1.7.1 Reference material

Reference materials are good starting points for most topics, however if your topic is very recent or narrow in focus, reference material may not prove helpful.

Reference materials provide:

background or introductory information
topic overviews
definitions
collections of facts
statistics and tables of data
paths to other sources of information.

Be aware that the titles of reference material may be misleading. For example, dictionaries may be called encyclopaedias and vice versa.

Some of the most heavily used and key reference material will be located in the Reference Collection. This material can only be used in the library. Other material may be located with books in the General Collection to allow you to borrow it and take it home.

Material	Definition	Use to:	Examples
Almanacs	A collection of dates, facts and figures.	Confirm a date, fact or figure.	The World almanac and book of facts [e-resource]
Atlases	A collection of maps providing geographic and/or spatial information. Also a collection of detailed illustrations of human anatomy.	Find a map or detailed illustrations of human anatomy	The atlas of climate change Atlas of the human body
Biographical sources	A collection of essays and profiles of people and their lives.	Find personal profiles.	Who's who in ancient Egypt [e-resource]
Bibliographies	Provide a list of resources on a subject.	Find additional materials on a topic.	Early childhood education in comparative perspective: a select bibliography
Directories	List associations, institutions, or companies and provide information such as addresses, telephone numbers, personnel, publications, and products.	Locate an organisation or supplier.	The new Cambridge bibliography of English literature Kompass Australia
Encyclopaedias	Provide introductory information such as a definition, description, and brief history. Include a bibliography at the end of each topic. Subject specific encyclopaedias concentrate on specific topics within a discipline.	Find background or introductory information.	Encyclopaedia Britannica [e-resource] McGraw-Hill encyclopaedia of science and technology The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians
Handbooks and manuals	Provide basic factual and statistical information including tables, charts and graphs. Often include protocols and procedures.	Find properties of substances, laboratory protocols and management procedures.	CRC handbook of chemistry and physics The Merck manual of diagnosis and therapy [e-resource]
Year books and annuals	An annual collection of facts, photographs or statistics often limited to a particular country or subject discipline.	Find statistical data.	Queensland year book Europa world online [e-resource]