Subject encyclopedias, handbooks and overviews are scholarly, tertiary works written by experts on a variety of topics. The articles are typically longer and more detailed than those found in general encyclopedias. The background information provides a good starting point as you begin the research process. These resources can help you with:
In Collins Library, the print reference collection is located on the first floor, and most of the online reference collection is available in one of the databases listed below. Use Collins Library Primo Search to identify subject encyclopedias in either format; or ask a librarian for recommendations.
The resources listed on this page are of particular value to Philosophy students, as definitions and overviews found in general works may not always fit the philosophical meaning or lens.
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is a dynamic, online scholarly encyclopedia in which entries are kept up to date by an expert or groups of experts in the field.
You'll find it helpful to consult these reference materials as you work through the course readings and work on your research projects. Look for the bibliographies at the end of entries to identify more scholarly sources.
The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy by 
The Oxford Companion to Philosophy by 
The Oxford Companion to the Mind by 
New Dictionary of the History of Ideas by 
Encyclopedia of Philosophy and the Social Sciences by 
Encyclopedia of Death and the Human Experience by Bibliographies at the end of subject encyclopedia entries are fabulously helpful in the research process, but how do you get from the bibliography to the actual material?
If the item is a book or a chapter or essay in a book, you'll need to look up the title of the book (not the title of the chapter!) in Primo. If Collins Library does not have the book, or the book is checked out, you can request it from SUMMIT, with delivery in 3-5 days.
Quigley, Muireann and John Harris, J. “Immortal Happiness.” Philosophy and Happiness, edited by Lisa Bortolotti, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009, pp. 68–81.
To find this item, you'd search Primo by the title of the book, Philosophy and Happiness.
If the item is a journal article, you'll need to look up the title of the journal (not the title of the article!) in Primo Journal Search. If the journal is not available in or via Collins Library, you can request it from interlibrary loan.
Haybron, Dan. “Life Satisfaction, Ethical Reflection and the Science of Happiness,” The Journal of Happiness Studies, vol. 8, no. 1, 2007, pp. 99–138.
To find this item, you'd search Primo Journals for Journal of Happiness Studies.
Browse through the entry on "The Meaning of Life" in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, then scroll down to the bibliography:
