What reference is used to locate information about certain topic and is compiled by volume?

Reference books and reference sources are not meant to be read cover to cover. They are used to locate specific facts and background information. 

Examples of reference books or reference sources include dictionaries and encyclopedias; however, there are many kinds of reference works in a library collection, as this table illustrates.

TypeDescription

Almanacs

An annual publication of practical dates, facts, and statistics, current and/or historic. 

Example: The Military Balance

Atlases

A bound or boxed collection of maps, usually related in subject or theme, with an index of place names usually printed at the end. 

Example: Historical Atlas of Hasidism

Bibliographies

A publication that lists written works by a specific author or on a given topic, or that share one or more common characteristics (language, time period, place of publication, etc.).

Example: Rap/Hip Hop: Oxford Bibliographies

Biographical sources

Works that describe the life of people who share one or more common characteristics (identity, profession, place, time, ect.). 

Example: Who's Who in Gay and Lesbian History

Catalogues / catalogs

An organized list of items in a collection, an exhibition, or other intentional gathering of materials. This work often provides brief item-level descriptions of physical or other relevant characteristics. 

Example: A Catalogue of Greek Manuscripts

Concordances

An alphabetically arranged list of the principal words or selected words in a text, or in the works of an author, giving the precise location of each word in the text, with a brief indication of its context. 

Example: A Concordance of the Qur’an

Dictionaries

A single or multi-volume work that contains brief explanatory entries for terms related to a specific subject or field of inquiry. Entries are usually arranged alphabetically..

Example: Oxford English Dictionary

Directories

A list of people, companies, institutions, organizations, etc., often in alphabetical order, that provides contact information and other relevant details.

Example: The Grants Register 2022

Encyclopedias

A book or set of books containing authoritative summary information about a variety of topics in the form of short essays, usually arranged alphabetically by heading.

Example: Women and Gender in Medieval Europe

Glossaries

A publication providing an alphabetically arranged list of specialized vocabulary of a given subject or field of study, with brief definitions.

Example: Glossary of Morphology

Handbooks

Single-volume publications that provide concise factual information on a specific subject, organized systematically for quick and easy access.

Example: The Oxford handbook of positive psychology

Indexes

An alphabetically arranged list of headings consisting of the people, places, and subjects covered in a written work, with page numbers to refer the reader to the point in the text at which information pertaining to the heading is found. In large multi-volume reference works, the last volume may be devoted entirely to indexes. 

Example: See any multi-volume reference work

Style Guides

Resources that describe a set rules and guidelines for writing in a variety of contexts. These works include descriptions of how to cite, how to format a paper or a reference page, what font to use, what size that font should be, and much more.  

Example: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA)


Note: This list of reference works by type is not exhaustive. Please use LibrarySearch to discover others types and formats. 

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Atlases

These are collections of maps in book form. In addition to purely geographical atlases, there are specialized ones for a variety of subjects: history, religion, art, architecture, commercial, diseases, sports, exploration, ocean, stars, etc. Atlases are located on the atlas cases in the reference print collection section.  Examples are Atlas of World Geography and Atlas of the Great Plains. The Census Atlas of the United States (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. is available online.

Gazetteers

A listing of geographical features and locations, complete with longitude and latitudes, and short descriptions. Examples include the Historical Gazetteer of the United States and the Utah Atlas & Gazetteer.

Almanacs

Yearly compilations of facts, dates, and statistics. They can be general or subject specific. Examples include Library and Book Trade Almanac, World Almanac and Book of Facts 2019, and Old Farmer's Almanac.

Directories

A listing of organizations, people, companies, institutions, etc., with a brief description of each including contact information. Online resource ReferenceUSA

Manuals

Manuals provide"how to" information, such as how to write a correct citation. Examples include 
The Merck Manual Of Diagnosis And Therapy and Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition. 

Yearbooks

These are annual documentary, historical, or memorial compendiums of facts, photographs, statistics, and other information from the preceding year, often limited to a specific country, institution, discipline, or subject. Print resource - Broadcasting & cable yearbook

The above types of reference sources list is adapted from Carol Zoppel, Research and Instruction librarian's types of reference sources list. 

What reference is used to locate information about a certain topic and is compiled by volume?

Bibliographies help provide information about various ideas by providing references to books, films, or recordings that deal with the topic. Bibliographies typically include citations that reference the work, author, publisher, and place of publication.

What are reference tools used to locate?

Reference Tools.
REFERENCE TOOLS..
Reference materials are tools crammed full of information and are intended to be referred to for quick answers, facts, dates, persons, places, events, etc. ... .
eReferences..
Many reference tools are now available in electronic form as well as in print..

What are the reference sources of information?

Reference sources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, directories, and other materials providing general information about a variety of subjects. When you need the "backstory" on a subject, reference sources are the main source for who, what, when, where and why questions.

What is a reference book that is used to find information about many different subjects?

An encyclopedia is a book or set of books in which facts about many different subjects or about one particular subject are arranged for reference, usually in alphabetical order.