Reference Search Tools

Last updated Jul. 12, 2023.
by Greg R.

Selected, free searchable versions of standard English-language reference tools.

Dictionaries: Merriam-Webster; InfoPlease Dictionary (Random House Webster's Unabridged?); American Heritage Dictionary; yourDictionary Specialty Dictionaries (for links to more)

Encyclopedias: Britannica (fee based), but articles from Britannica Concise Encyclopedia are free.
Columbia Encyclopedia 6th ed. at Bartleby or Yahoo!
Encarta (Full version for CD owners only)

Collections

These include a variety of reference sources

Bartleby Reference (dozens of very old and very new sources)

InfoPlease (almanacs, dictionary, encyclopedia, biographies)

For more information on many of these tools, see the following articles

Greg Notess. Ready-Reference Collections: Bartleby and xrefer. ONLINE 25(5): 66-68, Sept.-Oct. 2001.
and Péter Jacsó. Free Web-Based Rready Reference Services. Information Today 19(5): 34- , May 2002.