Companions, Handbooks, and Guides 

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Research Consultation

These reference works are designed to give comprehensive introductions to their subjects.  They are excellent when you are beginning a research project and need an intellectual map of how to proceed.  They are also handy for answering questions as you go.  Here are a few examples of each type; click on the links and take a look at the tables of contents:

Handbooks

Oxford Handbook of Political Theory
Disaster Nursing: A Handbook for Practice
Handbook of Oral History
Mathematical Handbook for Electrical Engineers
Victorian Literature Handbook

Companions

A Companion to Plato
A Physics Companion
Blackwell Companion to Sociology of Religion
Companion to Historiography
Pocket Companion for Physical Examination and Health Assessment

Guides

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing
Columbia Guide to Central African Literature in English Since 1945
Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy: A Guide to Practice
Evolution and Creationism: a Documentary and Reference Guide
Punitive Damages: a State by State Guide to Law and Practice