Welcome to the Reference Shelf InfoGuide
How Reference Books Can Help You
Reference sources such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, and almanacs, whether in print or online, are great places to both begin and support your research. These sources often provide concise overviews of complex topics that help you understand your topic better and provide valuable clues to aid you in searching. They also provide solid factual information, statistics, and other types of data that can help you support your thesis.
This guide will help you locate reference books, both in print and online, and provide you with links to relevant databases and websites. If you are new to using InfoGuides, the brief tutorial below can help you get started and of course, you can always contact a librarian for assistance. Also remember that even legitimate reference sources may not be acceptable for use as sources in some college level assignments. One common example is general encyclopedia articles. When in doubt, always check with your instructor for the type of sources acceptable for your assignments.
