Reference works contain background information on a variety of topics related to the major fields of study at the University of Oregon and beyond. Use this information to check facts, look for ideas, and to get an overview of a topic or field. The items in this collection cannot be checked out, they are kept in the building so that all may use them.
Knight Library has a Reference Collection on Level 1 near the Research Help Desk.
This sculpture is located in the Reference Collection in Knight Library.
Many of our branch libraries also have reference materials at their locations.
Before you start any research on your topic, you must develop some background knowledge including facts, dates, and names of important people, places, or theories. Books and websites can provide you with that knowledge.
This is important because:
Remember, background information is always a starting point for research, not an ending point.
Like the roots of a tree, background information is not always visible but it does play an important role in your research.
Starting research often means finding an overview of a topic, checking facts and data, checking dates of significant events, or looking up definitions of specialized terms. Reference books can give background information, including the scope of the topic area, noteworthy people, and statistics to help jumpstart your research.
The Knight Library has many Spanish and bilingual dictionaries, including historical and topical ones, both in the Reference section on the first floor and in the stacks on the third floor. To browse the collection of Spanish dictionaries that you can borrow, go to the third floor and check the call numbers between PC 4625 and PC 4670, or do a subject search in the library catalog for "Spanish language dictionaries English". English-Spanish bilingual dictionaries are at PC 4640.
SPANISH-ENGLISH DICTIONARIES
Spanish College Dictionary
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The "HarperCollins Spanish College Dictionary is a standout--you're holding the best buy on the shelf in your hands right now. Here's why: Easiest to use: Usage levels are indicated throughout, with extensive examples to illustrate how words are used in context. A system of style labels identifies whether a word is formal, informal, literary, vulgar, dated, or euphemistic. In addition, specific meanings are clearly marked to guide the user to the correct treatment. The text also includes illustrations of pronunciations through the usage of the International Phonetic Alphabet, enabling easy access and effective communication for educational, business, and traveling purposes. Most consistently updated: HarperCollins dictionaries are updated more frequently than the competition, giving you the edge in reading, writing and understanding the language. Comprehensive: Fully updated coverage of both Spanish and English, including business, technological,and cultural terms and complete coverage of Latin-American usage. Here's a sampling of the new terms this edition includes: aromatherapy karaoke autoimmune male menopause carphone rollerblade circuit-training spellchecker cyberspace strapline dietetics telemarketing downsize teleshopping fly-drive varifocal junk TV virtuality
Oxford Spanish Dictionary
Compiled by expert teams of Spanish and English lexicographers and boasting a two-color layout, the Oxford Spanish Dictionary provides the richest, most contemporary coverage of Spanish from around the world. The result of thorough research using sophisticated computer programs to search for new terminology and ensure that all the latest vocabulary from Latin American Spanish and American English is covered, this superb resource covers over 24 varieties of Spanish as it is written and spoken throughout the Spanish-speaking world--from Spain to Mexico, from Peru to the River Plate. The fourth edition includes more than 4,000 new words, with over 300,000 words and phrases and half a million translations in total. The dictionary provides extensive supplementary material covering business, IT, and scientific terminology, and a completely revised section on the cultures of Spanish and English-speaking countries. As in previous editions, there are thousands of sample sentences to illustrate meaning and usage, special emphasis on idioms and regional expressions, and extensive glosseries for easy identification of senses, style, levels, and more. The volume also offers more than 100 pages of helpful appendices. The Oxford Spanish Dictionary includes a free SpeakSpanish Pronunciation CD-ROM, which enables you to type in a word or phrase or even paste in text from the web, and hear it spoken back to you in perfect Spanish. A work of unprecedented scope that captures how both languages are spoken and written in all contexts--from literature to informal speech to technical writing--the Oxford Spanish Dictionary is the ideal reference for native speakers of either language. Accessible, attractively designed, and wide-ranging, this dictionary is an essential tool for all students and teachers, as well as translators and language professionals. The Oxford Spanish Dictionary is the ultimate resource and the first place to turn for answers to all Spanish-English language questions.
SPANISH DICTIONARIES
Diccionario de términos críticos de la literatura y la cultura en América Latina
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La propuesta de compendiar este diccionario de autoría colectiva surgió del interés y la necesidad de reflexionar sobre el léxico especializado en el área de los estudios de la cultura y literatura latinoamericanas. Los términos seleccionados remiten a problemas, contextos y áreas geoculturales diversas y, en ese sentido, conforman un amplio mapa de la crítica latinoamericana. Buscando realizar una valoración y puesta al día del legado conceptual que es representativo de la historia cultural del continente, todos los términos considerados, articulados como un conjunto orgánico a través de referencias cruzadas, dan cuerpo al latinoamericanismo, formación discursiva atravesada de polémicas y sometida a una revisión crítica en los últimos tiempos. Material de referencia y utilidad para interesados en los estudios latinoamericanos, tanto para los jóvenes investigadores como para especialistas y lectores en general, este trabajo aspira a mostrar las transformaciones de un campo y dimensionar, al mismo tiempo, el aporte de América Latina a la crítica literaria y cultural.
Diccionario de literatura latinoamericana
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A concise handbook of information about literary figures and movements; with an explanatory glossary of key terms and a select bibliography. In Spanish
Encyclopedia of Latin American Literature
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A comprehensive, encyclopedic guide to the authors, works, and topics crucial to the literature of Central and South America and the Caribbean, the Encyclopedia of Latin American Literature includes over 400 entries written by experts in the field of Latin American studies. Most entries are of 1500 words but the encyclopedia also includes survey articles of up to 10,000 words on the literature of individual countries, of the colonial period, and of ethnic minorities, including the Hispanic communities in the United States. Besides presenting and illuminating the traditional canon, the encyclopedia also stresses the contribution made by women authors and by contemporary writers. Outstanding Reference Source Outstanding Reference Book
Latin American Writers
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This collection of bio-critical essays on Latin American writers from the 16th century to the present, is enhanced by Supplement I, covering writers who have come to the fore since the publication of the base set in 1989.
In addition to being a great place to start exploring an unfamiliar topic, Wikipedia is considered a tertiary source. Writers of tertiary sources synthesize information from secondary sources and strive to report them in a tone that is as unbiased and neutral as possible.
Some tertiary sources are cited in academic research and others are not. This practice varies by discipline so contact your instructor or a librarian with questions!
Thanks to IUPUI University Library for allowing reuse of this graphic under a Creative Commons license.
What is considered background information can vary by discipline. If you're not sure what it is or where to find it, check out this YouTube video on primary, secondary, and tertiary sources from Suffolk County Library.
Are you citing background information in your research paper/project? You can always check with your instructor to see if that is acceptable for the assignment or within your discipline/major.
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