Subject and Course Guides: English 161: Taking Thought; Writing Analytically about Philosophy: Background Sources

Why Use Background Sources?

Use background sources to find:

A broad overview of a topic
Important dates, names and other facts.
Useful terminology which you can use to strengthen your research.

In general, the encyclopedias available through the library are more reliable than Wikipedia or other web sites, as they have undergone an editorial review process.

General Encyclopedias

Britannica Academic
Includes the complete encyclopedia, as well as Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and the Britannica Book of the Year. You can also use EB Online to search an Internet directory that includes more than 130,000 links to Web sites selected, rated, and reviewed by Britannica editors

Columbia Encyclopedia
Provides authoritative factual information about our world in its many guises - physical, historical, geographical, political, scientific, religious, and cultural. Published by Columbia University Press

Credo Reference
Provides access to a collection of aggregated and integrated reference books from high-quality publishers.
Oxford Reference Online
Oxford Reference Online is a digital reference shelf of topical encyclopedias, handbooks, thesauruses and dictionaries with emphasis on Literature and Western Civilization . Limited to 5 simultaneous users.
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia articles and biographies in a variety of subject areas. Updated annually.
Our EBSCOhost databases will be moving to a new user interface starting Monday, May 19th, 2025 with the exception of CINAHL which will transition on August 1st.
For additional information about searching and managing results, please visit the EBSCOhost Transition Center.
Please send additional queries or comments to: ask@uic.libanswers.com
Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia database indexes over 25,000 records, covering an array of topics. The database offers brief biographies as well as information in a variety of subject areas. This database is updated annually.

Encyclopedias - Philosophy and More

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Provides detailed, scholarly information on key topics and philosophers in all areas of philosophy.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Open access encyclopedia is written by over 1,000 professional philosophers.
This open access project is written by over 1,000 professional philosophers. The UIC Library contributes to the funding of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Encyclopedia of Medieval Philosophy
Covers all areas of philosophy in the Middle Ages and part of the Renaissance, ranging from 500 to 1500 CE. It contains general entries on medieval philosophers and medieval philosophies and on the key terms and concepts in the subject area, but it also provides more in-depth details and analyses of particular theories.
Ideas that Matter
A dictionary of ideas that have shaped the 21st century.
New Dictionary of the History of Ideas
Alphabetically arranged entries that explore the origin, cultural interpretations, and historical themes of such subjects as beauty, love, feminism, diversity, and social capital, among others.
New Encyclopedia of Judaism
Includes hundreds of special articles covering subjects in analytical depth, as well as short biographies of the major figures in the story of Judaism. Access through Credo Reference.