CREDO Reference (or CREDO) is a database that searches 100 electronic reference books simultaneously. Specific books include encyclopedias, translation dictionaries, dictionaries of art and architecture and the Time Saver Standards for Architectural Design: Technical Data for Professional Practice. In addition to searching by keyword, you can also view a full listing of books in Credo here.
CREDO is a strong resource for finding basic information on the humanities, biographical information on architects, designers, movements, historical periods, and styles. CREDO can be used at any stage of your research process, but we strongly recommend utilizing this collection at the beginning of your search. Not only will CREDO provide you with basic information about your topic, but it also serves as a great way for you to collect possible keywords to use. Many CREDO searches result in a Mind Map (see image below) that provide a visualization of how styles and concepts connect to each other--this is a dynamic tool to help gather research on your topic.
