Reference Resources

Each section below contains links both to generally accessible reference resources and to those which are accessible only via a UCSB campus connection. At the start of each section is the editor's "Quick and Preferred Reference" (marked by three asterisks), for the convenience of users whose time is limited.

• Dictionaries
• Thesauri
• Atlas
• Encyclopedia
• Comments and Suggestions

Dictionaries

General Access

*** Merriam Webster Dictionary Search Page

Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus (Robert Parks) -- an extraordinarily comprehensive set of results is produced, including cross-references, derivations, syllabification, synonyms, hypernyms and hyponyms.

Specialized

***OneLook Dictionaries (Robert K. Ware) -- searches here produce results sorted by discipline, providing a specific context for a particular word's usage.

***Bibliomania (Maytech Publishing Ltd) -- a wonderful way to see how words are used by particular authors, this site demonstrates the variety of possible word meanings.

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, Ninth Edition, 1901 (Project Bartleby) -- although rather outdated, this is currently the only online edition of this reference. The more recent 16th edition on CD-Rom can be purchased for $14.95.

A Web of On-line Dictionaries (R Beard, Bucknell University) -- a collection of links to specialized dictionaries, organized alphabetically by subject and/or discipline.

Quick Reference Glossary of Rhetorical Terms (Ross Scaife) -- organized for easy access on one page, this brief guide lists many of the most common terms and includes examples.

Comprehensive Handbook of Rhetorical Devices (Robert Harris, Ross Scaife) -- a searchable database containing a more extensive selection than that above. Includes an introduction to rhetorical style and a self-test.

Glossary of Literary Terms (Robert Harris, Ross Scaife) -- a searchable database which will display proper citation form for this online reference at the bottom of the search results (MLA and APA format).

UCSB Campus Access Only

*** Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1996 (Chadwyck-Healey) -- an online reference which is continually updated.

*** Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (Encyclopedia Britannica) -- on the same search page as Encyclopedia Britannica (see below), making it easy to conduct searches in two different reference resources.

Thesauri

General Access

***Roget's Thesaurus -- produces more results than Merriam Webster's, is better and visually organized for easier use, and each result links to categories of similar words.

***Visual Thesaurus (Plumb Design) -- a fun way to visualize relationships between the searched word and its synonyms, and to follow threads between words.

Merriam Webster Thesaurus Search Page -- provides synonyms and related words, but this site is not as well-organized for easy use.

Lexical FreeNet (Carnegie Mellon University) -- a "connected thesaurus" which, in addition to finding related words, will find connections between two words, rhyming words, and words that are spelled similarly.

Atlas

General Access

***National Geographic Map Machine (National Geographic Society) -- easy to use, this site provides physical and political maps with data on all world countries, as well as satellite image maps, printable maps, and star maps from both northern and southern hemispheres. A very enjoyable site!

*** Atlapedia (Latimer Clarke Corporation Pty Ltd.) -- provides both maps and statistical data on all world countries.

Specialized

***OSSHE Historical & Cultural Atlas Resource (University of Oregon) -- contains maps from different periods in history, up to the medieval in Europe and the start of the Civil War in North America. Some maps must be viewed with the Shockwave plugin. This site also contains an image library.

UCSB Campus Access Only

Specialized

The Alexandria Digital Library (UCSB) -- a collection of maps, aerial photographs, databases, georeferences, etc., focusing in particular upon Southern California.

Encyclopedia

General Access

Encyclopedia (Information Please LLG) -- access to the Fifth Edition of the Columbia Encyclopedia.

Specialized

***Performance Practice Encyclopedia (Roland Jackson) -- an excellent resource for musical performance, history and research.

The Encyclopedia Mythica (M.F. Lindemans) -- contains over 5,000 articles on world mythology, folklore and legend.

Philosophy Resources (Tula Hanneman) -- scroll down for links to four online encyclopedias of philosophy.

UCSB Campus Access Only

***Encyclopedia Britannica -- browse or search through the complete encyclopedia online, which also contains links to other related sites.

Specialized

***The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism (Johns Hopkins University Press) -- this searchable online guide is both thorough and wide-ranging.

Index of Resources

1. Overview
2. Guides to Readings in Literature and Information Culture
   1. Bookshelf (Brief descriptions and mini-reviews of works in a variety of media that developers of the Transcriptions project or speakers in its colloquium series have been reading. These are the works that are helping to shape the intellectual direction of the Transcriptions project. The Bookshelf is a searchable database.)
   2. Hypertext Literature (annotated catalogue of representative works of hypertext fiction, poetry, and theory in a variety of media, both offline and online works; includes a guide to the Transcription studio's library of publications by the Eastgate company)
3. Guides to Online Research
   1. Online Research Resources (library catalogues, digital text archives, periodical indices, etc.; includes both general-access and UCSB-only resources)
   2. Online Reference Resources (dictionaries, thesauri, atlases, encyclopedias, etc.)
   3. Online Resources for Writing and Speaking (grammer and style guides, writing tips, advice on oral presentations, etc.)
   4. Evaluating & Citing Online Resources (checklists, exercises, examples, and annotated links; also includes a printable form to use in tracking and evaluating online sites)
4. Guides to Technology in Transcriptions Courses
   1. Web-Authoring Basics (basic outline of the process required to download, revise, and upload web pages associated with Transcriptions courses)
   2. Web-Authoring Resources (design and how-to advice for both beginning and advanced Web authors; includes links to HTML and design style guides, help with images, and examples of good and bad design)
   3. Transcriptions Studio Software (catalogue of the major production tools used by Transcriptions with links to resources and tutorials; covers Macromedia's Dreamweaver and Fireworks, Adobe's Photoshop and Illustrator, and Allaire's Homesite programs)
   4. How to Post Messages in the Exchange Messaging Environment (step-by-step guide)
   5. How to Use the Web to Add/Edit Content in the Project's Timeline or Linkbase Databases (step-by-step guide)
5. For Instructors and Developers:
   1. Teaching with Information Technology (annotated links to resources and tools for designing courses utilizing IT; also includes example sites)
   2. Developer Resources for Transcriptions Project (Templates for course and topics pages, Photoshop templates for images, Descriptions of web technology used in HTML design, Cascading Style Sheets [CSS], Server Side Includes [SSI], and relevant information)

This page created by
Caroline L. Brehm
for the Transcriptions Project
(last updated 9/4/99)

Suggestions regarding the continuing development/maintenance of this site are most welcome!