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Education: Handbooks, Encyclopedias, Dictionaries

Finding Reference Works

Reference works are an important source for concept definitions, overview articles, and short bibliographies.  The Penn Libraries continues to acquire print and online reference works. These are accessible through the Penn Libraries Catalog

Search example: (leadership) AND (handbook* OR encyclopedia* OR dictionar*)

Also, see the literature-review journals on this guide's "Literature Reviews" tab.

Bibliographies

Bibliographies are lists of works, usually arranged topically and sometimes with annotations explaining each work's significance.

Online Reference Collections

Directories: Associations, Faculty, Research Centers

Gale Directory Library - Includes these Gale Reference Directories (select within the search interface)

  • Encyclopedia of Associations: International Organizations
  • Encyclopedia of Associations: National Organizations of the U.S.
  • Encyclopedia of Associations: Regional, State and Local Organizations
  • National Faculty Directory
  • National Directory of Non-Profit Associations
  • Research Centers Directory
  • Publishers Directory
  • Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media
  • Scholarships, Fellowships, and Loans.

Statistical Sources

For Statistical Sources, see these additional guides:

Grants and Funding Sources

Education Directories

Selected Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Encyclopedia and dictionaries are great places to start research. Dictionaries will provide clear definitions and descriptions of a term or topic. A good encyclopedia article will outline major research theories and issues, and it describe consensus, controversy, and research fronts; it should also list important, classic, or controversial works that treat the article's topic.

General Education Topics

Educational Linguistics

Educational Psychology

Primary & Secondary Education

Higher Education

Special Topics in Education

Selected Handbooks

Handbooks are edited works, gathering chapters around a topic. A good handbook chapter will be journal article-length or longer, it will be more discursive than an encyclopedia article, and it will offer a rich bibliography for further reading.

Educational Technology & Online Learning

Educational Psychology

Early Childhood Education

Higher Education

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