Reference Resources Script

Library InstructionLovejoy Library

Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleRevised 1/10

Types of Research Questions

• Quick-answer

• In-depth

Quick-Answer Research Questions

• What 2 teams played in the 1944 Crosstown World Series?

What day did Apollo 11 land on the moon?

What is a parable?

SOURCE: Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball

SOURCE: Chronology of World History

SOURCE: Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory

In-Depth Research Questions

• What are the treatments for schizophrenia?

• What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?

• What changes occur in plants during photosynthesis?

• What are the major themes of The Great Gatsby?

Location of Reference Sources

• Reference Collection

• Ready Reference

• Copiers

Characteristics of Reference Sources

• Frequently updated

• Provide information in a concise manner

• Cannot be checked out of the library

Determining the Scope of Reference Sources

• Examine the table of contents

• Examine the index

• Check the publication date

Important Features of Reference Sources

• Bibliographies –

a list of articles and/or books that appear at the end of an entry and indicate material the author has utilized or recommends for additional research.

Important Features of Reference Sources

Signed Articles are written by experts in the respective fields and indicate the authoritativeness of the information in the reference source.

Types of Reference Sources

• Dictionaries

• Encyclopedias

• Almanacs and Yearbooks

Dictionaries

• Dictionaries -list the words of a particular language with the correct:

• spelling• definition• pronunciation• grammatical usage

Types of DictionariesGeneralSpecific Subject

Dictionaries (General)

• Abridged Dictionaries –

list only a selection of words in a particular language.

• Unabridged Dictionaries – attempt to include all of the words in a particular language and often provide extensive information for each entry.

Abridged Dictionaries

• Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary- an abridged dictionary that includes the definitions, etymology, pronunciations, usage dates and notes, and cross-references for over 75,000 words.

(Webster’s is also available in an electronic format)

Unabridged Dictionaries

• Oxford English Dictionary (OED) –

an unabridged dictionary that is the accepted authority on the English language and an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, usage, and pronunciation of millions of words, taken from both the present and past.

(The OED is also available in an electronic format)

Other Categories of Dictionaries• Specialized

Dictionaries - approach the study of words from a different perspective or examine special categories of words.

Subject Dictionaries - are devoted to a specific field and provide definitions for terms and subjects associated with that field.

Specialized Dictionaries

• Bartlett’s Roget’s Thesaurus – A thesaurus is a specialized dictionary that organizes words and concepts thematically. For each word contained in a thesaurus, a list of words with similar or opposite meanings has also been provided.

Subject Dictionaries

• Twentieth-Century Literary Movements Dictionary – a subject dictionary that provides definitions for and examples of over 500 different 20th century literary movements and schools and identifies individuals associated with each school.

Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedias –• attempt to cover knowledge

in a comprehensive manner.

• provide general facts and an overview of a topic or subject.

• contain articles written by specialists in their fields.

• include bibliographies and illustrations with some entries.

Types of Encyclopedias

GeneralSubject

Encyclopedias (General)

• Encyclopædia Britannica - a general encyclopedia considered to be one of the most comprehensive and respected reference products available.

(Britannica is also available in an electronic format)

Subject Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedia of Precolonial Africa –

a subject encyclopedia containing articles that provide information on all aspects of precolonial Africa. Each article is signed and includes a bibliography of additional reference material.

Almanacs and Yearbooks

• Provide information in a concise form

• Provide statistical information

• Provide coverage of events of the previous year

Almanacs and Yearbooks

• Yearbook – report of statistics or facts published on a yearly basis

Almanac – annual publication containing statistics and information about the events of the previous year.

Almanacs

• World Almanac (and Book of Facts)– contains statistics and information about various nations around the world.

(World Almanac is also available in an electronic format)

Yearbooks

• Statistical Abstract of the United States– contains thousands of statistical tables for the United States covering a variety of social and economic subjects.

(Statistical Abstract is also available in an electronic format)

PT1203. T2

PN1707.A48

PN1707. B2305

PN1708. Z13

PS832. M4

Conclusion

• Ask if students they have any questions.

• Encourage them to feel comfortable asking for assistance either at the Information Desk, contacting the Instruction Office, or via our Ask a Librarian service if they are having difficulties.

• Reassure them everyone is willing to assist them!

Group Activity ExplanationReference Resources Worksheet

Using your assigned quick-answer reference question, brainstorm possible reference materials that will provide the answer to your question. Use the library’s online catalog to search for appropriate reference materials then use the reference book to locate the answer to your question. You have 15 minutes to complete the assignment. Groups will be called upon to demonstrate their search process and answer their question.

 

REMEMBER: Use the “Location” function in the Advanced search screen of the catalog to limit your search to the Reference Book Collection.

 

Reference Questions:

 

1. What is the scientific name for a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake?

2. What do authorities on dreams think a dream about “a furious tornado” signifies?

3. How many laws, or rules, are there in rugby football?

4. What were the dates of the Yorktown Campaign during the American Revolution?

5. Who created the special effects for the science fiction film Close Encounters of the Third Kind?

6. What year did author William Golding win the Nobel Prize for Literature?

7. When was Spiro T. Agnew Vice President of the United States?

8. Where is the National Gypsy Council located?

9. What is a fisherman’s knot used for in boating?

Q and A1. What is the scientific name for a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake?

Source: Venomous Reptiles of North America, Carl H. Ernst, QL666.O6E771992, pg. 92

Answer: Crotalus atrox

2. What does a dream about “a furious tornado” signify?

Source: Zolar’s Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Dreams, Zolar, BF1091.Z65 pg. 377

Answer: Loss of friends

3. How many laws, or rules, are there in rugby football?

Source: The Encyclopedia of Rugby Football, J.R. Jones, GV945.J651966, pg. 75-91

Answer: 35

4. What were the dates of the Yorktown Campaign during the American Revolution?

Source: Encyclopedia of the American Revolution, Mark Boatner, E208.B68, pg. 1230

Answer: May-Oct. 1781

5. Who created the special effects for the science fiction movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind?

Source: The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Movies from 1897 to the Present, C.J. Henderson, PN1995.9.S26H38 pg. 62

Answer: Douglas Trumbull

6. What year did author William Golding win the Nobel Prize for Literature?

Source: Nobel Prize Winners, Tyler Wasson, AS911.N9N59 pg. 388

Answer: 1983

7. When was Spiro T. Agnew Vice President of the United States?

Source: The Vice Presidents: A Biographical Dictionary, L. Edward Purcell, E176.49.V521998, pg. 350

Answer: 1969-1973

8. Where is the National Gypsy Council located?

Source: Historical Dictionary of the Gypsies, Donald Kenrick, DX115.K462007, pg. 174

Answer: United Kingdom

9. What is a fisherman’s knot used for in boating?

Source: The Complete Boating Encyclopedia, Morris Weeks, Jr., GV775.W4, pg. 193

Answer: A knot used to secure one line to another