Why Use Encyclopedias?
Background sources like encyclopedias can provide context for your topic, or even help you choose one. They are great places to start because:
- they explain topics in simpler language than scholarly articles
- they are much shorter (often just a just a page or two, instead of the 20 pages or more found in a scholarly article or the hundreds of pages found in a book)
- they highlight important issues, figures, dates, and/or events that you may want to focus on in your paper or project
- they give you suggested sources for further research in the form of bibliographies or works cited
Online Encyclopedias
The following are recommended encyclopedias in your field. You can read them online 24/7.
"France" in Countries and Their CulturesCall Number: E-BookPublication Date: 2006Presents the cultural similarities within a country that set it apart from others. Surveys each country's shared values, behaviors and cultural variations from foods and rituals to pastimes and arts.
"France" in Encyclopedia of Food and CultureCall Number: E-BookPublication Date: 2003A survey of food and its place in human culture and society. Includes photographs, illustrations, sidebars, recipes, menus, and timelines.
Print Encyclopedias
Hutchins Library also has a large collection of print encyclopedias that you can access in person in the Reference area on the main floor. Here are a few that we recommend:
Issues in the French-Speaking World by Call Number: 306.094 K654i 2004 (Location: Reference)Publication Date: 2004The French today contend with national history and identity and the tensions brought on by changes such as immigration, European integration, and postcolonialism. This book encapsulates 11 major issues for students of French language and culture, providing an informed platform for critical thinking and engaging discussion. The topics, including the trial of Maurice Papon, the Headscarf Affair, Jose Bove and McDonald's, Quebec separatism, and the democratization movement in the Ivory Coast, are overviewed in individual chapters. Pro and con positions on the issues are then presented so that students can debate the points. Helpful French vocabulary, questions and activities, and a resource guide accompany each issue to round out the unit.
The Larousse French-English, English-French Dictionary by Call Number: 443.21 F874 (Location: Referrence)Publication Date: 1993This authoritative dictionary is considered the ideal reference work for all academic, professional, and business needs. Contains over 300,000 references with over 500,000 translations; extensive coverage of general, technical, cultural, historical, political, literary, and professional vocabulary.
The Facts on File English/French Visual Dictionary by Call Number: 443.1 C789f (Location: Reference)Publication Date: 1987Gives French equivalents for 25,000 English words and terms through pictures grouped by categories.
Barron's 1001 Pitfalls in French by Call Number: 448.242 G841b (Location: Reference)Publication Date: 1986A supplementary textbook outlining fundamentals of the French language and providing help for common obstacles such as troublesome words, difficult sentence structure, and the metric system.- A Reference Grammar of Modern French by Call Number: 445 J92r (Location: Reference)ISBN: 9780713164534Publication Date: 1983The treatment of major themes is outstanding...a scholarly work of reference which is unlikely to be superseded for a great many years to come. The Times Literary Supplement Answers every question anyone ever had not only about French grammar but also modern spoken French...students will want to purchase the book as a straightforward reference work for checking points of grammar, and educated francophones will enjoy the historical sections and the many examples borrowed from literature. The Modern Languages Journal
- Oxford-Duden Pictorial French-English Dictionary by Call Number: 443.2 O98 (Location: Reference)Publication Date: 1983This dictionary contains a list of vocabulary relating to a subject together with a picture illustrating that subject. Each double-page spread links the words by number to the picture situation drawn from everyday life. Approximately 384 sections cover a broad range of subjects. It also includes any regional variations in terms used in different countries as well as differences between British and American English. Fully alphabetized indexes refer the reader to the various subjects and contexts in which a word is used, providing not only a guide to the correct translation but also a key to the vocabulary of an entire subject. This title serves as a valuable supplement to bilingual dictionaries for both speakers of English and of French.
