Reference work on arvau

Wikipedia / Reference work

A reference work is a document, such as a paper, book, encyclopedia or periodical (or their electronic equivalents, usually available online), to which one can refer for information. The information is intended to be found quickly when needed. Such works are usually referred to for particular pieces of information, rather than being read in its entirety. The writing style used in these works is informative, with the authors avoiding opinions and the use of the first-person perspective, and emphasizing facts.

Indices are a common navigation feature in many types of reference works. Many reference works are put together by a team of contributors whose work is coordinated by one or more editors, rather than by an individual author. Updated editionss are usually published as needed, in some cases annually, such as Whitaker's Almanack, and Who's Who.

Reference works include textbooks, almanacs, atlases, bibliographies, biographical sources, catalogs such as library catalogs and art catalogs, concordances, dictionaries, directories such as business directories and telephone directories, discographies, encyclopedias, filmographies, gazetteers, glossaries, handbooks, indices such as bibliographic indices and citation indices, manuals, research guides, thesauruses, and yearbooks. While traditionally printed, reference works are often available in electronic formats, including reference software, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and online access via the Internet. Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, is both the largest and the most-read reference work in history.

Library reference book

In many public and academic libraries, reference books are not available for borrowing. Reference books may be consulted frequently, such as dictionaries or atlases, or very rarely, like a highly specialized concordance. Because some reference books are in constant demand while others are used so infrequently that replacement would be difficult, they may be kept on-site and made available for photocopying or digital scanning instead of checkout.

Types of reference works

The main types and categories of reference works include:

Abstracting journal – a published summary of articles, theses, reviews, conference proceedings etc. arranged systematically
Almanac – an annual publication, listing a set of current, general or specific information about one or multiple subjects
Annals – concise historical record in which events are arranged chronologically
Atlas – a collection of maps traditionally been bound into book form
Bibliography – a systematic list of books and other works such as journal articles on a given subject or which satisfy particular criteria
Biographical dictionary – an encyclopedic dictionary limited to biographical information
Books of Quotations – collections of quotations satisfying particular criteria, arranged systematically
Calendar – a record or a schematic set-up of the days and dates in the months of a specific year
Chronicle/Chronology – a historical account of events arranged in chronological order
Compendium – a concise collection of information pertaining to a body of knowledge
Concordance – an alphabetical list of the principal words used in a book or body of work
Dictionary – a list of words from one or more languages, systematically arranged and giving meanings, etymologies etc.
Digest – a summary of information on a particular subject

Directory – a systematically arranged list of names, addresses, products, etc.

Business directory
Telephone directory
Web directory
Encyclopaedia/Encyclopedia – a compendium providing summaries of knowledge either from all branches or from a particular field or discipline
Gazetteer – a geographical dictionary or directory used to provide systematic access to a map or atlas
Glossary – an alphabetical list of terms in a particular domain of knowledge with the definitions for those terms
Handbook – a small or portable book intended to provide ready reference
Index – a publication giving systematic access to a body of knowledge
Lexicon – a synonym for a dictionary or encyclopaedic dictionary
List – a published enumeration of a set of items
Manual – a handbook providing instructions in the use of a particular product
Phrase book – a collection of ready-made phrases, arranged systematically, usually for a foreign language together with a translation
Ready reckoner – a printed book or table containing pre-calculated values
Thematic catalogue – an index used to identify musical compositions through the citation of the opening notes
Textbook – a reference work containing information about a subject
Thesaurus – a reference work for finding synonyms and sometimes antonyms of words
Timetable – a published list of schedules giving times for transportation or other events
Yearbook – a compendium containing events relating to a specific year

Almanac

Annals

Atlas

Bibliography

Biographical dictionary

Calendar

Chronicle

Compendium

Concordance

Dictionary

Directories

Business directory

Telephone directory

Web directory

Encyclopedia

Gazetteer

Glossary

Handbook

Index

Lexicon

List

Phrase book

Ready reckoner

Textbook

Thesaurus

Timetable

User guide

Yearbook

Other

Books of quotations
Catalogues of classical compositions

Electronic resources

An electronic resource is a computer program or data that is stored electronically, which is usually found on a computer, including information that is available on the Internet. Libraries offer numerous types of electronic resources including electronic texts such as electronic books and electronic journals, bibliographic databases, institutional repositories, websites, and software applications.