Reference works are collections of facts. These are works you refer to rather than read in their entirety. They may be print books or in electronic format. Examples include encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, handbooks, atlases, and guides. Many of these are available as online subscriptions.

Reference works provide
  • background, overviews, summaries, outlines
  • definitions, formulas, chemical structures
  • assistance in narrowing or broadening a topic
  • bibliographies with citations to other works