Library and Internet Skills

Electronic Reference at U of T:
Find your dictionary or encyclopedia online!

When would I use a Reference source?

Use reference sources to look up quick facts or definitions, or to find concise overviews of topics. Examples:

Look up a definition in the Oxford English Dictionary or Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged
Look up properties of inorganic compounds in the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics.
Find an overview of Expressionism in the Grove Dictionary of Art.
Find contact information for a Canadian organization in the Canadian Almanac and Directory.
Find medical and drug information in the STAT!Ref Electronic Medical Library

e-Reference on the U of T Libraries Web Site

You can access electronic reference sources as described below. For information on how to access U of T electronic resources from home, see Accessing Electronic Resources.

  1. Go to the library home page at http://www.library.utoronto.ca
  2. Choose e-Reference.

Search Tips: Finding your title on the e-Reference page

To find a specific reference book:

  1. Enter the title you want in the search box.
  2. Use the alphabetic lists to browse by title.
  3. Browse the vendor/systems, or publishers listings.

To find something on your topic:

  1. Look for your general subject under "Subject"
  2. You could enter a word from your subject in the Find a title box, and see what titles come up. For example, if you entered 'virology' you would find the "Encyclopedia of Virology 2nd Edition Online." This approach may not find everything relevant, however. Please check the "Subject" list as well.

Trouble shooting

  • Having problems finding a title?
  • Make sure all words are spelled correctly.
  • Try using fewer words.
  • Use % as a truncation symbol to include all forms of the root word. For example, Canad% business retrieves Canada's Business Climate, Canadian Business Review, etc.
  • Try using the alphabetic list of titles.

Try inserting or removing punctuation.

If you want assistance, feel free to ask a librarian (see Library Directory) or use our Online Reference Service.

More e-Resources

If you know the title of the item or collection you want, you could just search for it directly from "More e-Resources," rather than going the extra step to e-Reference. In other words, from the Library Home Page, choose "More e-Resources." Then enter your title in the "Find a Title box." This will search our entire electronic collection.

Reference Sources on the Web

You may be able to find additional reference sources on the Web. One convenient approach is to use a directory of reference sources compiled by a reputable institution. The following are some key examples.

Directories Maintained at the University of Toronto

Major Directories


Reference Search Engines

These search engines are designed to search multiple reference sites at once for your topic.


General Search Engines

You could also use any regular Web search engine to look for relevant reference sources. Look at Internet Search Engines for a list of suggested search engines.

For further tips on Web searching, check out the Internet Resources page on the Library and Internet Skills site. Remember, of course, that not all texts are available on the Web, so you may not be able to find what you want.


Evaluate your sources!

Who has put the reference book online? Not all Web Sites are reliable. You don't want to use inaccurate information. Find tips on evaluating Web Sites on the Library and Internet Skills Site.


Cite electronic sources in your bibliography

If you are writing a paper, you may need to know how to cite your source in your bibliography or list of references.


This page was last updated . Your comments and queries are welcomed.
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