Reference books are an excellent source of background information on your topic. With a reference book, you will get a general, well-rounded overview of your topic. In some cases, they can also be a good source of statistical information.
The Kreitzberg Library has several online reference sources:
General encyclopedias are designed to cover all areas of human knowledge. As a result, they have a little bit of information on everything. General encyclopedias are only useful for getting a basic overview of your subject and should never be used as a source in a research paper.
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Subject encyclopedias contain longer, more detailed articles and are limited to specific topics (i.e. art, music, terrorism, corrections); they also offer detailed definitions of terms commonly used in specific fields.
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Almanacs provide basic facts on a variety of subjects. If you need to know statistical information on a specific country or how much states spent on welfare last year, these are excellent tools to use. The government also provides a great deal of statistical information on wide variety of topical areas.
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Directories are lists of groups, individuals, or institutions that are involved in a specific activity or subject area. Directories can help to identify individuals, organizations and government agencies that may be sources of additional information on your subject. They may also provide basic information about these people or organizations.
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