Gather Background Information--Reference Resources
Before diving into the hardcore research aspect of FYRS, it can be helpful to learn some basics about your topic. Encyclopedia entries will give you background information on a topic as well as provide timelines, keywords, and the names of important figures related to your topic. Experts write the articles in encyclopedias and they usually include a further reading list or bibliography which can be a great jump start for sources on your topic.
- Encyclopedia Britannica Academic Edition This link opens in a new window
Trusted current reference for academic and special libraries. - GVRL - Gale Virtual Reference Library Encyclopedias This link opens in a new window
Search many top encyclopedias on multiple topics for background information on your topic. Articles in these encyclopedias are written by experts. - Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Credo Reference provides access to a large number of encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and other reference books. Subjects covered include art, biography, history, literature, music, religion, and science and technology.
Specific Encyclopedias
Definitions
- OED - Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new window
The best English language dictionary in the world. It provides the history of words including their first recorded use.
Find Articles
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 8,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals. Includes searchable PDF content going back as far as 1887. - JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Provides articles from 1,900+ scholarly journals in the arts, humanities, and sciences and around 5,000 ebooks. Coverage dates for journals are from the very first issue of each journal (the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries for many) and continues to 2 – 5 years prior to the current year (moving wall).
Need more options? Library Databases A-Z
Need a specific journal? Journals A-Z
Simple searches for articles
Sample Catalog Searches
Here are some simple searches on your class topic in the library catalog:
Featured Books
An anthology of monsters : how story saves us from our anxiety by ISBN: 9781772126877Publication Date: 2023
Fabulous Creatures, Mythical Monsters, and Animal Power Symbols by ISBN: 9781567206623Publication Date: 2008
Hieronymus Bosch. the Complete Works by Call Number: ND653.B65 F5713 2013ISBN: 9783836526296Publication Date: 2013
Monsters, Monstrosities, and the Monstrous in Culture and Society [PDF] by ISBN: 9781622738939Publication Date: 2020
Pseudoscience and Extraordinary Claims of the Paranormal by Call Number: BF1031 .S635 2010ISBN: 9781405181235Publication Date: 2010
Historic texts
History of Four Footed Beasts by Publication Date: 1658This copy is held by Yale Libraries. Transy also has a copy of this.
Hortus Sanitatis - Le Jardin de Sante by Publication Date: 1501This is similar to Transy's copy but without the illuminations for Henry VII.- Libro de la natura de li animali byPublication Date: 1508Transy's copy of this bestiary, digitized. Includes images of a phoenix, unicorn, salamander, griffin, merman, dragon, hydra, etc.
Curious Creatures in Zoology by Publication Date: 1890
Other research resources (additional libraries and resources)
- Interlibrary Loan (ILL)--Transy Library
If we do not have an item, we may be able to borrow it from another library.
Your Librarian
Susan Brown
she/her
Contact:
Make an appointment to talk about your research. Or email me for an appointment that works best for you.
859-233-8408
Citation Information
- The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2019.This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (8th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.
- ZoteroBibhelps you build a bibliography instantly from any computer or device, without creating an account or installing any software. It’s brought to you by the team behind Zotero
Course Description W2024
Cryptids: From Bigfoot to Wolpertinger What does our fascination with cryptids say about us as human beings, and why are they having a moment right now? How much actual zoology is there in cryptozoology? What does the Ivory-billed woodpecker have in common with Bigfoot and Nessie? Is Dracula a cryptid (this may be a question akin to 'is a hotdog a sandwich')? This class will explore all things cryptid and cryptid-adjacent, ranging from folklore to grainy videos of the Fresno Nightcrawler to medieval encyclopedias and 'creepypasta' to real "living fossils" and the anatomy of some of the most successful scientific hoaxes in history.