For those lucky enough to find them, Blackwell companions have long been a powerful resource for serious researchers, whether students or seasoned scholars. Not designed for ready reference, they are comprised of extended essays which present a synthesis and overview of a topic and conclude with bibliographies. Blackwell Reference Online makes searches possible in one or more titles, across the entire 358 titles, or in user-defined or predefined topical components. In addition to the companions, handbooks, dictionaries and concise companions are included. Discovery features enable a reader to find material either by searching or by browsing topically or under broad categories. This is done through a scheme of subject tagging, for instance, a list is available of all entries devoted specifically to a given individual. Once a search has been executed, it may be refined by further searching or by selecting from and within subject categories such as subject, place, period, people, or key topics. An entire work may also easily be read.

Researchers in cultural studies, history, and the humanities will be especially well served but others will benefit as well. Resources fall under the following disciplinary headings: Anthropology, Art, Business and Management, Classics, Communication and Media Studies, Cultural Studies, Economics, Gender Studies, Genealogy, History, Law, Linguistics, Literature, Medicine (medical ethics), Museum Studies, Philosophy, Poetics, Psychology, Race and Ethnic Studies, Religion, and Sociology.

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