Online Reference Tools

GENERAL REFERENCE SOURCES

AskOxford.com - A site that offers resources to help visitors make the best use of the English language.

Link to Reference Tools from OhioLINK - Features encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and other quick-answer resources. Authorization required for off-campus use.

ALMANACS

World Fact Book - Produced by the CIA, Fact Books for most countries of the world are produced annually. They provide a good overview, including maps, of the countries in the world.

BIOGRAPHICAL SOURCES

American National Biography online - A biographical resource on more than 18,000 people from all eras who have influenced and shaped American history and culture. This site does not include biographies of persons who are still living.   Use this link for off-campus access

Biography.com - The site of the TV channel. Offers several brief biographies.

Notable Citizens of Planet Earth Biographical Dictionary - Contains biographical information on over 18,000 people from ancient times to the present day.

CALCULATORS

OnlineConversion.com - "Convert just about anything to anything else."

CAREERS

Hocking College Career Services at collegecentral.com - Alumni, students approaching graduation or those seeking seasonal, part-time, or internship positions may register, post their resumes, and view full-time jobs, part-time jobs, seasonal positions and internships.

Occupational Outlook Handbook - From the U.S. Dept. of Labor.

Test Prep Review - Free, online practice tests, including the GED, ASVAB, and NCLEX.

DICTIONARIES AND THESAURI

American Heritage Dictionary - Full text of definitions to 310,000+ words.

Botanary - A list of plant genus and species names and their meanings.

Food Dictionary - From epicurious.com; search by keyword or browse alphabetically.

Merriam Webster 10th Collegiate Dictionary - The MW Dictionary Online.

Onelook Dictionaries - Searches many online dictionaries in one search.

Roget's Thesaurus II - Contains a variety of synonyms for all parts of speech.

Terms of Environment - Provides definitions for commonly-used environmental terms.

ENCYCLOPEDIAS

Columbia Encyclopedia - Full text of 50,000+ articles on a broad range of information.

World Book Online - A suite of online research tools that includes encyclopedia articles.

GOVERNMENT INFORMATION AND NATIONAL ISSUES

50states.com - Provides links to basic information about each state.

Congressional Pictorial Directory - Find photos of our legislators.

FirstGov - Search here for information from the US government, plus US state and local governments.

Ohio.gov - The web page for the wonderful State of Ohio.

Ohio Department of Development - "Promotes economic opportunities to improve the profits and prosperity of Ohio's citizens." Provides demographic information on Ohio's counties (look under "research and data").

Ohio Revised Code Online - Search the text of the Ohio Revised Code (does not provide annotations).

U.S. Blue Pages - An online directory of federal and state offices.

MAPS

Mapquest - Provides maps and driving directions.

Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection - A large collection of online maps, including maps of current interest and historical maps.

Terraserver USA - Provides aerial and satellite images.

TopoZone - Provides digital topographic maps from the USGS.

PHONE DIRECTORIES

AnyWho Phone Directory - Find phone numbers, addresses, maps & directions for businesses and people in the U.S.

QUOTATIONS

Familiar Quotations - Searchable web version of the 10th edition of Bartlett's classic work, which is a collection of passages, phrases, and proverbs traced to their sources.

SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID

eScholar - Contains hundreds of government-funded scholarships, fellowships, grants, interships and cooperative programs.

Fastweb - This site allows you to search for scholarships.

FinAid - A "comprehensive annotated collection of information about student financial aid on the Web." An excellent starting point.

International Education Financial Aid - A resource for financial aid information for international students wishing to study in a foreign country.

Student Guide 2007-2008 - The online edition of the comprehensive Student Guide for Financial Aid from the Dept. of Education.

STATISTICS

National Center for Health Statistics - Presents statistics on recent trends in health care.

Population Reference Bureau - "The Population Reference Bureau informs people around the world about population, health, and the environment, and empowers them to use that information to advance the well-being of current and future generations."

State Health Facts Online - This site contains state-level data on demographics, health and health policy. From the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

Statistical Abstract of the United States - The full text of this reference resource.

U.S. Census Bureau - Resources include population quick facts, maps, business information, news, and information on special topics.

U.S. Economy at a Glance - Presents key national and state economic statistics, such as unemployment, consumer price index, and average hourly wage.

STYLE MANUALS AND GUIDES

Easybib - This Web resource automatically generates MLA-style citations. APA format is also available for a small yearly fee.

How to Cite Correctly - Provides citation information for APA format, CBE, Chicago Style, MLA format, and maps.

Landmark Citation Machine - Generates APA and MLA style citations for print and electronic resources.

NCSU Libraries Citation Builder - Similar to Easybib, but generates APA, MLA and CBE formats.

WORLD RECORDS

Guinness World Records - Online version of the book.