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Reference Source Type |
Information Given |
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Almanacs
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Contains astronomical and meteorological data for a given year and often includes a miscellany of other information such as trends, facts, awards, etc. Generally published annually and contains statistics, tables and charts, the year in review and general information. Examples: The World Almanac and Book of Facts The Old Farmer’s Almanac
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Bibliographies and research guides
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Lists of works by a specific author or on a given subject, such as works of art, music, literature or lists of newspapers. Also includes title and author of a book, article, film, internet source and sometimes a brief annotation. Examples: A Guide to Reference Books Best Books for High School Readers The Humanities: A Selective Guide to Information Sources The Social Sciences: A CrossDisciplinary Guide to Selected Sources |
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Biographical sources
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Information about a person’s life. May include information about an individual’s education and employment history, as well as, creative accomplishments, awards and publications. Examples: Biography and Genealogy Master Index Current Biography Yearbook International Who’s Who Who’s Who in America |
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Dictionaries
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Information about words such as definitions, pronunciation, usage, and derivations of words. May include spelling, grammar, synonyms, antonyms, etymology, and pictures. Examples: Longman Study Dictionary of American English Webster’s New World College Dictionary Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary The Oxford English Dictionary
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Directories
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Addresses of people, companies, organizations, or institutions. May include other contact information such as telephone and fax numbers, email addresses, and short biographies. Examples: Encyclopedia of Associations Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media International Research Centers Directory National Faculty Directory Telephone Directories Ulrich’s International Periodicals Directory |
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Encyclopedias
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Overview and background information, historical facts, bibliographies, dates, geographic facts. Also includes charts, diagrams, pictures, photographs, and biographies, as well as long and short articles on various topics. Examples: General The World Book Encyclopedia The New Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopedia Americana Subject The Dictionary of Art (Grove) Encyclopedia of the American Civil War McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology
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Geographical sources – atlas and gazetteers
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Atlases are collections of maps covering a given area to which may range from the entire world to a small geographic area. Specialized atlases may contain maps of such things as a historical period or product distribution. Includes place/city, state region, country, historical and geographic facts, statistics, and dates. Example: Times Atlas of World History
Gazetteers are geographic dictionaries which give data on geographic places, including rivers, mountains, national parks, etc. Example: Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer of the World
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Handbooks and manuals
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Technical information about a subject. Includes basic “how-to” information in a concise format. Often includes academic, technical, and disciplinary knowledge, rules, guidelines, bylaws, categories of information, and instructions. For example, a style manual includes writing form, bibliographic style, footnote style, capitalization rules, punctuation rules, abbreviation forms, grammatical rules, reference formats, instructions for writing a paper. Examples: The Merck Manual MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers The United States Government Manual
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Indexes and abstracts
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Citations (title of work, author name, and publication title, place and date) to periodical articles, book reviews, plays, short stories, essays, movies, etc. May also include subject/keywords and abstracts. Examples: Arts & Humanities Citation Index Social Sciences Citation Index Science Citation Index Book Review Index Contemporary Authors Cumulative Index Art Abstracts Historical Abstracts PsychINFO (psychology) online Sociological Abstracts
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Statistical sources
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Numerical data from a variety of sources. Often published annually. Examples: Statistical Abstract of the United States U.N. Statistical Yearbook |
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Yearbooks
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Significant events or progress of a particular year. Also includes lists of facts, tables, charts and statistics. Examples: General The Annual Register: A Record of World Events Subject The Statesman’s Yearbook McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology |
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Thesauri
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Thesauri information can be found online along with the subject specific database. Below is a list of printed thesauri for some frequently used indexes. Examples: Library of Congress Subject Headings
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