Learning Objectives

1. To understand the purpose and function of basic reference sources.

2. To understand the purpose and basic features of general and subject encyclopedias.

3. To understand how encyclopedias can be useful in Stages 2 and 3 of the research process.

WHAT ARE REFERENCE SOURCES?

Every library has a special set of materials - usually in a separate room or area - called a "reference collection." A reference collection is composed of a variety of information sources in both print and computerized format that are referred to frequently, hence the term "reference collection." The call number (identifying location) of an item in the reference collection is normally preceded by "REF" or "REFERENCE." Students and researchers are not allowed to take reference items home because librarians want to make certain that everyone has access to these valuable tools at all times. This normally doesn't present any hardship since reference sources are normally consulted rather than read cover to cover.

Reference sources function as starting points or gateways to information. In the broadest sense, they are designed to answer questions and identify other sources of information. Reference sources can provide all or some of the following:

• brief factual and statistical information
• introductions and overviews of a subject area
• answers to frequently asked questions
• pathways and guides to other sources of information

Every year, thousands of books and databases are published and can be defined as reference material. At CSM, librarians purchase only those reference materials that will be most valuable to students and faculty.

A reference collection is comprised of many types of reference works, each providing different kinds of information. Listed below are the main types of reference sources found in a library's reference collection:

• ALMANAC: a compilation of statistics and facts on a variety of subjects, usually in one-volume
  
• ATLAS: a book of maps and geographical information
  
• BIBLIOGRAPHY: a list of books, articles, and other sources of information on a particular subject or by one specific author
  
• BIOGRAPHICAL SOURCE: a work that provides information about a person's life (education, accomplishments, awards, career, etc.)
  
• DIRECTORY: provides names and addresses of individuals, companies, organizations, etc.
  
• ENCYCLOPEDIA: a work meant to provide comprehensive summaries of all fields of knowledge or specific branches of knowledge
  
• GAZETTEER: A dictionary of places. Allows you to look up a specific country, state, city, town, etc. and read a brief geographical description.
  
• HANDBOOK: concise -- but usually comprehensive -- explanatory information on a specific subject or area of study
  
• INDEX: an organized list of bibliographic citations describing books, magazine articles, journal articles, etc.
  
• YEARBOOK: a summary of the events and trends of a given year
  

Some reference tools are a bit complex and you may feel confused when using them for the first time. For that reason, it's a good idea to read at least some of the preface that all reference works provide at the start of the volume or set. (In computerized reference works, the preface can usually be found in the "Help" section or "FAQ" --Frequently Asked Questions - section, although it may not be called a "preface.") The preface describes the overall purpose and scope of the work, thereby helping you decide if that particular tool will provide the information you're seeking. It explains how current the information is and how that information is organized and presented. It also describes any special features and gives you specific directions on how to use it.

GENERAL AND SUBJECT ENCYCLOPEDIAS

The rest of this lesson will examine an especially valuable reference tool: the encyclopedia. Encyclopedias provide substantive discussions and summaries of all fields of knowledge, or specific branches of knowledge. Thus, there are two types of encyclopedias, "general" and "subject":

• General encyclopedias include articles on nearly any topic, i.e. all fields of knowledge. World Book, Encyclopedia Americana, and Encyclopedia Britannica are examples of general encyclopedias.
  
• Subject encyclopedias focus on a single subject or discipline. They can cover very broad subject areas, such as The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, or The International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences; or very specific subjects, such as The Encyclopedia of the Consumer Movement or Encyclopedia of X-Rays and Gamma Rays. Subject encyclopedias usually provide more in-depth discussions than general encyclopedias.

THE USE OF ENCYCLOPEDIAS IN THE RESEARCH PROCESS

Some teachers prohibit or downplay the use of encyclopedias for student research, primarily because students often use them inappropriately. Many students are tempted to rely on them too heavily, ignoring other important sources of information. Remember that it is not desirable or even possible to write a research paper based only on encyclopedia articles. There are, however, several ways in which encyclopedias can be appropriately used and extremely helpful in your research:

• Encyclopedias provide good overviews and introductions to a subject. Especially if you are unfamiliar with the subject, these articles provide helpful background information and explanations of key concepts and terms. For that reason, they are often excellent places to begin your research.
  
• Encyclopedia articles often help with choosing and narrowing your topic. Reading through an article, you may discover a specific angle, aspect, controversial issue, historical event or person, or time period you'd like to pursue. This specific idea or issue could become your focused research question.
  
• Encyclopedia articles usually contain words and phrases that you might eventually use when you conduct a database search. This is especially important if the article discusses a particular aspect of a subject that might become the focus of your research. Therefore, pay special attention to any unique subject words and write them down. These terms will come in handy later in the research process (Stage 5) when you are searching various indexes and databases.
  
• Encyclopedia articles often provide facts, figures, dates and statistics in easily understood formats, as well as good illustrations.
  
• Encyclopedia articles often include a bibliography (a list of recommended books and articles for further reading) either at the end of each article section or at the end of the entire article. Depending on the article and the encyclopedia, these bibliographies can be very long, so you should write down the citations only for those items that seem most valuable or relevant. This list becomes your own preliminary bibliography of books and articles on your research topic.
  
• Encyclopedia articles are usually written by experts, i.e. respected authorities in a given subject, who provide the most widely accepted scholarly views and perspectives. One valid criticism of encyclopedia articles, however, is that they tend to neglect or gloss over controversial or minority views on a subject. Thus, it is important to remember that any form of communication, even encyclopedia articles, reflects an author's ideological biases and disciplinary stance and should be evaluated as critically as any other source. Lesson 10 will discuss further how to evaluate sources.

Sometimes when you look up a subject in an index you will be given a cross-reference rather than a volumne and page number reference. A cross referrence is information that directs you from one index entry to another. There are two types of cross references:

"See" reference-- tells you that the word you are using to look up your subject is not the correct word to use for that index. Instead, another word or phrase is given under which you should look up the subject. For Example:

NASA see National Aeronautics and Space Administration

"See also" reference-- tells you that the word you are using is the correct subject heading and suggests other subject terms where additional or related information may be found if you are interested. For Example:

CALVIN, John (Fr. Ref.) 5:237 see also Calvinism

 

ENCYCLOPEDIA AMERICANA ONLINE

The final section of this lesson will discuss a widely used college-level, general encyclopedia, the Encyclopedia Americana. Although it is available in both print and computerized formats at CSM Library, you will be learning about the computerized version.

Encyclopedia Americana was the first encyclopedia published in the United States, the original edition appearing in 1829. It contains tens of thousands of articles written by more than 6,000 authors. The preface to the encyclopedia points out that although the articles are written by leading authorities in each subject field, they are intended to be read and understood by the nonspecialist. Since this is a general encyclopedia, all fields of knowledge are covered. In fact, the editors state that they believe Encyclopedia Americana provides "an accurate and comprehensive picture of past and present times."

CSM Library has a paid online subscription to version 2.5 of Encyclopedia Americana Online. Released in August 2000, this computerized encyclopedia is a 25 million-word collection of text and images available to paid subscribers over the Internet. The next part of this lesson asks you to use Encyclopedia American Online (EAOL). Please read the following guide to EAOL before attempting the exercise.

GUIDE TO USING ENCYCLOPEDIA AMERICANA ONLINE (EAOL)

HOW CAN I SEARCH EAOL?

• by article title
• by full-text (also known as a keyword search)
• by predefined topic categories (academic discipline, article type, geographic location, and date)
• by browsing an alphabetical list of article titles

NOTE: EAOL does not have a subject index like the print version does. Therefore, in most circumstances, the best method of searching EAOL is by article title.

HOW ARE SEARCH RESULTS DISPLAYED?

Each search generates a search results list, from which you can display the complete text of the article(s) that interest you. Articles are usually listed in groups of ten. Each article title is followed by the first few lines of the article text, which will help you decide if the article is relevant and worth displaying/reading in its entirety.

DO ANY SPECIAL FEATURES ACCOMPANY THE TEXT OF THE ARTICLES?

Yes. Many articles contain supplementary information you can access by clicking on the corresponding icon on the article toolbar. These include:

• table of contents (for long articles)
• maps
• flags
• Americana Journal (a searchable database of current events concerning a nation or international organization)
• tables (fact boxes, glossaries, etc.)
• Internet links relevant to the encyclopedia article you're reading
• related articles in EAOL

 
Adapted from:
Skyline College,  LSCI 100: Introduction to Information Resourcese.