Encyclopedias are useful to get basic background information on a topic and are good places to start the research process. Dictionaries give brief definitions of unfamiliar words, terms and acronyms.
A Dictionary of the History of Science by Sebastian, Anton
Focusing on the period from the Renaissance to the early twenty-first century, the articles cover all disciplines, historical periods, concepts, and methodologies and philosophies. Coverage is international, tracing the spread of science from its traditional centers and explaining how the prevailing knowledge of non-Western societies has modified or contributed to the dominant global science as it is currently understood. One hundred biographies of the most iconic historic figures, chosen for their contributions to science and the interest of their lives, are also included.
Oxford Scholarship Online is a cross-searchable library containing the full text of over 1,150 Oxford books in the areas of Economics and Finance, Philosophy, Political Science, and Religion.
Oxford Reference Online brings together language and subject reference works from one of the world's biggest reference publishers into a single cross-searchable resource. The Core Collection contains over 100 dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press.
Scientific American Inventions and Discoveries : All the Milestones in Ingenuity--From the Discovery of Fire to the Invention of the Microwave Oven by Carlisle, Rodney P.
Call Number: Not currently available at York
Publication Date: 2004
Encyclopedia of inventions and technological innovations. Predominantly U.S. focus.
Call Number: Scott Reference & Frost Reference B 51 R68 1998 (and online)
Publication Date: 1998
The online version of the 1998 10 volume Encyclopedia of Philosophy with updates to 2005. Includes over 2,000 authoritative entries written by more than 1,300 specialists. A valuable resource in the history and philosophy of science.