Encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works can help you to discover basic information about a topic - names, dates, definitions, summaries, related terms that describe it, etc. These are good places to start when beginning research on an unfamiliar subject and when choosing a paper topic.
Interested in learning more about the authors whose works you're studying in this course? These reference works can help:
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.