uci.edu) choose Subject page--Quick Reference--Encyclopedias.

Many of these encyclopedias are available only to UCI faculty, staff and students, so you will need to connect through the VPN if you are accessing them from off campus.

To search for the UCI Libraries online reference tools, go to the Find Online Resources page, accessible from the Libraries’ home page.

Enter the keyword(s) for the subject you are searching:

To access the Humanities Core Course Library web page for all the Discovery Tasks and other important links, go to http://course.lib.uci.edu/hu/writing/humcore/ .

Questions, comments, problems? Contact Cathy Palmer, UCI Libraries (cpalmer@uci.edu)