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REFERENCE SOURCES

7.1 INTRODUCTION

In Lessons 5 and 6 you have studied about information sources and their

categories based on information content and form. You have learnt that

information sources can be broadly categorized as primary, secondary and

tertiary sources based on their contents. Secondary sources can be further

grouped as index type, survey type, translations, and reference sources. You

have studied in detail the first three groups of secondary sources. In this lesson,

you will study different types and importance of reference sources.

7.2 OBJECTIVES

After studying this Lesson, you will be able to:-

 define Reference Sources;

 explain the need for Reference Sources;

 differentiate Reference Sources from other Information Sources;

 enumerate various categories of Reference Sources;

 define Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopaedia, Yearbook, Almanac, Directory

and Biographical information sources;

 describe Geographical Information Sources (Maps, Charts, Globes,

Atlases, and Guidebooks);

 identify the electronic version of various reference sources available

online

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7.3 REFERENCE SOURCES/BOOKS

A reference source provides answers to brief facts, statistical information,

background information, or directs you to additional information source. The

reference sources are standard works that are used to locate specific type of

information. Although the term ‘reference book’ is frequently used, reference

sources may be books, serials, on-line databases, or internet. Reference books

are referred to or consulted only, and are not meant for continuous reading. For

example, you normally use a dictionary to find the meaning of a word, you do

not read it page-by-page as you do with a text book or a story book. Reference

sources include dictionaries, encyclopaedias, handbooks, yearbooks, almanacs,

directories, biographical and geographical sources. You must be familiar with

dictionaries and encyclopaedias, as you might have used either one or both of

them for your class assignments or at home.

Librarians usually provide reference services on the basis of reference books

in their collection. These are mainly used for providing ‘Ready Reference’

service to the library users. In most libraries, these books are not issued and

are located in a separate reference collection. This practice makes reference

sources readily available and easily accessible. Most of the reference books are

specifically designed to provide required information quickly and in the most

convenient form. Various reference sources covered in this lesson are:-

 Dictionaries

 Encyclopaedias

 Handbooks

 Yearbooks

 Almanacs

 Biographical sources, and

 Geographical Sources

Let’s start with a dictionary.

7.4 DICTIONARY

The word dictionary comes from the Medieval Latin word dictionarium

(meaning collection of words or phrases), which in turn came from the Latin

term dictio meaning “word”. The ancient Greeks and Romans were the first to

produce dictionaries. But most Greek and Latin dictionaries were either lists

of rare and difficult words or specialized list of words.

A modern dictionary is a book containing words of a language arranged

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alphabetically with their meanings. Most dictionaries tell us much more than

meaning of the words. Many list pronunciations, grammatical labels, illustrative

quotations, synonyms, antonyms, usage notes and other information. Some

dictionaries include etymology i.e., origin of words and history of words also.

Example of dictionary is The Chambers Dictionary.

The other reference book which deals with words is a Thesaurus. In this

reference book words that have the same or similar meaning (synonyms and

sometimes antonyms) are grouped together. In contrast to a dictionary, which

helps to find meaning and pronunciation of the words, a thesaurus helps to find

the most appropriate word to express an idea and also other related words.

Example of Thesaurus: The Merriam-Webster’s Thesaurus

7.4.1 Types of Dictionaries

Dictionaries give meanings of many kinds of words. Dictionaries include

ordinary words of everyday life, technical words, words used in scholarly

writing, idioms, words and phrases from other languages, new words emerging

from scientific and technical discoveries, important proper names and

geographical names etc. In fact no dictionary can record all the words of a

language, as no language is static and new words are coined everyday in speech

or writing or due to the ongoing research in various disciplines.

Based on the number of words, scope and coverage of other items of

information, the dictionaries can be categorized into following groups:-

 General Language Dictionaries;

 Subject Dictionaries;

 Special Purpose Dictionaries; and

 Bilingual and Multilingual Dictionaries

(a) General Language Dictionaries

General language dictionaries cover all the words of a language and give

meanings, definition, and explanation of the words in the same language. The

language may be English, French, Hindi, German or Russian. For example, an

English language dictionary will include English words and give their meanings

in English language. These dictionaries are also called monolingual dictionaries.

General Language Dictionary can be further sub - divided according to size and

target user group.

According to size, general language dictionary may be

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i) Comprehensive/Unabridged,

ii) Abridged/college/desk, or

iii) Pocket dictionary.

i) Comprehensive/Unabridged dictionary covers all the words of a language,

past as well as words currently in use. For example Merriam-Webster’s

Third New International Dictionary of the English Language is in 3

volumes and has over 450,000 entries. The Online version of this

dictionary is Merriam–Webster Unabridged–Online Dictionary.

ii) Abridged/College/Desk dictionary covers most common and currently

used words, and has less number of words than an unabridged dictionary.

For example Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11

Edition,

published in 2003, has 165,000 entries.

iii) A Pocket dictionary is small enough to be carried in a pocket for quick

reference. The dictionary covers 40,000 to 60,000 words that are currently

in use. For example, Merriam-Webster’s Pocket Dictionary has 40,000

entries.

Fig. 7.1 Fig. 7.2 Fig. 7.3 Fig. 7.4

Figures of different types of dictionaries.

Depending on the target user’s age, and language proficiency, a general language

dictionary may cater to

i) School children (ranging from kindergarten to high school),

ii) College students, and

iii) Adults.

Children’s dictionaries cover words related to the course curriculum. The

meanings and definitions are written in simple language which children can

comprehend. Children dictionaries also include more illustrations to make

children understand the concept.

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Merriam-Webster’s School Dictionary includes more than 100,000 words,

nearly 1,000 illustrations and about 1500 usage examples.

Most of the reputed publishers of unabridged standard general language

dictionaries bring out abridged, desk, college, and children edition of their

dictionaries. Publishers of these dictionaries continuously update their editions.

With each new printing they add or delete a given number of words. This is

particularly true for desk dictionaries which are used by young people and must

reflect current usage and new words introduced into the language via radio,

television, music, technology etc.

(b) Subject Dictionaries

Subject dictionaries concentrate on the definition of the terms in a given subject.

Subject dictionaries are becoming increasingly common, due to increase in

study and research in different subject areas ranging from arts, humanities,

social sciences to science and technology. For example McGraw-Hill Dictionary

of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6

Edition, is a comprehensive dictionary of

scientific and technical terms covering over 115,000 terms and 125,000

definitions in 104 areas of science and technology.

Fig. 7.5

Subjects Dictionary

The special dictionaries deal with special types or special aspect of the words.

Special type or class of words include obsolete words, acronyms, abbreviations

etc. Special aspect of the word includes linguistic aspect of the words (such

as pronunciation, synonym and antonyms, etc.), or literary aspect of the words

(such as quotations, idioms, proverbs, etc.). Though most of these aspects of

the words are covered by general language dictionaries as well, special

dictionaries cover these aspects much more comprehensively. Special dictionaries

supplement general language dictionaries. Examples of special dictionaries are

as follows:-

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Fig. 7.6 Fig. 7.7 Fig. 7.8

Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary. The dictionary provides spoken

British and American pronunciation for every word. Cambridge dictionary is

also available for mobile phones.

Cambridge Idioms Dictionary. The dictionary explains the meaning and use of

over 7000 idioms in British, American and Australian English.

The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. The dictionary lists short quotations that

are frequently used in English language and culture.

(d) Bilingual and Multilingual Dictionaries

The bilingual dictionaries give meaning of a word from one language to another

language. For example, an English-Hindi dictionary, will list words in English

and give equivalent words in Hindi. This type of dictionary is called a bilingual

dictionary. A multilingual dictionary gives the meaning of a word in more than

two languages. These dictionaries are also called translating dictionaries. These

dictionaries normally do not define the words, but translate the words from one

language to another language. Many of them are limited in scope to certain

subject fields such as astronomy, biology, electronics, etc.

Oxford University Press brings out a number of bilingual and multilingual

dictionaries.

Fig. 7.9 : Fig. 7.10

Bilingual Dictionary Multilingual Dictionaries

Examples of bilingual and multilingual dictionaries:-

Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary, 4

edition published in 2009, is a

comprehensive English-Spanish and Spanish-English dictionary with 175,000

words and phrases and over 200,000 translations. The dictionary has an online

edition as well. (http://www.oup.com/)

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Multilingual Biomedical Technical Dictionary: (in English, Spanish, Portuguese,

French, German, Swedish and Dutch). The dictionary covers over 40,000 entries

with about 40,000 synonyms and details each, in seven languages.

Shabdkosh- English-Hindi Dictionary (http://www.shabdkosh.com) the website

provides English to Hindi as well as Hindi to English translation.

Many sites offer free translation facility on the Web. Listed below are some of

these sites;-

http://www.freetranslation.com/

http://www.babylon.com/

INTEXT QUESTIONS 7.1

1. What are reference sources?

2. What is a general language dictionary? Describe its categories with

examples.

3. Enumerate criteria that differentiate a special dictionary from a general

dictionary.

7.5 ENCYCLOPAEDIA

It is a book or set of books giving information on all branches of knowledge

or on certain wide fields with articles arranged alphabetically. An encyclopaedia

contains information about people, places, events, and things. It may deal with

all areas of knowledge or it may be limited to just one subject area. A general

encyclopaedia includes information on topics in every field of knowledge.

Specialized encyclopedias provide more detailed and technical information on

specific area of knowledge such as arts, science and technology or social

sciences. Specialized encyclopaedia is also known as subject encyclopaedia.

A well planned general encyclopaedia presents facts about humanity, human

beliefs, ideas, and achievements; about the world people live in; and about the

universe to which they belong. It presents these facts using language that is easy

to understand.

An encyclopaedia is concerned with who, what, where, when, how, and why

of things. General encycloaedia enriches general knowledge, provides information

on known topics, and provides bibliography at the end of articles which helps

to find more information on that topic. For example, an article on ‘computer’

tells what a computer is, who developed it, as well as when and where. It also

describes how a computer works and why it is important for people.

Different articles in an encyclopaedia vary in length ranging from a paragraph

to over hundred pages depending upon the topic covered; target audience and

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type of encyclopaedia (whether single volume or multivolume encyclopaedia).

Articles in standard encyclopaedia are written by subject specialists and then

edited by the encyclopaedia staff editors to conform to policies of the publishing

house in terms of content, style and punctuation. Editorial staff ensures that each

article in the encyclopaedia has, more or less, a similar writing style, and uses

headings and sub-headings in a uniform standard pattern. Pictures and diagrams

are included wherever necessary to clarify the concepts and enhance learning

process. Most encyclopaedias are arranged alphabetically from A to Z. Some

are topically arranged, such as one volume may be devoted to ‘Animals’,

another to ‘Plants’, ‘Earth’ and ‘Universe’, or some other subjects.

7.5.1 Types of Encyclopaedias

Encyclopaedias can be broadly divided into two types:-

 General Encyclopaedia; and

 Subject Encyclopaedia

i) General Encyclopaedia: Covers all fields of knowledge. For example

Encyclopaedia Britannica.

ii) Subject Encyclopaedia: Covers either single subject such as Encyclopaedia

of Physics or group of subjects such as Encyclopaedia of Science and

Technology.

(a) General encyclopaedia can be further categorized on the basis of

i) Size (single volume-set or multi-volume-set), and

ii) Target users (for adults, students or children).

Most of the publishers of general encyclopaedias bring out different sets of

encyclopaedias for adults, students and children of various age groups. Articles

in Children’s encyclopaedias are written in simple language and with illustrations

to make the topic clear and understandable.

Examples of encyclopaedias :-

Encyclopedia Britannica is a general English language encyclopaedia, published

by Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. The set contains 73,645 articles. The articles

are aimed at educated adults and are written by about 100 full time editors and

more than 4000 expert contributors. It is regarded as most authoritative and

scholarly encyclopaedia. The 2010 Edition of the encyclopaedia in print

consists of the following 32 volumes:-

 12- Volume Micropedia with short articles (generally fewer than 750

words) for ready reference;

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 17-Volume Macropedia with long articles (ranging from two to 300 pages)

for in-depth study of a topic.

 One-Volume Propedia giving outline of knowledge covered; and a

 2-Volume Index.

Fig. 7.11 Fig. 7.12 Fig. 7.13

Encyclopedia Britannica

Single Volume Britannica Concise Encyclopedia has 28,000 short articles

condensing the larger 32-Volume Britannica.

Britannica Student Encyclopedia: The 16-volume Britannica Student

Encyclopaedia has more than 2,300 articles with 3,300 photos, illustrations,

charts and tables to make it appealing and useful to students. The encyclopaedia

has 1,000 maps and flags of various countries of the world

Recent advances in information technology and rise of electronic encyclopaedias

such as Microsoft Encarta and Wikipedia has reduced the demand for printed

encyclopedia. The publisher of the Encyclopedia Britannica has developed

electronic versions of the encyclopaedia on CD-ROM, DVD and World Wide

Web.

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online contains the text of 32-volume Encyclopaedia

Britannica plus additional articles and images not available in the print set. It

has more than 120,000 articles. The site offers natural language searching and

A-Z browsing facility. It is continually updated to provide most current

information. It has daily features, updates and links to news reports from The

New York Times and the BBC. Subscriptions are available on yearly, monthly

or weekly basis. Special subscription plans are offered to schools, colleges and

libraries. (http://www.britannica.com/)

(b) Subject Encyclopedias

Subject encyclopedia provides detailed information on specific area of knowledge

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such as arts and humanities, science and technology, social sciences, etc. There

are thousands of subject encyclopedias ranging from broad subject area to a very

narrow subject field. There are multi-volume as well as single volume subject

encyclopaedias. Some subject encyclopaedias are meant for subject specialists

and some are for students and general readers interested in that subject.

Examples of subject encyclopaedia:-

McGraw Hill Encyclopaedia of Science and Technology, 10

Edition, is an

English language 20-volume encyclopaedia specifically focused on scientific

and technical subjects. The encyclopaedia covers life sciences, physical sciences

as well as topics on engineering and technology.

McGraw Hill’s website ‘Access Science’ — provides online access to this

encyclopaedia.

McGraw Hill Concise Encyclopaedia of Science and Technology is a one-

volume set based on the full set. The latest edition is the 6

edition published

in 2009. (http://www.mhprofessional.com)

Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science edited by Allen Kent and

published by Marcel Dekker, is a 35-volume set (33-volume main encyclopaedia

and 2-volume index) providing librarians, information/computer scientists, and

students of library and information science convenient access to tools and

techniques of both library and information science. The articles are written by

over 1300 subject experts. The publisher regularly brings out supplements (each

supplement contains A-Z coverage) which highlight new trends, describe the

latest advances and give information about people making crucial contributions

to this rapidly growing field. So far 36 supplement volumes have been published

(Volume- 36 to Volume- 72).

INTEXT QUESTIONS 7.2

1. Define general encyclopaedia. What purpose does a general encyclopedia

serve?

2. How will you categorize a general encyclopaedia?

3. Differentiate between a general and subject encyclopaedia.

7.6 YEARBOOK

Yearbook, as the name indicates, is a book of information that is updated and

published annually, i.e., every year. The basic purpose of a yearbook is to record

events and developments of the previous year in a country or in the world.

Based on their scope and type of information covered yearbooks can be

categorized as:-

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 International Yearbook

 National Yearbook

 Subject Yearbook

7.6.1 International Yearbook provides reliable and handy statistical information

about each country of the world. For example The Statesman’s Yearbook 2012

published by Macmillan, provides political, economic and social account of

every country (193 countries) of the world together with facts and analysis. The

Yearbook is in two parts.

Part-I deals with International organizations and Part-II deals with countries of

the world in alphabetical order. (http://www.us.mcmillan.com)

Fig. 7.14 Fig. 7.15 Fig. 7.16

Figures of Year Books

7.6.2 National Yearbook provides up to date political, economic and social

account of an individual country. National yearbooks are mostly compiled by

the respective government of that country and are considered reliable and

authoritative. For example, India 2012: A Reference Annual, 56

edition, is a

national yearbook published by Publication Division, Ministry of Information

and Broadcasting, Government of India. The yearbook provides information on

various subjects related to India like economy, rural and urban development,

industry and infrastructure, arts and culture, S & T, health, defence, mass

communication, etc. (http://www.publicationsdivision.nic.in)

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7.6.3 Subject Yearbook: Yearbook devoted to specific subject or group of

subjects is a subject yearbook. McGraw-Hill Year Book of Science & Technology-

2013 is a subject yearbook.

7.7 ALMANAC

An Almanac is a reference book usually published once a year and contains

many kinds of information. Almanacs originally provided a calendar of the

months with eclipses, the movement of planets and the rising and setting of

sun, moon and stars.

Present day almanacs include a comprehensive presentation of statistical and

descriptive data covering the entire world. Major topics covered are geography,

government, demographic data, agriculture, economics and business, health and

medicine, S&T, transport, sports, awards and prizes. Contents also include

articles focusing on events of previous year as well as summary of recent events.

Now the almanacs are more like yearbooks. Both depend on government

sources for statistical data. The only difference is that almanacs present

astronomical data, which is absent in the yearbooks.

Examples of almanacs:-

World Almanac and Book of Facts 2012 published annually in U.S.A. by Barnes

& Noble. Whitaker’s Almanack 2012 published annually in U.K. by A&C

Black Publishers.

Fig. 7.17 Fig. 7.18

Figures of Almanacs

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INTEXT QUESTIONS 7.3

1. Define yearbook and list its types.

2. What is an almanac? State the difference between an almanac and an

yearbook.

7.8 HANDBOOK

The word handbook is derived from the German word ‘Handbuch’ meaning a

small book giving useful facts. The literal meaning of the term ‘handbook’ is

a book which is ‘handy’ to use as it contains useful facts and convenient to carry.

Handbook by definition is a concise reference book providing specific information

or instruction about a topic or a subject. A Subject handbook basically provides

brief factual information on a subject. Designed to be easily consulted and

provide quick answers, handbooks are widely used by practitioners and

specialists working in an industry or a laboratory.

CRC Press brings out a large number of handbooks for practitioners. Some of

the examples are:-

Handbook of Chemistry and Physics; Handbook of Lipid Bilayers.

(http://www.crcpress.com)

7.9 MANUAL

The Term ‘manual’ is derived from the Latin term ‘manuals’ meaning a guide

book. A manual basically provides step-by-step instructions on how to do a

particular job or operate a particular machine. When you buy any home

appliances, such as a television, an air conditioner, an oven or even a mobile

phone, you are provided with a manual which gives proper instructions on how

to use that appliance. For example, a cookbook is a manual.

7.10 DIRECTORY

A directory is a list of names and addresses of people and organizations.

Directories are also very important reference tools in the library to answer

different type of enquiries from the users. Directories can be broadly

categorized as

 General Directories and

 Special Directories.

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7.10.1 General Directories

A telephone directory comes under the category of general directories. You

must be familiar with telephone directory. Every city in a country has a

telephone directory providing information about telephone numbers and addresses

of the subscribers. These directories are usually compiled by post and telegraph

departments.

7.10.2 Special Directories

Directories of organizations are called special directories and can be broadly

grouped into following three types:-

 Directories of academic and research institutions;

 Professionals Directories; and

 Trade and business directories.

Directories of academic institutions list institutions of higher education and

learning such as universities and colleges. Under each academic institution,

information regarding, the type of courses and facilities offered, eligibility

criteria, names of the senior staff members, etc. are provided. These directories

may be international or national in coverage. For instance ‘The Europa World

of Learning 2012’, 63

edition, is an international directory. The directory is

available in print and online form.

(http://www.routledge.com/)

Universities Handbook, 32

Edition, 2012 in two volumes, published by

Association of Indian Universities (AIU), is a national directory listing 341

university level institutions in India. (http://www.aiuweb.org/)

Fig. 7.19 Fig. 7.20 Fig. 7.21

Figures of Universities Handbooks

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The directory provides information on type of courses offered, duration of the

course, eligibility criteria, last date for admission, library and research facilities,

scholarship and fellowships, names of professors and senior staff members. The

directory is published every alternate year.

Professionals Directories: There are thousands of societies and associations

in the world, in almost every significant field of knowledge. Members of these

associations are scholars in their respective area of specialization. These

associations also compile directories listing details of their members.

Example: The University of Adelaide Professional Directory

Trade and Business Directories provide information about trade, business and

industries. For example : Kothari Industrial Directory of India, 40

edition,

1996, published by Kothari Enterprises.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 7.4

1. Differentiate between handbook and manual.

2. What purpose do directories serve? List different types of directories.

7.11 GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SOURCES

Geographical information sources include maps, atlases, globes, gazetteers and

guide books. These sources provide information about places, people, rivers,

mountains, forests, lakes etc. To meet information needs of the users, libraries

maintain geographical information sources in their reference collection. Though

other reference sources like dictionaries, encyclopaedias, yearbooks and almanacs

also include information about places, people, etc., but they cover only selected

and prominent places. This special collection of geographical information

sources covers these topics more comprehensively and is specifically designed

to locate the required information quickly. This collection comprises the

following three types of sources:-

 Maps, Atlases and Globes;

 Gazetteers; and

 Guide Books

7.11.1 Maps, Atlases and Globes: Map is a pictorial presentation of the earth’s

surface or part of it, showing countries, cities, rivers, lakes and mountains. A

Map can also be a drawing of the sky showing the position of stars and the

planets.

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Types of maps: There are many types of maps. The most familiar types are:-

 General Reference Maps and

 Thematic Maps

General Reference Maps

General reference maps identify and locate a variety of geographic features.

Such maps may include land features, boundaries of water, political boundaries,

cities and towns, and many other elements.

Political Maps: Maps that depict boundaries of countries, states, continents and

other political units are called political maps.

Physical Maps: Maps that depict the location of physical features of the earth’s

surface such as mountains, rivers and lakes are called physical maps or terrain

maps.

Road Maps, Street Maps and Charts: Some maps are designed to help people

to find their way from one place to another. These are maps for travel on land,

on water or in the air. Maps showing different categories of roads, such as

motorways, four-lane, or six-lane roads are called road maps. They also show

the cities, towns, parks and other places connected by those roads. Street maps

are similar to road maps, but a street map shows a much smaller area in much

more detail. A map used to navigate a ship or an aeroplane is called a chart.

People use general reference maps to locate specific places and to observe their

location in relation to other places.

Thematic Maps

Thematic maps show the distribution of a particular feature such as, population,

rainfall or natural resources like coal, petroleum, metals and minerals on the

earth. Many thematic maps express quantities by means of symbols or colour.

Atlas: A book containing a collection of maps is called an atlas. A big atlas

contains the map of every county.

Globe is a map that has been pasted or printed on a hollow sphere. Only a globe

can give correct picture of the earth as a whole, as the surface of the globe is

rounded like the earth’s surface. A globe represents all parts of the earth’s surface

correctly. The proportions and positions of the earth’s land features and oceans

in relation to each other are seen on a globe exactly as they are on the earth.

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National Maps and Atlases

The reliability of maps and atlases depend upon the expertise of editorial staff

and the cartographers. Most of the countries have their own cartographic survey

agencies. In India, we have Survey of India, Dehradun. It is a National

Principal Mapping Agency. This organization is responsible for mapping and

production of geophysical maps and aeronautical charts,

National Atlas and Thematic Organization of India (NATMO), Kolkata is

involved in the preparation of National Atlas of India, Thematic maps and

Digital maps.

National Atlas of India in Hindi popularly known as ‘Bharat: Rashtrya Atlas’,

first published in1957 by NATMO, had 26 multi-colour maps portraying

physical and socio-cultural structure of the country. The revised edition of

‘Bharat: Rashtrya Atlas’, aims to have 300-multi-colour maps and will be

issued in 8 volumes. It will cover all aspects of the land, people and economy

of the country. (http://www.natmo.gov.in/).

International Maps and Atlases

The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World.13

edition published in 2011, is

the most comprehensive atlas of the world with an index of over 200,000 place

names. The Atlas begins with contributions from experts in many geographical

fields, providing detailed information on key issues facing the world today such

as climate change, environmental threats, global communications, biodiversity

and energy resources, with supporting maps, photographs and graphics to

illustrate the physical world today and man’s interaction with it.

Fig. 7.22 Comprehensive Atlas of the World

The publisher has published a wide range of Atlases. Some of the titles are as

follows:-

 The Times Concise Atlas of the World;

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 The Times Atlas of the World Desktop Edition;

 The Times Atlas of the World Mini Edition

(http://www.timesatlas.com/)

7.11.2 Gazetteers

A gazetteer is a dictionary of geographical names. It lists names of places, seas,

mountains and other geographical entities of particular area along with its

history, economic development, geography and the people. As a reference

source, a gazetteer provides historical, social, cultural, political, industrial,

demographic and administrative details of a country, state or a district.

Based on their coverage, gazetteers can be categorized into

 International Gazetteer,

 National Gazetteer; and

 Local Gazetteer.

International Gazetteer

Merriam Webster’s’ Geographical Dictionary, 3

edition is an international

gazetteer with 54,000 entries, plus 250 detailed maps.

Fig. 7.23 Geographical Dictionary

National Gazetteer

Gazetteer of India -The Indian Union, New Delhi: Publication Division, 1965-

78 is in 4 volumes.

Volume I: Country and People.

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Volume II: History and Culture.

Volume III: Economic Structure and Activities.

Volume IV: Administration and Public Affairs.

District Gazetteer

Singh, Raghbir & Ranga, Jeet Ram, ed. Haryana District Gazetteer. Chandigargh:

Haryana Gazetteer Organisation, 1986

7.11.3 Guide Books

Guide Books are basically travel guides or tourist guides meant for people who

want to visit various places in their own country or any other part of the world.

The main purpose of a guide book is to counsel the travellers when to visit a

particular place, how to reach, where to stay, what to see, and what to buy. The

travel guides include information on historical sites, museums, parks, and other

places worth visiting in that city or a country. Other aspects covered are

information on the routes and travel facilities, best time to visit the place, the

types of hotels, restaurants and shopping complexes, etc. Maps, illustrations

and distances are also provided to enhance the usefulness of the guide book.

In addition, information regarding visa, money exchange, weather, etc. is also

given for the benefit of the visitors. Usually a guidebook covers a region, a

country or a city.

Tourism Departments of the Governments in most of the countries bring out

tourists guides to promote tourism in the country.

In India, most of the States (28) and Union Territories (7) have State Tourism

Departments which provide information and bring out tourists guides. Ministry

of Tourism, India and most of the State Tourism Departments have also

launched their websites for the benefit of the visitors. These sites provide up-

to-date information to the users. Some of these websites are as follows:-

http://www.incredibleindia.org/

http://www.delhitourism.nic.in/

Many printed guidebooks are also available. Fodor’s guidebooks for a large

number of countries of the world and a few major cities are famous. (http://

www.fodors.com/).

7.12 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SOURCES

A biography by definition is an account of a person’s life, usually written by

someone else and is intended to be published. Biographical sources are

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publications listing biographical details of famous people. Such sources cover

biographies of world leaders, people holding key positions in international

organizations, people with outstanding performance in sports, music, dance,

acting and other professional fields like science & technology, medicine etc.

A biographical source may contain a biography of an individual or biographies

of a group of people (called collective biographies). A book containing

collective biographies is also called ‘Biographical Dictionary’, for example

‘The Dictionary of International Biography’.

The type of information covered in such sources also varies from a brief factual

sketch to a detailed essay for each entry. Some biographical sources cover

famous people from all walks of life. Such sources are called ‘general

biographical sources’. In some sources, the coverage of people is restricted

to a single discipline or some other special criteria. Such biographical sources

are called subject/special biographical sources. Again a biographical source

may be international or national in scope depending upon the coverage of

persons. Some biographical sources deal with living persons only, e.g.’ Who’s

Who’. While some contain persons who are no longer living, e.g. ‘Who was

Who.’ Some sources include life sketches of both living and dead persons e.g.

Webster’s Biographical Dictionary ..

Some examples of biographical sources:-

General Biographical Sources- International

Who’s Who in the World 2013, 30th Edition. Known as Maquis’ Who’s Who

is an American publication providing biographies of the world’s most noteworthy

people. Information provided in each entry contain personal data and career

history, education, achievements and membership of any society. The publication

is also available online.

(http://www.marquiswhoswho.com/)

Fig. 7.24 Fig. 7.25

Figures of who’s who

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General Biographical Sources - National

India Who’s Who, 31st Edition. 2010-2011, published by INFA Publications,

contains 5000 concise biographies of prominent Indians from all walks of life

including politics, civil service, education, arts, entertainment and sports.

Entries are arranged profession wise.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 7.5

1. Differentiate between physical, political and thematic maps.

2. Fill in the blanks with suitable words:-

a) A map that is used to navigate a ship or an airplane is called a ________.

b) A map pasted or printed on a hollow sphere is called a __________.

c) A book containing a collection of maps is called _____________.

d) A ________________ is a dictionary of geographical names.

e) Guide books are basically designed for the _____________.

f) A dictionary containing collective biographies is

called__________________.

WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT

 A reference source provides answers to factual asked questions, statistical

information, background information, or directs one to an additional

information source. The reference sources are standard works that one can

use to locate specific type of information.

 Reference sources comprise dictionaries, encyclopaedias, yearbooks,

almanacs, handbooks, manuals, directories, geographical and biographical

information sources.

 Dictionaries define the words and encyclopaedias provide background

information about the words.

 General unabridged dictionaries cover all the words of a language.

Abridged, collegiate, desk and pocket dictionaries cover words of a

language currently in use. Words in children’s dictionaries are usually

confined to the course curriculum.

 Subject dictionaries provide definition of the words in a given subject area.

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 Special dictionaries deal with linguistic or literary aspect of the words or

with special types of words.

 Bilingual and multilingual dictionaries are translating dictionaries.

 Encyclopaedias are of two types viz. general encyclopaedia and subject

encyclopaedias. An encyclopaedia may be in a single volume or a

multivolume set. An encyclopaedia may be specially put together for adults,

college students, school children, or kids.

 Yearbooks and almanacs trace previous years’ events and developments in

a country or all the countries of the world. Both, yearbooks and almanacs

depend on government sources for statistical data. The basic difference is

that almanacs present astronomical data which is absent in the yearbooks.

 Handbooks contain practical information on a subject and are used by

engineers and practitioners in their day-to-day work.

 A manual is a book of instruction providing step-by-step instructions on

how to do a particular job or operate a particular machine.

 A directory is a book listing names and addresses of people and organizations.

 Geographical information sources comprise maps, atlases and globes,

gazetteers and guide books.

 General reference maps identify and locate geographic features of the

earth’s surface like mountains, lakes, forests, rivers etc. Thematic maps

show the distribution of particular feature such as population, rainfall, or

natural resources like coal, minerals, petroleum, metals etc. on the earth’s

surface.

 A gazetteer lists names of places, seas, mountains, rivers and other

geographical entities of a particular area along with its history, economic

development, geography and the people.

 Guide books are designed for the travellers to provide handy and practical

information for a particular place such as when to visit, how to reach, where

to stay, and what to see etc.

 Biographical information sources are publications providing biographical

details of famous people.

TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. Differentiate between dictionary and thesaurus. Describe different types of

dictionaries.

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2. Briefly describe geographical information sources.

3. Describe different types of encyclopaedias.

ANSWERS TO INTEXT QUESTIONS

7.1

1. Reference sources provide answers to brief facts, statistical information,

background information, or direct the searcher to additional information

sources. The reference sources are standard works that one can use to locate

specific type of information.

2. General language dictionaries cover all the words of a language and give

meanings, definition, and explanation of the words in the same language.

General Language Dictionary can be further divided according to size and

target user group. According to size, general language dictionary may be

comprehensive/unabridged, abridged/college/desk, or pocket dictionary.

According to target user group general dictionary may be for school

children, students and adults.

3. The special dictionaries deal with special types or special aspect of the

words. Special type or class of words include obsolete words, acronyms,

abbreviations etc. Special aspect of the word includes pronunciation,

synonym and antonyms, quotations, idioms, proverbs, etc. Though most

of these aspects of the words are covered by general language dictionaries

as well, but special dictionaries cover these aspects much more

comprehensively. Special dictionaries supplement general language

dictionaries.

7.2

1. A general encyclopaedia is a book or set of books giving information on

topics in every field of knowledge with articles arranged alphabetically.

General encyclopaedia enriches general knowledge, provides information

on different topics and provides bibliography at the end of articles which

helps to find more information on that topic.

2. General encyclopaedias can be categorized according to size, such as

multivolume or single volume set or target user group, such as encyclopaedia

for adults, students and children.

3. A general encyclopaedia includes information on topics in every field of

knowledge, while a subject encyclopedia provides detailed and technical

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information on specific area of knowledge such as arts, science and

technology or social sciences.

7.3

1. A yearbook, published and updated annually, records events and

developments that took place in the previous year in the world or in a

particular country. Based on their scope and type of information covered,

yearbooks can be categorized as international, national and subject yearbooks.

2. Yearbooks and almanacs trace previous years’ events and developments in

a country or all the countries of the world. Both yearbooks and almanacs

depend on government sources for statistical data. The basic difference is

that almanacs present astronomical data which is absent in the yearbooks.

7.4

1. Handbook gives brief factual and practical information on a subject such

as, formulae, definition, diagrams, tables etc. Handbooks are used by

engineers and practitioners for factual information in their day-to-day work.

On the other hand, a manual is a book of instruction providing step-by-

step instructions on how to do a particular job or operate a particular

machine. Both are ready reference sources consisting of ‘facts to know’

and ‘instructions to do’ type of material.

2. Directory is a book listing names and addresses of people and organizations.

There are general directories and special directories. A Telephone directory

is a general directory listing names, addresses and telephone numbers of

people residing in a city, town or a locality. These directories help to contact

people. Special directories include directories of academic and research

institutions, professional directories, and trade and business directories.

Directories of academic and research institutions help to identify experts

in different disciplines and the type of courses offered by these institutions.

Professional directories help to identify experts. Trade and business

directories help to locate type of industries, their products and services.

7.5

1. Physical maps depict the location and physical features of the earth’s

surface such as mountains, rivers and lakes. Political maps depict the

boundaries of continents, countries and states. Thematic maps show

distribution of particular feature on the earth, such as population, rainfall,

natural resources etc.

2. a) chart; b) globe; c) atlas; d) gazetteer; e) travellers; f) biographical

dictionary

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GLOSSARY

Antonym : A word that means opposite of another word.

Database : A collection of related records or information stored on a

computer and organized to make any part of it easily

accessible

Etymology : The study dealing with history or origin of the word.

Synonyms : A word that means the same or nearly the same as another

word in the same language.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

1. Go to a library and pick up a dictionary. Write down its title, name of the

publisher, date of publication. Read the instructions given in the beginning

on how to use the dictionary. See how words are arranged in the dictionary.

Find out the meaning of the word ‘Communication’.

2. Pick up an encyclopedia in the library. Write down its title. If it is

multivolume encyclopedia, write how many volumes are there. Write

down how words are arranged in the encyclopedia. Look up for the word

‘Communication’ in it. State how the treatment of the word is different in

this encyclopedia than that in the dictionary.

3. Visit a public library. See where reference books are kept. Pick up one title

each of a dictionary, encyclopaedia, yearbook, almanac, handbook, manual

and biographical source. Write down the title, name of the publisher and

date of publication of each source.