LibGuides: Information Literacy, Level One: Reference sources

Reference Sources

Provide general background information on a research topic
Introduce a topic's most important aspects
Help you find reliable, factual information about your topic

The most common Reference Sources are encyclopedias, dictionaries and handbooks.

Academic encyclopedias however, are the most valuable resource for your research. Academic encyclopedias:

Contain articles (some short, some very detailed) on a wide variety of subjects
Provide authoritative, reliable background information
Are written by experts
Are usually written for non-experts
Provide suggested further reading on your topic

Reference Sources: What are they good for?

Reference sources are books and e-books that provide general background information; they are great for giving you an overview or an introduction to a topic. They are often the best starting place for your research. Use reference sources to:

Choose and develop a research topic
Introduce yourself to a topic's most important aspects
Find reliable, factual information about your topic

The most valuable reference sources for your research will often be encyclopedias: books containing articles (sometimes very short, sometimes more detailed) on a wide variety of subjects. If you have an idea for a topic, and want to find out more about it, or possibly narrow it down, academic encyclopedias are a great place to look, because they provide authoritative, reliable background information which is:

Written by experts
Usually written for non-experts

They also often provide suggested further reading on your topic, which can help you continue your research.

So as you get started with your research topic, try looking in a reference source!

Finding reference sources: online

Gale Reference This link opens in a new window
A searchable collection of ebook reference titles that includes encyclopedias, almanacs, handbooks, and dictionaries.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
An online collection of reference books including dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, biographies, and atlases.
CQ Researcher Online This link opens in a new window
Full-text reports on current and controversial issues related to health, education, the environment, technology, and the economy.
Access Science This link opens in a new window
A database of science reference materials, including encyclopedia articles, news headlines, research updates, biographies and more.

A word about Wikipedia

Wikipedia is an example of a free online reference source-- it's popular because it's so broad and easy to use.

But it's often not a great source to use in academic writing, because:

Anyone can edit articles, and all edits are anonymous, so you don't know who's responsible for what you're reading, what their level of expertise is, and what their biases or agenda may be.
Articles change all the time: what's there today may not be there tomorrow.

So, many professors will ask that you not cite Wikipedia in your assignments or cite it only as a last resort.

The library's reference sources aim to provide background information like that found in Wikipedia, but from sources you can confidently cite and use in your paper.