handbooks

Compact instruction manuals

Handbooks are compact reference books covering the essentials of a particular subject or activity: employee handbooks, student handbooks, a handbook of chemistry.

They're designed for quick consultation rather than cover-to-cover reading, offering practical guidance, rules, or procedures in condensed form.

manual

guide

Leader or instruction book

  • manualWritten instructions for use
  • workbookEducational exercise manual
  • primerPreparatory coat or guide

toolkit · procedures · protocols · checklist · workflow · guidelines · standards · specifications · blueprint · instructions

employee

policies

Adopted courses of action

procedures · benefits · orientation · onboarding · HR · workplace · compliance · expectations · rights · responsibilities

reference

encyclopedia

Comprehensive subject-matter collection

atlas · almanac · gazetteer · lexicon · bibliography · index · catalogue · directory · glossary · appendix

instruction

tutorial

Instructional step-by-step guide

education · coaching · curriculum · syllabus · lessons · exercises · demonstrations · examples · walkthroughs · explanations

student

syllabus

Course plan document

enrollment · requirements · expectations · campus · conduct · regulations · assignments · attendance · examinations · graduation

Categories
Opposites
scope and depth

handbooksencyclopedias

Multi-volume knowledge collections

complete works · compendia · tomes · collected works · compendiums

purpose and accessibility

handbooksprimary sources

Firsthand historical evidence

raw data · source materials · archives · research papers · dissertations

accessibility and portability

handbookstomes

Large academic books

technical manuals · academic journals · reference libraries · archives

Phrases
Family

handbook

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G