Before you write your report, using reference resources and obtaining basic knowledge such as definition of terms / background of the subjects is helpful for your investigation.
In addition, to compare some reference materials is important to obtain accurate knowledge.

Encyclopedias

You should refer to an encyclopedia first because it contains information of all kinds.

Name・Link Description Note
Encyclopedia Nipponica[eBook] This encyclopedia is contained in the “JapanKnowledge Lib”. The contents in this encyclopedia are uploaded every month. On-campus access only
Encyclopedia of Japan[eBook] “The Encyclopedia of Japan” is an encyclopedia regarding many kinds of things about Japan wrote in English. This encyclopedia is contained in the “JapanKnowledge Lib”. On-campus access only
Encyclopaedia Britannica[printed] “The Encyclopedia Britannica” is one of the most famous encyclopedia that received high academic evaluation. Printed material
The Encyclopedia Americana[printed] “The Encyclopedia Americana” is one of the biggest encyclopedia written in American-English. Printed material
Wikipedia : The Free Encyclopedia “Wikipedia” is a free online encyclopedia. Each user can edit each article.
Citizendium “Citizendium” is a free online encyclopedia. Writers(authors) are demanded to sign on articles they wrote.

Online Reference Resources

Some dictionaries and encyclopedias on the web allow you to search and view multiple sources at once.

Name・Link Description Note
JapanKnowledge Lib A corpus of Japanese encyclopedia, dictionaries and so on. On-campus access only
EBSCOhost eBook Collection This contains a lot of academic e-books. On-campus access only
コトバンク A website that allows you to cross-search Japanese dictionaries.
Weblio辞書 An integrated online dictionary service that allows you to search multiple dictionaries and glossaries simultaneously.

Search for Reference Books

Each field has each specialized reference resources.
If you refer to appropriate reference materials, you can obtain more detailed knowledge.

Name・Link Description Note
OPAC: Kobe University Library Catalog With OPAC, you can search for Kobe University Library holdings.
参考図書紹介(Research Navi / NDL) “Research Navi” is a website to search for reference resources provided by the National Diet Library.
辞書・事典全情報[printed] A reference book about reference books published in Japan. Contents are classified by subject. Printed material
日本の参考図書 A Database of reference books about reference books published in Japan from Meiji era.
レファレンスブックス : 選びかた・使いかた[printed] This book contains not only reference books but also resources on the web. Printed materials
Guide to reference books[printed] This book contains reference books especially published in the United States before 1993. Printed material
Walford’s Guide to Reference Material[printed] A reference book contains reference books published around the world. Printed material