This guide was developed in Fall 2023 by Cassidy Santos with contributions from librarians Amy Barlow and Patricia Brennan. Last updated: 9/29/23. Direct recommendations and questions to Amy Barlow (abarlow@ric.edu).
Beginning a research project can be a difficult task. If you need to learn background information about your subject in order to develop a better research question, an encyclopedia is a great place to start! The online resources and texts below are chosen specifically for this course, and are excellent resources to develop your knowledge of factual information about your selected subject.
Do note, however, that Encyclopedias and Dictionaries in Print available for in-library use only; if you need a digital resource, consult the online reference sources listed at the top of the page.
Reference texts in print are available for in library use only for several reasons. However, we understand you can't always make it in to the library in person. Here's a few selected online reference sources you can use anywhere.
Credo Reference provides an online reference and research collection with topic overviews. This collection includes various dictionaries and encyclopedias, as well as a broad range of subject-specific titles covering everything from art geography and law to technology.
Central and Eastern Europe by 
The Christopher Columbus Encyclopedia by 
Dictionary of East European History since 1945 by 
Encyclopedia of Eastern Europe: from the Congress of Vienna to the fall of communism by 
Encyclopedia of Russian History by 
Encyclopedia of the Viking Age by 
Peoples of the World by