LibGuides: *Sustainability: Getting Started

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of Sustainability
In the Berkshire Encyclopedia of Sustainability, experts around the world provide authoritative coverage of the growing body of knowledge about ways to restore the planet. Focused on solutions, this series includes volumes on The Spirit of Sustainability, The Business of Sustainability, The Law and Politics of Sustainability, Natural Resources and Sustainability, Ecosystem Management and Sustainability, Measurements, Indicators, and Research Methods for Sustainability, China, India, and East and Southeast Asia: Assessing Sustainability, The Americas and Oceania: Assessing Sustainability, Afro-Eurasia: Assessing Sustainability, and The Future of Sustainability.
Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology
ESST is a succinct yet authoritative on numerous topics including: green chemistry for industry, water use and recovery, crop production including genetic modification of crops, forestry and fisheries, all types of energy production, mass and personal transportation with fuel modification, power source variation, pollution control and waste disposition, recycle and disposition, urban planning and the built environment, environmental quality, epidemiology and disease prevention, and more.
Handbook of Global Environmental Politics
The introduction explores the intellectual trends and evolving parameters in the field of global environmental politics. The remaining chapters are divided into four broad themes – states and cooperation; global governance; the political economy of governance; and knowledge and ethics. In-depth explorations are given to topics such as climate change, multinational corporations, international agreements and UN organizations, regulations and business standards, trade and international finance, multilevel and transnational governance, and ecological citizenship.
Sage Reference Series on Green Society
Sustainability and 'going green' is an issue of vital concern in today's world. From environmental studies to sociology to business to group dynamics and social psychology to political science and public policy, it cuts across disciplines and is a matter of urgent practical - not just scholarly - concern. The series explores all these topics and more.

Environmental Studies (GALE in Context)

Environmental Studies (GALE in context; previously GREENR) is an online resource that offers authoritative content on the development of emerging green technologies and discusses issues on the environment, sustainability and more. You can browse by topic or issues in addition to traditional search. Results include reference information, maps, videos, case studies, news, and more.

How to Find & Maximize Reference Sources

Find background sources in the catalog by adding your keyword(s) to this reference-specific search:

References sources, particularly specialized encyclopedias, offer many benefits. Consider the following tips as you review a reference source on your topic to reap all the benefits and make your researching even better.

Get definitions and background - Reference sources assume that you are new to a topic. Jargon and specialized terminology will be explained and contextualized, which you might not get in more advanced books and journal articles.
Get caught-up on a topic - Research is a conversation, and often it's been going on for years. Reference sources will provide a historical background and identify key developments to help you understand how we got to the current understandings and theories.
Identify key people and theories - Who are the most important people and ideas on your topic? Reference sources will help you identify them so you can explore them more deeply.
Find more sources - Reference sources will provide additional reading, usually in the form of references or background lists. These are a great next-step in your research process.