Specialized Dictionaries and Specialized Encyclopedias

Assignment: Investigate definitions of words or unfamiliar allusions using specialized dictionaries and specialized encyclopedias; report back to the class, and for writing purposes, submit a paragraph about discoveries.

How to: To find specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias in the library, use the SouthCat catalog; using a Keyword search; type dictionar? psychology or encyclopedia? engineering; [substitute your own discipline] then set "Limits" to "University Library Reference").

Support: Offer students a list of unusual words or allusions used by experts. Or have a student select a term used in class that day.

Use: May be assigned to a different student every day-- to avoid "sharing" and to avoid a run on one particular item in the library on the same day.

You may wish to have them use Wikipedia for the same topic to encourage critical thinking about published versus public sources. Have them read the "Discussion" section of the article in Wikipedia to show them the debate on quality, or lack of such, in the article.

Objective: Begin to become familiar with the jargon in a field as well as the library reference sources. For Wikipedia: gain an understanding of the weaknesses inherent in constructing a "public" encyclopedia.