Library Guides: ENGL 202A: Effective Writing: Writing in the Social Sciences (Harrisburg): Finding Books

Encyclopedias and Handbooks

One key to success in finding scholarly literature is using scholarly words in your database searches. To expand your vocabulary on your topic, start here:

Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
Similar to Sage Reference Online, Oxford offers dictionary definitions, encyclopedia articles, and other brief information.
Oxford Reference Online consists of a wealth of facts, figures, definitions, and translations found in dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press.
SAGE Reference Online This link opens in a new window
Short background information in Psychology and the Social Sciences.
A gateway to those SAGE reference publications (encyclopedias and handbooks) Penn State has acquired.

Finding Other Books

Catalog (Penn State University Libraries catalog) This link opens in a new window
List of books (and other items) owned by Penn State.
This is the online catalog of materials owned by Penn State Libraries. All formats (books, journals, audiovisuals, maps, recordings, etc.) are included. Circulation status for individual items is also provided. Coverage: Presently contains about 7 million records. Updates: Continuous up-to-the-minute as new records are added.

Google Book Search
Google's search engine for books. Includes some partial and full text.

WorldCat (OCLC FirstSearch) This link opens in a new window
Helpful for finding books that aren't owned by Penn State, WorldCat lists holdings of more than 10,000 college and research libraries.
OCLC WorldCat database is the OCLC online union catalog. It contains over 43 million records describing library holdings around the world.

Interlibrary Loan (ILLiad)
A service you can use to request books, articles, and other materials that Penn State doesn't own.