Apart from general basic sources, subject encyclopaedias and dictionaries are the major reference tools of a discipline. At their best, they can provide authoritative summaries of fundamental principles and current research trends. However, with any dynamic subject, such material can go out of date quite quickly and it is a good idea to look at the date of publication, the dates of the references it contains and the general scope of coverage of any reference tool. The Social Science Encyclopedia . An excellent one-volume work with about 600 entries covering theory, methods, issues and leading figures.
Most essays refer to current secondary literature and further readings.
Major entries cover the core social science disciplines and there are substantial reviews of important specialisms. Companion Encyclopedia of Psychology . Encyclopedia of Psychology . 2 ed. 4 vols. John Wiley, 1994.