LibGuides: Asian Studies Resources: Find Encyclopedias &amp; Dictionaries

Find Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

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Electronic Reference

Use encyclopedias and dictionaries to find background information before you begin your research in earnest. Not only will a reference article bring you up-to-speed on an unfamiliar topic, but many include bibliographies as well, which can give you a great place to start locating sources.

The library's reference collection is on the 2nd (main) floor. Use the blue Library of Congress handout (copies are available near the research help desk) to identify which section might be relevant to your particular topic.

Here are three examples of encyclopedias you may find useful. We have much more than just this, though, so remember to browse!

Encyclopedia of Modern Asia
Call Number: DS4 .L48 2002 (2nd floor reference collection)
Publication Date: 2002
Berkshire Encyclopedia of China
Call Number: DS735.A2 B47 2009 (2nd floor reference collection)
Publication Date: 2008
The Encyclopedia of Hinduism
Call Number: BL1105 .E53 2013 (2nd floor reference collection)
Publication Date: 2013

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Provides access to a large number of encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and other reference books covering art, biographies, history, literature, music, religion, and science and technology.
Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) This link opens in a new window
Database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.

China Biographical Database Project (CBDB)
Harvard University's CBDB "is a freely accessible relational database with biographical information about approximately 521,442 individuals ... primarily from the 7th through 19th centuries."
China Historical GIS
China Historical GIS is a database of historical place names of Chinese dynasties. The project also is home to a small amount of maps and scholarly documents related to China, maps, and the field of cartography.
Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System (JAANUS)
JAANUS "is the on-line Dictionary of Japanese Architectural and
Art Historical Terminology" compiling "approximately 8000 terms related to traditional Japanese architecture and gardens, painting, sculpture and art-historical iconography from approximately the 1st century A.D. to the end of the Edo period (1868)."
Modern China Biographical Database
The Modern China Biographical Database acts as a "who's who" biographical guide for historical figures in China from the mid-19th century up to the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.