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Background Resources
Articles
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Search the BC3 Library Catalog

Use it to find books, ebooks, DVDs in the library's collection

or browse our A-Z list of databases.

Reference databases are

A great place to start your research
Provide definitions, introductory information, facts, vocabulary/keywords, names
Preferred over Wikipedia by your instructors
Include citations for your bibliography!
Collection of encyclopedias, reference databases, issue topic databases

Credo Reference
Credo Reference provides Topic Pages, which offer background information on a particular topic that can give you an easy starting point and pathways for further research; Access to hundreds of in-depth subject encyclopedias and handbooks covering every major subject from Accounting to Art History and Shakespeare to Einstein; and Mind Maps that visually show relationships between topics and keywords.
Salem Press
Provides full-text online access to a range of reference works published by Salem Press in the areas of health, history, literature, and science
Gale Virtual Reference Library
This is currently a collection of four online reference resources: Gale Encyclopedia of Fitness, Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Health, Posthumanism: The Future of Homo Sapiens, and the St. James Encyclopedia of Hip Hop Culture.
CQ Researcher
CQ Researcher provides award winning in-depth coverage of the most important issues of the day. The reports are written by experienced journalists, footnoted and professionally fact-checked. Full-length articles include an overview, historical background, chronology, pro/con feature, plus resources for additional research. Graphics, photos and short "sidebar" features round out the reports. Shorter "Hot Topics" articles provide a solid introduction to subjects most in demand by students.
Facts on File Issues and Controversies
Explore current issues and events with in-depth articles made to inspire thought-provoking debates. Topic pages feature the latest related news coverage from Reuters® as well as a variety of helpful background information, from the key pro/con arguments to chronologies of related events to primary documents. Updated weekly.
Facts on File Today's Science
Bridges the gap between the science learned in the classroom and the discoveries pushing the boundaries of science today. Updated weekly and containing thousands of links to a 15-year back-file, Today’s Science explains important developments in biology, chemistry, the environment, space, physics, and technology.

Find articles in EBSCOhost's general databases (Academic Premier and MasterFile Premier)
Or search the library's subject databases and individual e-journals

OVID Nursing Collection
Provides convenient access to over 50 of today's leading journals in nursing and related studies for practice, education, research, and administration. The package includes Nursing Made Incredibly Easy, AJN: The American Journal of Nursing, Clinical Nursing Research, and the Journal of Patient Safety, among many more.
PubMed
PubMed is the premier index to medical literature. It is a free resource developed and maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed provides free access to MEDLINE, links to full-text articles found in PubMed Central or at publisher websites, and other related resources. PubMed also provides Clinical Queries search filters, and Special Queries pages.
Westlaw
Westlaw is a legal database that includes secondary and primary legal sources. Primary sources include statutes, codes, and case law. Secondary sources include articles from legal journals and the American Jurisprudence legal encyclopedia.

Browse the library's A-Z list of databases for other subject options.