Basic Information Sources
The sources listed in each category below are a selection of those in the Cornette Library Reference Collection. Consult the online catalog to determine if the Library owns basic information sources on other topics.
Encyclopedias
General Encyclopedias
General encyclopedias are intended for a general audience. They may be written for different ages and reading levels. For instance, The World Book Encyclopedia is intended primarily for late childhood through young adulthood, while The New Encyclopaedia Britannica is intended for an adult audience. The index directs you to the appropriate volume and page number in the set. Since a subject may not be treated separately in its own article, use the index to find out where it is located in the set. The index may also refer to related topics. Articles may include brief bibliographies, which refer to other sources of information. Usually the last volume in a set of general encyclopedias contains an index. Encyclopedias are often supplemented by yearbooks or annuals published yearly containing information on significant events of the year. With the exception of the online editions, these encyclopedias are located on the encyclopedia tables near the Reference Desk.
- The New Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Academic American Encyclopedia
- Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (online)
- Encyclopedia Americana (online)
- World Book Encyclopedia
Subject Encyclopedias
Subject encyclopedias provide more in-depth, scholarly articles, which focus on a specific subject or discipline. The articles, usually written by scholars, often refer to key sources on the article's subject. Some are single volumes, while others are published in multivolume sets. Subject encyclopedias may be updated by supplements. Sometimes the word dictionary appears in the title, but the length of the articles indicate that the work is really an encyclopedia. Again remember to consult the index to locate information on a topic.
Subject encyclopedias are an excellent place to start research. As sources, they are often overlooked. While they may not be included in a bibliography for a research paper, they provide information like names, dates, terms, and concepts that lead further into research on a topic.
- Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life
- GN333 .W67 1998 Reference
- Encyclopedia of Precolonial Africa
- DT2 .E53 1996 Reference
- Encyclopedia of Human Biology
- QP11 .E53 1991 Reference
- Guinness Encyclopedia of Pop Music
- ML102 .P66 G84 1995 Reference
- Grove Dictionary of Art
- N31 .D5 1996 Reference
- Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs
- QE862 .D5 E53 1997 Reference
- Encyclopedia of Agricultural Science
- S411 .E713 1994 Reference
- Encyclopedia of Sports Science
- GV558 .E53 1997 Reference
- Dictionary of Literary Biography
- PS221 .D5 Reference Biography
- The American Heritage Encyclopedia of American History
- E174 .A535 1998 Reference
Dictionaries & Glossaries
Dictionaries usually offer definitions, pronunciation, parts of speech, syllabication (division of words into syllables), variations in spelling, and usage of words. Some also provide information on the etymology (origin or history) of words. General dictionaries may be illustrated and contain special features like lists of proper names, maps, and tables of weights and measures. Unabridged dictionaries are large in size because they include all words in use at the time the dictionary is compiled. Abridged or desk and collegiate dictionaries are smaller and include only a selection of words. Foreign language dictionaries focus on a different language, perhaps French or German. Bilingual or multilingual dictionaries provide corresponding words in different languages. As with encyclopedias, dictionaries may also focus on a specific subject or discipline. Glossaries are dictionaries or lists of specialized words.
General Dictionaries
- The Oxford English Dictionary
- PE1625 .O87 1989 Reference
- Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged
- Ask at the Reference Desk
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
- PE1628 .A623 2000 Reference
- The Random House College Dictionary
- PE1625 .R34 1975 Reference
Foreign Language, Bilingual, & Multilingual Dictionaries
- Oxford Latin Dictionary
- PA2365.E5 O9 1982 Reference
- Collins German-English, English-German Dictionary
- PF3640 .C68 1993 Reference
- Dictionary of Agriculture in Six Languages: German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian
- S411 .H2613 1986 Reference
Subject Dictionaries & Glossaries
- Dictionary of Multicultural Education
- LC1099 .D53 1997 Reference
- Black's Law Dictionary
- KF156 .B53 1999 Reference
- Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion
- B41 .R43 1996 Reference
- Dictionary of International Business Terms
- HD62.4 .S524 1998 Reference
- Stedman's Medical Dictionary
- R121 .S8 1995 Reference
- A Glossary of Literary Terms
- PN44.5 .A2 1999 Reference
Almanacs
Almanacs offer concise factual information about many subjects including current and historical events, people, weather, politics, associations and societies, countries, awards and prizes, holidays, cities and countries, disasters, postal rates, economy and business, astronomy, inventions, and statistics. They are usually published annually. Some almanacs, like The World Almanac or Information Please Almanac, are general in nature, while others, like the Texas Almanac, focus on a specific subject area.
- Information Please Almanac, Atlas and Yearbook
- AY64 .I55 Reference (The latest edition is at the Reference Desk.)
- The World Almanac and Book of Facts
- AY67.N5 W7 Reference (The latest edition is at the Reference Desk and available online.)
- Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide
- AY311 .D3 T5 Reference (The latest edition is at the Reference Desk and available online.)
Directories
In general, directories are used to locate people, organizations, institutions, businesses, products, or services. They are usually arranged alphabetically or by subject or type and contain addresses, phone numbers, and other identifying information.
- The World of Learning
- AS2 .W6 Reference (Reference Desk)
- Black Americans Information Directory
- E185.5 B513 Reference
- Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives
- HG4057 .A4 Reference
- Encyclopedia of Associations
- HS17 .G33 Reference (Reference Desk)
- Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market: Where and How to Sell Your Illustration, Fine Art, Graphic Design and Cartoons
- NC999 .A7 Reference
- Allied Health Education Directory
- R847 .D57 Reference
- The Foundation Directory
- AS911 .A2 F65 Reference
- Conservation Directory
- S920 .C64 Reference
- Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media
- Z6951 .A97 Reference
Yearbooks
General encyclopedias are often accompanied by yearbooks providing information on significant events of the year. Yearbooks are also published on their own. They provide facts and statistics on a specific subject or topic, usually for the previous year. For instance The Europa World Year Book is a gold mine of information on the government, events, economy, history, and foreign relations of countries around the world.
- Facts on File Yearbook
- D410 .F3 Reference
- Year-Book of Labour Statistics
- HD4826 .I63 Reference
- The Europa World Year Book
- JN1 .E85 Reference
- The Municipal Year Book
- JS342.A2 I52 Reference
- Educational Media and Technology Yearbook
- LB1028.3 .E37 Reference
Handbooks
Handbooks are guides to a subject and contain a large amount of information often presented in tables, charts, graphs, and illustrations. They are generally intended for practitioners in a particular field like chemistry or engineering.
- CRC Handbook of Marine Science
- GC24 S64 Reference
- CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics
- QD65 .H3 Reference
- CRC Handbook of Pesticides
- SB961 .C49 1995 Reference
- Handbook of Human Factors
- TA166 .H275 1987 Reference
- Standard Handbook of Environmental Engineering
- TD145 .S72 1990 Reference
- Federal Tax Handbook
- KF6289 .R523 Reference
Atlases
Atlases offer collections of maps bound together. They may cover the world, a specific region like the Middle East or Europe, an event such as World War II, or a subject or theme like the economy or ethnic diversity. Atlases are often large in size and may be shelved separately from the remainder of the reference collection.
- Cultural Atlas of Russia and the Soviet Union
- DK32 .M62 1989 Reference
- National Geographic Atlas of the World
- G1021 .N38 1992 Reference Atlases
- The Times Atlas of the Second World War
- G1038 .T6 1989 Reference Atlases
- Rand McNally Commercial Atlas & Marketing Guide
- G1019 .R22 Reference Atlases
- The State Atlas of Political and Cultural Diversity
- G1201 .E25 L5 1996 Reference
Gazetteers
Gazetteers list geographical names and features, usually in alphabetical order, and provide locational information. Some describe the history, population, and altitude of a place. Gazetteers are published separately or are included in atlases. Sometimes these sources are called geographical dictionaries.
- Texas Gazetteer
- F384 .T39 1985 Reference
- The Columbia Gazetteer of the World
- G103.5 .C645 1998 Reference
- Cambridge World Gazetteer
- G103.5 .C44 1990 Reference
- Webster's New Geographical Dictionary
- G103.5 .W42 1988 Reference
