reference sources
Where facts live
Reference sources are materials consulted for specific information rather than read cover to cover—dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, almanacs, and databases.
They provide quick answers to factual questions: Check the reference sources for population figures.
Libraries traditionally keep reference sources in a separate section where they cannot be checked out.
- encyclopediaComprehensive subject-matter collection
- search engineTool for locating websites
- citation neededRequest for verification
- dictionaryAlphabetical word reference
- gazetteerDictionary of locations
look it up · thesaurus · concordance · e-library · card catalog · almanac · manuscript collection · pharmacopoeia · atlas · handbook · how-to guide · user manual · yearbook · cookbook · style guide · compendium · digital archive · field manual
reference sourcesprimary sources
Firsthand historical evidence
primary documents · firsthand accounts · raw data · eyewitness accounts · original manuscripts
reference sourcesmisinformation
False data spread unintentionally
hearsay · rumors · gossip · fake news · anonymous tips
reference sourcescasual conversation
Informal spoken exchange
word of mouth · oral tradition · anecdotal evidence · common knowledge · gut instinct
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