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Getting Started: Library Services for International Students

Find library resources and the staff who will help you with your research.

What are Reference Sources?

Reference sources provide background information on a topic, such as definitions of terms, key figures and events, and well written overviews. They can be a useful starting point for any research project.  Your instructor will like these sources better than Wikipedia.

Examples of reference sources include: books, dictionaries, almanacs and encyclopedias. These sources are available in print and/or electronic formats.

Oxford English Dictionary

"The Oxford English Dictionary is the accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of over half a million words, both present and past. "

Oxford Reference Online

Search selected dictionaries and encyclopedias from Oxford University Press:

 

Examples:

  • Sociology
  • McDonaldization
  • Social Policy
  • Gender

Sage Knowledge

Search Sage Knowledge for indepth, authoritative background information on social sciences topics.
 

Opposing Viewpoints in Context

 
The University of the Fraser Valley is situated on the traditional territory of the Stó:lō peoples. The Stó:lō have an intrinsic relationship with what they refer to as S’olh Temexw (Our Sacred Land), therefore we express our gratitude and respect for the honour of living and working in this territory.

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