Encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference resources help you to discover basic information—names, dates, definitions, summaries, etc. These are good places to start when beginning research on an unfamiliar subject, and when choosing or narrowing a paper topic.
Visit the library's Research Guides site and use the By Subject link to browse all of the guides by subject area. Most guides have a Background Info tab/section that includes a list of specialized reference resources, print and electronic, that are useful for looking up terms, concepts, and finding basic information for that subject area.
