Reference sources are authoritative works that you can refer to for specific answers or information. There are many types of reference sources, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, directories, and almanacs. But in broader terms, reference works can also include materials such as bibliographies, handbooks, atlases, gazetteers, style manuals, or statistical sources. Miller Library has reference materials both online and in print.
Almanacs are generally published annually (once a year) with the purpose of tracking trends.
Business dictionaries focus on an area of business, providing in-depth definitions, spellings, pronunciations, and syllabication. Some subject-specific dictionaries might be closer in content to an encyclopedia.
Directories provide listings of people or organizations that include contact information. Use directories for factual information about an individual or organization: address, website, telephone number, names and correct spellings of people and/or companies, biographical information, or brief historical and/or current data about an organization.
Encyclopedias summarize available information and provide overviews on a variety of topics. They include bibliographies, illustrations, and maps.
Often referred to as manuals, handbooks focus on one topic, providing detailed yet concise information. They are well indexed and allow access at a very specific level.
Like almanacs, yearbooks are generally published annually, but limit their content to a specific year and often focus on a specific area.
A type of bibliography that point to literature on specific subjects. They are a good starting point for identifying resources to use when conduction research on a given topic.