Use the following online reference databases to find background information on English 128 research topics.
The excerpt below from the opening to "Green Businesses" (Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy in GVRL) highlights the key role reference plays in research. Reference articles can define terms, issues and debates, provide an overview of the history of a topic, introduce key terminology, provide leads to key readings, and more.
A reference collection is a set of encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other items that provide background information on a topic.
In college libraries, reference collections include specialized encyclopedias such as the Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change or the Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine.