3

Reference

Contents Outcomes
3.1 Introduction After studying this chapter you should
3.2 Dictionaries be able to:
• identify a reference source and
3.2.1 Language dictionaries
its function
1 L3 1 U l I^>LIVSI 1
3.2.2 Subject dictionaries
• distinguish between several
3.2.3 Biographical dictionaries different types of reference sources
3.3 Encyclopaedias • establish the scope of a specific
3.3.1 Using the index to an reference source
encyclopaedia • access information in a reference
3.3.2 Subject encyclopaedias source which is arranged in
3.4 Directories alphabetical order
• use an index to locate information.
3.5 Handbooks
3.6 Yearbooks
3.7 Almanacs
3.8 Atlases
3.9 Review

References
Answers to activities

35
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 36 SECTION 2: SOURCES AND RESOURCES

Key concepts

almanac a reference source published annually

containing useful facts and statistics
atlas a reference source which comprises a
collection of maps and an index to the
maps
directory a reference source which lists the
names, addresses and telephone/
fax numbers of persons, companies,
organisations or members of a
profession
encyclopaedia a reference source providing
information on all branches of
knowledge
format the form in which information is
recorded, for example, print form,
sound recording or electronic form
guide word a word which enables the user of a
reference source to find words on a
particular page quickly.The guide
word is printed at the top of the page.
handbook a reference source which is a compact
guide to a specific subject
index an alphabetical list of names, places
and subjects. In a printed work such
as a book the index is usually found at
the back and it gives the number of the
page on which the topic is dealt
scope the extent or range of coverage of a
reference source
yearbook a reference source published annually
and which brings information on some
topic or organisation up to date

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 CHAPTER 3: REFERENCE SOURCES 37

3.1 Introduction
In this chapter we will discuss different types of reference sources. The best
known types of reference sources are dictionaries, encyclopaedias, directories,
almanacs, yearbooks and atlases. These sources are arranged so that you
can access them easily and find factual information quickly. Bibliographies,
indexing and abstract journals are also reference sources but as these serve
a different purpose (they refer one to information sources) we discuss them
separately in Chapter 5.
As pointed out in the previous chapter, when you go to a library you will
usually find that the reference sources are housed in a separate collection. They
may sometimes be shelved with the other information sources, but the prefix
REF, or perhaps just R, is usually included in the call numbers of reference
sources so that you can clearly distinguish them from other information
sources. If you look up a subject in the library catalogue and some of the
sources you find have call numbers which include the letters REF or R before
the classification notation, you will know that these are probably arranged
separately in the reference section of the library and can only be consulted in
the library.
Reference sources used to be available only in book or printed form but
many of these reference sources are now also available in electronic form (for
example CD-ROM or online on the Internet). Some of these are available to
you free on the Internet but for most reputable reference works you need to be
a subscriber in order to consult them.
You can consult different types of reference sources to find different kinds
of information. We will look at some of these types of reference sources so
that you have a better idea of where to find the information you need.

3.2 Dictionaries
We are all familiar with language dictionaries, but there are various other kinds
of dictionaries. There are, for example, subject dictionaries and biographical
dictionaries too. Language dictionaries and subject dictionaries are good
sources to consult when you start an information task such as an assignment.
You can ensure that you understand the terminology used in the assignment
topic and in the books that you consult. Dictionaries may also be consulted to
check the spelling and pronunciation of difficult words. Let's look at some of
the types of dictionary in more detail.

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3.2.1 Language dictionaries

Dictionaries are available in print as well as in electronic format. There are
free online dictionaries such as the Free Online Dictionary available at http://
www.thefreedictionary.com. You need to be careful with free dictionaries on
the Internet as some of them are dated and you cannot always be sure of the
quality. Online or print dictionaries available at libraries are evaluated and up-
to-date. General language dictionaries give the spelling, meaning, usage and
origin of words and some examples of how to use the word.
A foreword, introduction or preface usually offers guidelines on its use,
such as a key to pronunciation, a list of the abbreviations used, and explanatory
notes. These notes indicate what information is given in entries such as parts
of speech, origins of words and examples of usage.
The print version of a dictionary follows an alphabetical arrangement. When
you look up a word in a dictionary remember that there are 26 letters of the
alphabet. So if you look up the word 'infrastructure' you would think about
the place of 'i' in the alphabet. Realising that it is several letters before 'n'
which is halfway through the alphabet, you should open the dictionary a little
before the middle. Then you can make use of the guide words at the top of the
pages as these will indicate whether you need to turn the pages backwards or
forwards. The guide word on the top left side is the first word on the page and
the guide word on the top right side is the last word.
Take 'infrastructure' as an example: if we see the guide words 'inflect' and
'ingenious' on the same page, we know that 'infrastructure' will be found on
this page as it will be found after 'inflect' but before 'ingenious'.

FIGURE 3.1: EXAMPLE OF AN ENTRY IN A GENERAL

LANGUAGE DICTIONARY

lit-er-acy (lit' r se) n 1 the ability to read and write. 2 possession of education;
culture. 3 a person's knowledge of a particular subject or field:toacquire
computer literacy.

lit-er-al (lit'r I) adj 1 following the exact meaning of words or a text (ie
without allegorical or metaphorical interpretation). 2 a translation exactly
following the words of the original. 3 said of a person unimaginative and
matter-of-fact. 4 true to fact; unembellished; exact: the literal truth,
n a typographical error, esp. a misprint of one letter, [from Latin literalis,
from litera, letter]

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 CHAPTER 3: REFERENCE SOURCES 39

The example in Figure 3.1 shows you another interesting point about
dictionaries: sometimes there is more than one definition of a word. How
do you know which definition to choose? When you have located the word
you want, you should read all the meanings before making a choice. Many
dictionaries provide idiomatic expressions and some give sample sentences
which are very useful.
Bilingual or translating dictionaries give the equivalent of a word in another
language, for example, an English-Xhosa dictionary will give the Xhosa
equivalent for an English word and vice versa. Such dictionaries only give the
closest synonyms to the word in the other language and not the meaning of the
word. This type of dictionary is also available online and some are available
free through the Internet.

FIGURE 3.2: ENTRIES IN A PRINTED BILINGUAL DICTIONARY

(ENGLISH/SEPEDI)

list lenaneo
listen theetsa
literature dingwalo
litre litara

In the second half of the print dictionary, the list is reversed with the words in
Sepedi being given first in bold type, followed by the equivalents in English.
There are also many specialist language dictionaries available which
supplement general language dictionaries. Some examples ofthese dictionaries
are those that give:
• synonyms and antonyms for words
• rhymes
• abbreviations
• acronyms or idioms
A thesaurus is a useful specialist language dictionary as it lists synonyms
and related words. Computerised word processing programmes include a
thesaurus function. A thesaurus is a useful source to consult when you are
writing an assignment as it helps to improve your writing skills and expands
your vocabulary. One of the best known thesauruses is Roget's thesaurus of
English words and phrases.

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3.2.2 Subject dictionaries

Subject dictionaries are available for many different subjects and are
especially useful for students who want to establish the correct meaning of
specialist terms not included in general language dictionaries. They provide
more detailed definitions and specific contexts in which the terms are used.
Sometimes they provide cross references to other useful terms. There are
subject dictionaries available for arts (for example, Ballet, Music), science
(for example, Chemistry, Geology), technology (for example, Information
Technology (IT), Computer Science) and so on. These dictionaries are
especially useful when you need to find definitions of key concepts and
other subject-related terminology used in assignment topics or in the subject
literature.
Subject dictionaries may also be available online. A good example of one
in the field of Information Science is the Online Dictionary for Library and
Information Science (ODLIS) available at http://www.lu.com/odlis/.

3.2.3 Biographical dictionaries

Biographical dictionaries list famous people, for example, writers, artists,
statesmen and women, scientists, presidents and kings and queens. In the print
version people are listed in alphabetical order by last name. An entry in this
type of dictionary usually gives the name in bold type followed by the date of
birth (and death, when appropriate). Then a brief summary of important facts
and events in the person's life is provided.

FIGURE 3.3: ENTRY IN A BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY

Lister, Joseph, Lord (1827-1912) English surgeon, born in Upton, Essex.

Professor in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and London, his greatest work was the
introduction of antiseptic surgery (1867), which revolutionised modern
surgery.

3.3 Encyclopaedias
General encyclopaedias are in some ways similar to dictionaries but they
provide far more information. These are available online or in a print version.
Once you have found the definition of a topic or subject in a general language
dictionary you can consult an encyclopaedia. This is useful for getting an

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 CHAPTER 3: REFERENCE SOURCES 4]

overview of the topic and placing the topic in context. Encyclopaedias contain
articles on a variety of topics, people and places. These articles may be brief
or quite long and scholarly, depending on the scope of the encyclopaedia. The
articles are usually written by experts in the field and signed by them so one
can usually assume that the information provided is authoritative. Often cross
references are given to other related articles in the encyclopaedia. It is also
usual to provide short reading lists at the end of an article so that the reader
knows which sources will provide additional information if this is required.
In the print version of an encyclopaedia the articles are usually arranged
in alphabetical order (according to subject) with guide words at the top of the
page to indicate the subjects covered on that page. People's names are entered
under their family name or surname. Print encyclopaedias may be published
as a set of volumes or as a single volume. When you consult a multi-volume
encyclopaedia look at the spine of each volume for an indication of the range
of subjects found in a volume.
Although most printed encyclopaedias are arranged alphabetically with
guide words at the top of the page, they also each have an extensive index
because some topics are dealt with in several articles. For example, if you
needed information about the history of chemistry, you would look in the C-Ch
volume first under chemistry, but the index would probably also refer you
to other articles in other volumes (for example, Aristotle, thermodynamics,
biochemistry). The index is usually the last volume in the set or found at the
end of the book in a single volume encyclopaedia.
In the printed version of an encyclopaedia you should always check the date
on the title page (verso) as this will indicate how recently information was
revised and up-dated. Statistics and other information can be even older than
the publication date.
In addition to online versions of published encyclopaedias such as World
Book, there is a free online encyclopaedia called Wikipedia. Wikipedia is
a multilingual, web-based, free content encyclopaedia project. The name
Wikipedia is made up from a combination ofwords: wiki (a type of collaborative
website) and encyclopaedia. Wikipedia's articles provide hyperlinks that
guide the user to related pages or articles. It is written collaboratively by
volunteers from all around the world. Wikipedia was created in 2001 and
has grown into one of the largest reference websites. In 2010 there were
approximately 91 000 active contributors working on more than 16 000 000
articles (3 405 800 of these are in English and the others in more than 270
languages).

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Since volunteers do not need specialised qualifications to contribute, people

of all ages and cultural and social backgrounds can write Wikipedia articles.
Wikipedia differs from a published encyclopaedia and other reference sources
in that although older articles will usually be accurate and balanced, newer
articles may contain significant misinformation. Users need to be aware of this.
However, unlike a paper reference source, Wikipedia is continually updated,
with the creation or updating of articles on topical events within seconds,
minutes or hours, rather than months or years for printed encyclopaedias
(Wikipedia: About 2010).
Encyclopaedia Britannica has also started an online wiki. Readers, users
and experts will be invited into an online community where they can work and
publish at Britannica's site under their own names. However, all articles on
new topics will be checked for accuracy before appearing in the main edition.
There will be three main categories of content: content created by the site's
existing community of experts, content created by users and Encyclopaedia
Britannica itself, which will incorporate aspects of the first two once they
have been checked for accuracy (Van Buskirk 2008).

3.3.1 Using the index to an encyclopaedia

The index of an encyclopaedia lists the topics, people and place names
included in the encyclopaedia in one alphabetical list. Under the main topics
there are usually subtopics. Numbers indicate in which volume (if it is multi-
volume) and then on which page each entry can be found. The index also gives
details of maps, photographs and illustrations, and cross references.
If you look at Figure 3.4 on p. 43, you can see that the index gives us
information about, for example, the volume and page. For instance, the article
on children's literature will be found in Volume 3 on page 205 and this article
includes illustrations.

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 CHAPTER 3: REFERENCE SOURCES 43

FIGURE 3.4: INDEX ENTRIES IN MULTI-VOLUME

ENCYCLOPAEDIA

CHILDREN'S
children's games 3:202

children's laws 3:204

children's librarian see

Library (services for children) 12:311

children's literature 3:205 with illus.

contribution by

Carroll 3:15

Stevenson 16:352

influenced by

fables:

Grimm brothers'fairy tales 6:371

magazines

children's museum 3:210

children's zoo 3:210

Child's Garden of Verses, A (poetry by Stevenson)

discussed in biography 16:352

ACTIVITY 3.1
Look at Figure 3.4 and answer these questions:

1. If you wanted to read about children's poems by R. L. Stevenson

which article would you consult?

2. In which volume and on what page would you find the article?

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 44 SECTION 2: SOURCES AND RESOURCES

Subject headings or terms used in the library catalogue may differ from those
used in the indexes to encyclopaedias or other information sources. Many
different people compile indexes to books and these people do not all use the
same method to arrange the headings in these indexes.
You may be familiar with the word-by-word method of filing and become
confused when you encounter an index in an encyclopaedia or other reference
source which uses letter-by-letter filing. When you come upon an index which
is arranged differently, you will need to change your approach when you look
up an entry.

FIGURE 3.5: FILING METHODS IN INDEXES

WORD-BY-WORD LETTER-BY-LETTER
ARRANGEMENT ARRANGEMENT
capacity Capacity

Cape Town Capek, Karel

Cape Verde Islands Capella

Capek, Karel Caper

Capella Cape Town

caper Cape Verde Islands

3.3.2 Subject encyclopaedias

Subject encyclopaedias supplement general encyclopaedias. Each subject
encyclopaedia deals with only one specific subject and provides information
on all aspects of the subject. The aim of a subject encyclopaedia is to include
topics which would not be covered in a general encyclopaedia and to give more
extensive information relating to one subject, for example, Encyclopaedia of
Information Science.
Like general encyclopaedias, subject encyclopaedias may be available
online. However, usually access is only available if one has a subscription.
Libraries may subscribe to the online version or may purchase the printed
version. The printed version usually follows an alphabetical arrangement.
Some encyclopaedias arrange the information they contain according to topic,
but these are the exception. An example of an encyclopaedia that does this
is the Encyclopaedia of Science which has eight volumes and each volume

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 CHAPTER 3: REFERENCE SOURCES 45

covers a major field of science, such as Physics, Chemistry, the Heavens, the
Planet Earth.
Both subject dictionaries and subject encyclopaedias are useful for students
when doing assignments which require the definition of concepts in a specific
subject field.

3.4 Directories
The best known and most often used directories are probably telephone
directories. The telephone directory is arranged alphabetically and lists all the
subscribers in a particular area. Subscribers are the people and organisations
that pay to use telephones and their names and other details are entered into
the directory. You therefore use this directory to find the names, addresses and
telephone numbers of individuals and businesses in a specific geographic area.
The first few pages in a telephone directory explain how to use it and give
important information such as emergency numbers, dialling codes to use
when you want to make a call to another area or city in South Africa or to call
someone in another country. In South Africa telephone directories are updated
and published annually and are available from most post offices.
When you consult a telephone directory to find the address or telephone
number of a specific person or organisation you should make use of the
guide words which appear at the top of each page. In a telephone directory
abbreviations are usually filed first before names, for example AA (Automobile
Association) will come before ABSABank. Within entries, many abbreviations
are used to save space, such as 'St' for 'Street' and 'Bldg' for 'Building'.

FIGURE 3.6: EXAMPLE OF ENTRIES IN A TELEPHONE DIRECTORY

B
B A Motor CC Parkway Plza Ldm 012 384 2639
B B Guest House Lynnwood Rd Lnwd 012 348 6264
BachJD 32 Park St 012 3417272
Bacher,AR 90 Brooklyn Rd 012 346 2160

You may also have used the Yellow Pages which is useful for finding firms and
commercial services. In these directories the entries are under headings for

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 46 SECTION 2: SOURCES AND RESOURCES

services and products. For example, you will find entries under such headings
as:
Business services
Butchers - Retail
Furniture dealers
Internet cafes
Restaurants
Under each category the names of the businesses or services are arranged
alphabetically and the address and telephone number of each is provided.
There are also organisational and professional directories. Examples of
organisational directories are directories of publishers and of educational
institutions such as universities. Professional directories list the names of
people and/or organisations related to specific professions, such as medical
doctors, lawyers or accountants.

3.5 Handbooks
Handbooks are compact and concise and concentrate on basic, core information
on specific subjects. One finds handbooks on a wide range of subjects such
as motorcycle repairs, chemistry, heat engineering, gardening and childcare.
Handbooks often include illustrations and diagrams.

3.6 Yearbooks
Yearbooks are published annually and they therefore provide up-to-date
information. Some are available online as well as in print. They provide facts
and statistics for a specific year. Even when a yearbook is no longer current,
it is still a useful source of retrospective information if you want details on
events that took place in a particular year.
All the major encyclopaedias publish yearbooks to update the printed main
set. These are known as encyclopaedia yearbooks and provide a chronology of
the year, biographies of newsmakers, obituaries, sports news, current statistical
data, and articles about the important events of the year. Each encyclopaedia
yearbook has its own index to make access to the information in the yearbook
easier.
There are also yearbooks for countries, institutions and subjects. A
useful one is the South African yearbook (available online) which provides
information on all facets of life in South Africa. The Statesman's yearbook
(available online with subscription) is international in scope and provides

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 CHAPTER 3: REFERENCE SOURCES 47

statistical and descriptive information on international organisations as well

as the various countries of the world.
Universities and colleges have yearbooks or calendars which provide up-
to-date information on the courses and qualifications they offer, fees, bursaries
and other relevant information.

3.7 Almanacs
Almanacs are popular fact books which are usually published annually. The
purpose of almanacs is to provide some astronomical and calendar data, but
they also provide access to miscellaneous current information and interesting
facts, including information and statistics relating to countries, events and
personalities of the world. They contain maps and charts. Retrospective
information is also included. One of the best known almanacs is The World
almanac and book of facts (available online with subscription).

3.8 Atlases
Atlases are collections of maps and charts. Maps are available in printed or in
electronic form. Atlases may be international, national or regional in scope.
There are also different types of atlas such as historical, modern or thematic.
One of the best known international and modern atlases is The Times atlas of
the world.
You consult a current atlas if you need up-to-date geographical information,
or to locate a specific country with its boundaries or a specific place. Historical
atlases are necessary for the study of boundary changes, military campaigns,
and early explorations. Thematic or subject atlases emphasise a specific
subject or region. They could be population or geological atlases, or show the
habitats of animals, insects or plants of the world, for example.
A printed atlas has an index which lists alphabetically all the countries,
cities, towns, rivers, mountains, lakes, etc. that are named in the maps in the
atlas. Sometimes just the page where the place appears is given and the lines
of latitude and longitude are indicated. Many indexes show the exact position
of places on the maps by giving grid references. Each map will have a grid
comprising horizontal and vertical lines drawn over it. The columns on the
horizontal grid may have letters and those on the vertical grid numbers. For
example, Cape Town will be listed in the index under C and it may be indicated
that it will be found on map 10 A9. This means it will be found on the map on
page 10 in the square where the two columns A and 9 cross each other.

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 48 SECTION 2: SOURCES AND RESOURCES

3.9 Review
In this chapter you have learnt about various reference sources which you are
likely to find in a resource collection such as a library or online. The sources
we discussed are: dictionaries, encyclopaedias, directories, handbooks, year-
books, almanacs and atlases. These sources have been compiled specifically
for reference purposes in order that information can be found quickly and
easily. Most reputable reference works available online require the user to pay
a subscription to access them. However, there are some which are available
free of charge.
During our discussion of these sources we also gave you several hints to
help you use these reference sources. These searching tips include reading
introductory sections in reference books, using guide words at the top of pages,
knowing the positions of the letters within the alphabet, and being aware of
letter-by-letter and word-by-word filing in indexes.
The reference sources discussed in this chapter provide immediate access to
information. In the following chapter printed and multimedia sources (books,
periodicals, newspapers, grey literature, government documents, conference
proceedings, reports and government documents) will be discussed.

ACTIVITY 3.2
Suggest some types of reference source you could consult if you were
faced with the following information problems:
1. Who was James Watson and what did he achieve?
2. Where is Bedford, UK and in which county is it situated?
3. What does the Japanese flag look like?
4. Where could you find English grammar rules?

References
Van Buskirk, E. 2008.Encyclopaedia Brittanica to follow modified Wikipedia model.
Wired.com. http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2008/06/ency/. Accessed 17
August 2009.
Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia. 2010. SV "Wikipedia:About". http://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Wikipedia:About. Accessed 9 September 2010.

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 CHAPTER 3: REFERENCE SOURCES 49

Answers to activities

ACTIVITY 3.1 ACTIVITY 3.2

1. Consult the article under 1. You could probably find this
Stevenson. Two index entries information in a biographical
on this page direct you to dictionary, an encyclopaedia
Stevenson: the one under or even in an almanac.
children's literature contribu- Remember to consult the
tion by Stevenson and the index when consulting an
one under Child's Garden of encyclopaedia or almanac.
Verses, A (poetry by Stevenson).
2. A map of England in an atlas
2. This is in Volume 16 on
page 352. 3. Almanac or encyclopaedia
4. A handbook

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