Reference sources include encyclopedias, handbooks, and dictionaries. They are a great place to begin your research, since they can help with the following:
A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols by 
A dictionary of Chinese characters : accessed by phonetics by 
ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary by 
McGraw-Hill's Chinese dictionary & guide to 20,000 essential words by 
Tuttle English-Chinese Dictionary by 
The Oxford Chinese dictionary : English-Chinese - Chinese English =
The Cambridge history of China by 
The Cambridge Illustrated History of China by 
The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature - To 1375 by 
The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Literature by 
The Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature by