Background reading is an essential starting point to any research project. The purpose of background reading is to get an overview of your topic and to begin to become acquainted with the key terms, names and events associated with your topic. A good place to begin your background reading is to find and read an article in a subject-specific reference book. The Berntsen Library collects reference books in both print and online formats.
These subject-specific reference books are available at the Berntsen Library on the shelves or online. The print books are worth a trip to the library in order to get a concise, authoritative overview of your Linguistics topic as you begin your research.
Encyclopedia of Communication Theory by 
Encyclopedia of Linguistics by 
The handbook of applied linguistics by 
Key Concepts in Language and Linguistics by 
Key Ideas in Linguistics and the Philosophy of Language by 
Language and Linguistics: the Key Concepts by 
The Oxford Handbook of Applied Linguistics by When looking for a book or searching for a topic of interest it may be helpful to browse the shelves. Below are the Dewey Decimal System call numbers associated with this field of study:
410 Linguistics
411 Writing systems
412 Etymology
413 Dictionaries
414 Phonology & Phonetics
415 Structural systems (Grammar)
416 No longer used
417 Dialectology & historical linguistics
418 Standard usage; Applied linguistics
419 Verbal language not spoken or written (sign languages)