1.7.1 Reference material


Determine your information needs
	1.1 Define your topic
	1.2 Increase familiarity with your topic
	1.3 Map your ideas
	1.4 Types of assignment
	1.5 Amount of information
	1.6 Types of sources
	1.7 Types of publications
		1.7.1 Reference material
		1.7.2 Books
		1.7.3 Periodicals
		1.7.4 Conference proceedings
		1.7.5 Legislation
		1.7.6 Standards
		1.7.7 Audiovisual material
		1.7.8 Web pages


	Glossary

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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.

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
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.	Brisbane: a social atlas Atlas of the human body
Biographical sources	A collection of essays and profiles of people and their lives.	Find personal profiles.	Who's who Contemporary authors
Bibliographies	Provide a list of resources on a subject.	Find additional materials on a topic.	The new Cambridge bibliography of English literature Architecture : a bibliographic guide to basic reference works, histories, and handbooks
Directories	List associations, institutions, or companies and provide information such as addresses, telephone numbers, personnel, publications, and products.	Locate an organisation or supplier.	The Directory of higher & further education courses Directory of Australian associations Kompass Online
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 online McGraw-Hill encyclopaedia of science and technology Grove dictionary of music and musicians online
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 online
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 year book online

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