Whenever you are exploring a topic for the first time, encyclopedias and dictionaries can help you identify some of the central issues, provide an overview of the topic and suggest some of the best keywords for searching when you go looking for journal articles.
Gale E-books or Virtual Reference Library (UTL subscription based - log in remotely with UTOR ID)
The major source for United States and Canadian history and culture from prehistoric times to the present. It is an excellent source for research in the fields of: American history, Canadian history, popular culture, American studies, women's studies/gender studies, multicultural studies, politics and other fields of study.
Canadian Periodical Index (CPI.Q)
An important database for Canadian topics, covering other subjects as they appear in Canadian journals and magazines. CPI.Q provides access to a broad range of journals and magazines, mainly published in Canada. It includes the full text of selected sections of The Globe and Mail from 1997+.
CBCA (Canadian Business and Current Affairs) Complete
A comprehensive database for information on Canadian topics, CBCA Complete combines content from four specialized databases, including CBCA Business, CBCA Current Events, CBCA Education and CBCA Reference. Subject coverage is broad and covers academic information, business, social sciences, the arts, science, and current events. CBCA Complete indexes journals, popular magazines and newspapers, approximately 90% of which are published in Canada.
An online index to early Canadian serial publications such as the Canadian Magazine, Macleans Magazine and Saturday Night. Generally coverage is from the late nineteenth or early twentieth century to the mid-twentieth century.
Globe and Mail: Canada's Heritage from 1844
The electronic full-page newspaper archive of The Globe from June 1844 to The Globe and Mail until December 2003. Coverage includes all the stories, plus thousands of images, advertisements, classifieds, political cartoons, births and deaths from more than 1.4 million pages of Canada's National Newspaper, dating back to the pre-confederation era.
Factiva
International, including Canadian. Many languages. Strong on business content