Finding Reference and Quick Information

Why are reference sources so important? 

• Learn the facts: Reading an encyclopedia article can help you quickly learn the main theories, opinions, or controversies so you can begin asking good questions; identify important concepts and people; and help you learn the vocabularly of the discipline so you can search elsewhere more efficiently for relevant information.
• Support your points: Use statistics to illustrate or support points you make.  Reference sources are excellent places to easily find statistics.
• Find more information: Reference books usually contain citations or bibliographies that point you to the most important books and articles for more information on your topic.  These save a lot of time and help ensure that you use high quality sources.

SWUcat
This is the catalog for SWU's Rickman Library and is the best way to discover what reference books we have.  Hint: after you do your keyword or subject search, click on a button at top of the screen to modify or sort/limit.  You can then narrow your search to the location Southern Wesleyan Reference.

CredoReference -- New! 
Search within 240 quality reference books from leading publishers.  Information includes definitions, quick facts, encyclopedia articles, and even crossword puzzle help.  Accessible only from a SWU learning site or campus.

Gale Virtual Reference Library
This database brings together encyclopedias and specialized reference sources.  The collection is currently stronger in science than in any other single discipline.

USA.gov
Find official information about the US Government, its agencies, regulations, and statistics.