Reference collection and services
The Library provides a comprehensive collection of general and specialised reference works. Specialised reference support is available for all EUI disciplines and for inter-disciplinary research.
Most reference works are available in searchable database format. The print reference collection (REF) is located on the upper, second floor of the Library [map]. The main print collection (LIB) also contains extensive multi-lingual reference material, usually classified at the beginning of each Dewey Decimal section.
Scholars should use the Catalogue to search for reference works, connect to online reference databases, and locate the shelfmarks of printed materials.
Contact the relevant Information Specialist at the Badia Library or the VLF Library for individual reference support.
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Factual information (dictionaries, thesauri, atlases, yearbooks, biographical sources)
- Oxford English Dictionary online, searchable and browsable by category and source, with historical thesaurus.
- Cambridge Dictionaries online access to a range of publications, including the Cambridge International Dictionary of English, the Cambridge Dictionary of English and the Cambridge Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs
- Oxford Dictionaries Online - Online dictionary and language reference service of modern British, American and world English. It includes full content from Oxford's largest current English dictionaries and thesauruses, extensive examples of real English usage, detailed writing, grammar, and spelling support, as well as specialised tools for professional writers and editors.
- Oxford Reference Online - Select "Dictionaries" from the "Resource Type" menu to browse English and Bilingual Dictionaries.
- Portail lexical - Portal from the Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales (CNRTL) which offers a rich set of functions for exploring French vocabulary. From the Portail lexical tab, users can search or browse the database for french words and through a system of tabs, view their morphology, definitions, pronunciation (with audio) etymology, synonyms, antonyms and related words. The Portail lexical is a project of the ATILF whose objective is to promote language resources of different research projects within a single portal.
Search the Catalogue for additional Online dictionaries & encyclopedias
Overview of topics (handbooks, subject encyclopedias)
Encyclopedias & biographies
Gale Virtual Reference Library - Cross-searchable online library containing the full text of selected reference books. The EUI Library has access to the following titles:
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography - Searchable collection of more than 57,000 specially written biographies of the men and women from around the world who shaped all aspects of Britain's past.
Oxford Reference Online - Cross-searchable database of over 200 reference works including dictionaries, general reference and specialised encyclopedias on a broad range of subjects and titles from the acclaimed Oxford Companions series.
Encyclopedia of public international law in Asia - provides a detailed description of the practice and implementation of international law in various Asian states
- The Global Dictionary of Competition Law Project is the first dictionary dedicated to competition and antitrust law worldwide, edited by Deborah Healey (University of New South Wales), Bill Kovacic (George Washington University), Pablo Trevisán (Instituto de Derecho de la Competencia), and Richard Whish (King’s College London).
In-depth reference resources (bibliographies, indices, directories)
- Directory of bodies of the OECD - Includes official information on OECD committees and working groups, the International Energy Agency and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. It is updated annually.
Search the Catalogue for directories
Resources for research in Economics, History, Law and the Political & Social Sciences
Citation and editorial style and quotations
- Chicago Manual of Style Online - Guide containing recommendations on editorial style and publishing practices for the digital age. It includes the full contents of the 16th and 15th printed editions.
Search the Catalogue for style guides
Quotations
Oxford Reference Online - Select "Quotations" from the "Resource Type" menu for relevant titles, including:
Search the Catalogue for works with "Quotations" in the assigned subject headings
Research, science and education-related reference
The Library maintains a Bibliography of Academia (16th edition, March 2024). All works are in the collection.
Abbreviations and acronyms
- Abbreviations.com - Directory and search engine for acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms
- Acronym finder - Database of acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms with 206,000+ definitions
- The acronym server - Searchable index of over 15,000 acronyms related to all disciplines from University College Cork (Ireland)
Search the Catalogue for "abbreviations" to locate both printed and online works
Search the Catalogue for "acronyms" to locate both printed and online works
Page last updated on 20 December 2024