OASIS: Reference Sources

Reference Sources

Reference sources serve a variety of purposes. They can provide:

background or introductory information on a topic
ways of finding materials on a topic
statistical or tabular data as well as technical instruction

They are good starting points for
any research project or problem.

Imagine that your instructor has assigned an in-depth research paper on space station technology, and your own knowledge of this topic is limited.

Here are some of the reference sources you might consult:

Encyclopedias

Dictionaries

Handbooks and Manuals

Directories

Guides to the Literature

Biographical, Statistical and Other Reference Sources

Be aware that the information in these reference sources may overlap, or the titles may be misleading.

For example, The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion is basically a dictionary.

These entries define and briefly describe religious terms and doctrinal concepts.

On the other hand, The Dictionary of Art is not a dictionary.

It is a 34 volume set containing signed articles on all aspects of art, including bibliographies.

Similarly, other reference sources such as directories may also be called encyclopedias or handbooks. For instance, The Encyclopedia of Associations is really a directory of associations.

Finally, be aware that some sources may include more than one kind of reference information. Definitions (dictionary information), background information (encyclopedia information), and lists of addresses and telephone numbers (directory information) may all be contained in one publication.

All types of reference sources can be found in the Reference stacks of both the Biscayne Bay campus library and the Green Library of the University Park campus.

[Biscayne Bay campus library Reference desk and reference stacks]

Biscayne Bay campus library Reference Desk & Reference collection- 2^ndFloor

University Park campus library Reference Desk & Reference collection- 2^ndFloor