Background sources such as, but not limited to, dictionaries and encyclopedias provide context for your topic or even help you choose one. Researchers use them when they need:
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Encyclopedia, dictionary and biographical entries from hundreds of sources for most subject areas. It includes images, diagrams, maps and photos, and audio pronunciation files and sound clips. Coverage 2000 – present.
This link opens in a new windowEncyclopedia and dictionary entries for most subject areas. Dates covered: latest edition of each title.
This link opens in a new windowInternational Phonetic Alphabet transcriptions and literal translations of opera arias and art song texts. Coverage: varies.
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Streaming music for 87,000+ tracks. Includes Naxos classical, jazz, world-music and historical releases, and Marco Polo and Da Capo catalogues. Naxos Historical, Nostalgia, and Jazz Legends recordings are not available in the United States due to the uncertain legal situation regarding pre-1972 sound recordings. Coverage: varies.
Encyclopedia entries and images for art. Includes Grove Art Online, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, The Oxford Companion to Western Art, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Coverage: varies.
Encyclopedia entries for music. Includes The Oxford Dictionary of Music, Grove Music Online and The Oxford Companion to Music. Coverage: varies.