Chapter 4

Common reference sources

lntroduction
This book is about searching information from CD-ROM and online information sources. Lateq we shall discuss how to search different types of information sources, ranging lrom OPACs to CD-ROM and online databases. First, however, as reference source s form a significant part of inlbrmation sources, it is
therefore important that we learn about the nature, characteristics' etc' of reference sources, no matter in which form they apPear print, CD-ROM or online databases. In this chapter we shall briefly discuss the features of some common (see' reference sources. Details of these are available in a number of publications

for example, Bopp and Smith, 1995; Balay, 1996; Lea and Day, 1996; Katz, 1997; Chalcraft et al, 1998;Wynar, 1998; Mullay and schlicke,1999; Day and walsh,2000). In describing the different types of reference sources, we take a simple approach. Beginning with a simple defrnition and meaning, we address issues such as why and how particular reference sources are used, and how we can evaluate them. For each category of relerence source, wc give some examples. Flowever, the list of examples is lar from exhaustive: only some CD-ROM and online reference sources, in each category' are shown here' Some more examples of these reference sources will appear in chapters 8-14. When evaluating specific types of reference sources, the points made here about evaluating reference sources generally should be borne in mind'

Eraluation of reference sources

Increased costs of reference sources and the variety of lormats and titles mean we must systematically evaluate reference sources. Smith (1995) suggests that in building the reference collection, one must evaluate the quality of particular sources and

their suitability for inclusion in a collection. There are several approaches to the evaluation ofreference sources, as discussed by Katz (1997),
Smith (1995), and
so on. Here we shall discuss some simple points, abbreviated

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these are discusse d at the end of this section.

developed t, printed sources. the' can equallv be uscd for the evaluation of electron.-sources. Houe'er. fbr the latrer some additionar points need to be considerei:

Recencli Accuracil Treatment, Users, and Scope), that can be usecr to er,arui:: all kinds of relerence sources. -\lthough rhese r,'.ere origina'y

as APPAR{TUS (Authorit\'. purpose. phvsical producrion, Arrangemer.

Authority
This relates to the arrrhority of the author or the compiler o1.the reference book. We can ask rhc l.ollou ing que slions:

' . '
Purpose

what are the author's (or compirer's or ecritor's) qualifications or experrise with rcspect to the publicationi hou, well known (and reliable) is the publisherl
re.qion, and so does the author or the publisher have any bias rowards religion, politics, sex.

oni

The purpose of a refbrence book should be eviclent from its title or type of publication it is' we should consider whether the author (or compiler or editor) ha, fulfilled this purpose. The clues may be fbuncl in rhe conrenrs, the introductiorr or preface, the index, and so fbrth. Physicol production This relates to a number of questions, such
as:

. '

in what form and format is it publishedl what is the cost of the publication and how does ir compare with equivalent products in the marketi

Arrangement
This is a v,rry rmportant qualitv. Refbrence books have adopted various, and ofien complicated, techniques for arranging infbrmation, and users have to lcarn these to flnd the required infbrmation. whatever
be clearlv mentioned at the beginning of the :ho]rld
rr3 t10ll s.

t."t *irr, ,rft;;.;;'il;"

the arrangement is.

it

Recency
datcs quicklv or r,r,here the uscr wants the latest infbrmation in a given field.

This is extremelr, important, particularly for thosc areas where information

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Accurocy

.:3::ru ffi ff il' :iil:' :;,: J ffi'#,:

Treotment

:::ffi I T : :* :: guiderine i' " g' r" n ",::' :$::T,:illl.l::f:i;,Tff:'n:ffi:^*'"*

:
:

::

freatment of the subject in a given reference work is influenced by a number of

ff ;* l# ifl |:":1;lT 1i: *li f *'.:;:x

Users

u di

e rie

a'[m

n'[ m a v

Reference works are targeted to a specific type of audience:

forchildren, novice

users, the general public, experts and professionals, and so on. Hence, the selection ofa reference tool should take into account the user being served.

Scope
The scope of a reference work is an important criterion for its
selection.

Whether it would be a real addition to the collection, and what exactly it would add, should be carefully considered. The scope of a book, for example, is usually mentioned in the preface, in the blurb, and in the publicity material. Aspects ofscope include: subject and geographical coverage, time coverage, language coverage, and so forth.

Evaluation of electronic reference sources

All the above factors are to be considered when choosing an electronic reference source. However, there are some additional issues to be considered:

' ' . ' . . ' ' . '

hardware and operating system requirements

user interface
search fields search options and query formulation facilities

display and print options index and/or thesaurus support facilities for interfacing with other software multiple database search facilities

online help facilities, and

user group and supporr services.

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Dictionaries
A dictionary is an alphabetical list of words with their definition,
mcaning. usagel etc. The derivation of a u,ord, the part of speech, syllabification and hyphenation, variant spellings, and pronunciation arc also indicated. Entries ma1, also include inf'lected forms, run-on or derivative entries, etymologies or rvord histories. Svnonvms and antonyms, usa[Je or status labels, usage notes, iliustratile quotations and examples, and pictorial illustrations'

Types Katz (1997) rdentified eight general categories of dictionaries:

2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Why

general English language dictionaries which include unabridged titles and desk or collegiate dictionaries paperbackdictionaries historical dicrionaries, which show the history of a word from date of introduction to the Present period or scholarly specialized dtles which fbcus on a given time period or piace, such as a dictionary of Old English etymological dictionaries, which are likc historical dictionaries but tend to put
more emphasis on anaiysis of components and cognates in other languages foreign language tirles, which are bilingual in that they give the meanings of words in one language in another language subject works, which concentrate on the definition of words in a given area, such as science and tcchnoloPry; and

'other' dicrionaries, which include almost everything from abbreviations to

slang and proper usafle.

use dictionories? Usually dictionaries are used to:

o o
a

find the definition of words verily spelling, syllabification, or pronunciation

check the usa5;e, or

determine the etymological history of a word.

To some extent dictionaries also help us standardize a language bascd on the curre nt usage of words. Howeve5 there are somc special types of dictionarie s that are used to find specific types of information, lull forms of abbreviations, authors or origins of quotations, and so on. One of the most common uses of electronic dictionaries is as a spell-checker in word processing software: for

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example, MS Word autornatically checks each word with its internal dictionary as it is keyed in. Dictionaries of special terms and vocabulary control tools, Iike subject headings lists and thesauri, are used along with OPACs and various

other bibliographic databases available on CD-ROM

as

well

as online.

How to seorch dictionories

As with all areas of reference work, the strategy of answering dictionary-related questions is dictated by the nature of the question itself An interesting problem might arise with regard to the date of the dictionary being used in relation to the

information being sought. A representative selection of dictionaries should

answer most of the general lexicographical questions that are commonly asked. Specialized vocabulary questions may require the use of specialized (subject)

dictionaries or encyclopedias. The lbllowing examples indicate how the various dictionaries may be used:

. . . .

for questions relating to definition, etc the Oxford English Dictionary @.a7) could be the first stop, followed by the l{eu World dictionatry, and so on for questions relating to a quotation, turn to whatever dictionary of quotations is available, for example the Quotations database (p. aB); the time frame
may be important

general desk dictionaries and thesauri can used as writing aids (to check a spelling, find a synonym, and so on) questions relating to foreign languages, slang, usage, and abbreviations may require more specialized dictionaries.

How to evaluote dictionories

Katz (1997) suggests the following general points to be considered when evaluaring a dictionary. In addition, for electronic versions of dictionaries) the user interface and the ease of use are the most important features to be considered.

Authority There are only a limited number of publishers of dictionaries. However, the name of the publisher is an important consideration.
Vocabulary

This can be evaluated in terms of

'

the period ofthe language covered and the number of words or entries.

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Special vocabulary features may include slang, dialect, obsolete forms, and scientific or technical terms. Recency Up-to-dateness is an important criterion for evaluating a reference tool, and this is true for dictionaries too. However, certain dictionaries need not be up to date, particularly those that cover a specific period in the past, quotations of some specific authors/statesmen, and so on.

Format
Electronic dictionaries are available in CD-ROM and online database formats and on the web; ease of use and up-to-dateness are considerations. Encyclopedic material
Some dictionaries also include encyclopedic features. Katz (1997) suggests that an exception to the rule against buying a combination of a dictionary and an encyclopedia is when one turns to a CD-ROM, because in this form it is easy to
use and update.

Spelling

Where there are variant forms of spelling, these should be clearly indicated; for example, differing British and American spellings should be clearly indicated' Etymologies

All large dictionaries should indicate the etymology of a word by a shorthand

system in brackets, the normal procedure being to show the root word in Latin,

Greek, French, German, Old English, or some other language.

Definitions Modern meanings of words should be given first. Separate and distinct meanings ofwords should be indicated clearly. A clear and precise definition is always
expected.

Pronunciation

There are several different methods of indicating pronunciation, though a diacritical one is commonly used. Dictionaries should provide familiar examples to indicate phonetics. Electronic dictionaries may enable the user to hear the
sound of the word.

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Syllabification
Some dictionaries indicate, with a hyphen or other symbol, how a word is to be

divided into syllables.

Synonyms

Inclusion of synonyms is a desirable feature because this helps the user differentiate betvveen similar words. Grammatical information
Grammatical information, such as parts of sPeech, is essential.
Bias

Dictionaries of English, for example, may have a UK, US or other geographical

bias.

Usage

Dictionaries may indicate words that are acceptable in formaVinformal usage'

or are considered vulgar or offensive. Dictionaries can be prescriptive or descrip-

tive. Prescriprive dictionaries categorically indicate what is or is not good or

approved usage, while descriptive dictionaries simply describe the language
as

it is spoken and written without any critical judgment. Dictionaries vary

as to

how they handle usage. Many people believe that dictionaries should be prescriptive in setting down the right and wrong usage of terms.

Exomples
CD-ROM There
are 1652 enrries for dictionaries

in

the Multimedia and CD-ROM directoty

(1998). Some examples of language and subject and/or special dictionaries on

CD-ROM include the following;

Longuage dictionories

Oxford aduanced learner's dictionary (Oxford University Press, Electronic Pub-

lishing Department) contains spoken headwords, 500 interactive photographs and colour illustrations, 800 visual references, educational games, and maps, and allows fast and flexible searching. The Oxford Englislt. dictionary (2nd edn, Oxford University Press, Electronic

publishing Deparrment , L250): conrenrs are as rhe paper edition of rhe oED with some modifications. It is possible to search for every occurrence of one or more specific words, phrases or abbreviations appearing anywhere in the
database. Users can also search for definitions, etymology and quotations.

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Frenclt dictionaty of btuiness, comlnerce and financ'e (Routledge) contalns soin. 50,000 entries in both French and English, including '1000 abbreviation. Ti:rms are clrawn from the rvhole range of business, commerce and financ. terminologr,'.

Gerntan-English/English Gerntttn tatfting dictionary (Sofisource Inc) contain, several thousanci evervdav and technical words.
s "-

SC J:DQ- at

d,c ona,

(The Learning Company Inc) includes 'lnterit'trtt Herituge ntrttng dictionatl' 5'0 photographic images, spoken pronunciations, and more rhan 200,000 definitions.

'

Dictionary of science and technology (Acadcmic Press Inc) covers 12'l fields, from acoustics to zoology. It offers 130,000 entrics, 350 rllustrations, 3500 spoken pronunciations, bookmarking and annotating, sophisticated Boolean searcl-i options, custom spelling dictionarics, u'hich can be loaded into the rrser's word processor. Essays by scientists introducc each field of science. Elseuier's rlictionaries of chemisty (E,lsevier Science Ltd). This CD-ROM dic-

tionary cont:rins over 9000 scientific terms in Online

che

mistrl'.

Alluords.com (http://www.allwords.coml) is an English l:rnguage dictionarl

with multilingual search facilities.

Cantbridge interncttional dictionaries ott/ine (http;//www.crtp.cam.ac.uk/elt/dictionary/) offers a choice of the Csmbridge international dictiortat'y of Englislt, Cambridge dictionaty of Anzericdtt Englislt,Cantbridge intentational dictionart af phrasat uerbs, or Catnbridge internatianal dictionary of idions' Tlte quotations clatabase (Dialog file 175) is an omnibus file of litcrary, political and other quotations of notc. The fiie consists of material lrom the Oxford

rlictionary of quotations (ODQ), publishcd by Oxford University Press. Thc oDQ w.as originally compiled in thc 1930s; the third edition in'as published in 1979. Thc database presents relatively brief cluotations accompanicd by the author's name, birth and death dates, and the sourcc of the quote. Nlaterial is drau'n from poets, novelists, playu'rights' politicians, public figurcs, the Bible, the Vulgate, the Book of Common Prayer, the Latin mass, ballads, Greek and Latin classics, modern European languagc classics, and famous historicai mot-r, dicta, quips, and utterances. Q;716'-r quotatiotts: tuho said uLhat? (Gale Rcsearch Inc)''fhis CID-ROM is a collcction of over 100,000 quotations fiom ancient timcs to the prescnt. Roget's thesnunts (http://www.thesaurus.com/) is thc online version of Roget's thesattnr oJ-Englbh ruords and phtzsc's, madc availablc by Lexicg LLC, a com-

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pany based in Los Angeles, California. Webster's l{eu, World dictionary and thesuaurs (http://work.uesd.edu.514l/cgi-

bin/http_webster). (Macmillan Digital Publishing). This CD-ROM dictionary provides the meaning of common English words. It also includes
15,000 most common misspellings of words, and thus enables users to search

for words even if they cannot spell them correctly.

The uorldruideweb acronym and abbreuiation seruer (http://www.wcc.ie/info/ net/acronyms/index.html). This is a list of acronyms and abbreviations in the Network Acronym and Abbreviation Server. Users can simply enter an
abbreviation and get its full form.

Encyclopedias
An encyclopedia is a repository of information in an interdisciplinary or a subject-specific field, and it gives a systematic overvrew and summary of human knowledge. An encyclopedia aims to provide authoritative information either on all branches of knowledge or in a single subject area, and to arrange it, in
alphabetical or topical order, fbr ready reference.

Why use encyclopedios?

A good encyclopedia will usually include detailed survey articles, often with bibliographies, in certain fields or areas; explanatory materials (normally shorter); and brief informational data, such as the birth and death dates of famous people, geographical locations or historical events. Typical questions
that can be answered through encyclopedias include:

I 2 3

Fact finding:

When did World War I start and what was its backgroundl Where can I find information on the Eurotunnell General background information:
.What
causes an earthquakel

How does a generator workf Pre-research information: At the novice level, encyclopedias teach research skills they provide an overview and a systematic approach to gathering information on an area of study; eg when did research on space exploration beginf When did man first land on the moonl

How to seorch encyclopedias

Finding information in encyclopedias requires firstly an understanding of the various access points, secondly an acquaintance with the particular encyclo-

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pedia being used, and, thirdly, some practice

in

searching for information.

Understanding the structural arrangement of an individual title is the first step. Some common questions raised at this stage might be as follows:

'
a a a a

Hou, manr. indexes are there

field:'

only one index or a separate index for each

Is there a separate subject indexl FIou, is the information organized - under various broad heading/topicsl How can the user search fbr images, video, sound, etcl Are the related documents hyperlinked so that users can navigate from one document to the otheri

A crucial aspect ofdeveloping search strategies for encyclopedias lies in understanding their place within a larger frameu,ork. Encyclopedias are often used as intermediate tools: a search strategy may start with an encyclopedia and then
move on to other tools and sources.

How to evoluate encyclopedios

There are several published sources that provide good comparative studies on encyclopedias, such as Kister (1994) and Encyclopedias, dtlases and dictionaries (1995). A decision regarding the choice of an encyclopedia is primarily based on daily use. Katz (1997) suggests the following general points for the evaluation ofencyclopedias; the points given in the section on evaluation ofelectronic refcrcnce sources Scope

(p

a3) should also be considered.

The scope of the specialized encyclopedia is evident in its title. The scope of general encyclopedias is indicated by target audience (for example, children) and emphasis (of the editorial board, for example; on science, humanities or
social sciences, etc; or on certain topics).

Authoriry Authority is evident lrom the names of the scholars and experts who sign the articles or who are listed as contributors. It is also associated with the name(s)
of the publisher.

Writing sryle Usually encyclopedia articles are meant for the general public rather than specialists. The usual editorial practice is as follows:

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contributors are given certain topics and outlines of what is needed and
expected

articles are then submitted to the editors, who revise as necessary to make them suitable for the target reader.

Recency

Most large encyclopedias issue revised individual volumes each year (yearbooks) containing updates. Electronic publication facilities have made this
process easier: editors are able to enter new materials or delete or correct exist-

ing materials without completely resetting the whole article or section. Viewpoint and obiectivity Although editorial policies
are governed largely by the market and the audience, so on.

one should check how topics and various related issues are handled, ifany par-

ticular viewpoint is emphasized, and Arrangement and entry

As this is the key to the resources in the encyclopedia, one should check how systematically the information is organized and how easily one can find the information. In the electronic versions, user interface, search and retrieval facilities, etc, are ofkey concern.

lndex
Systematic and easy-to-use indexes are very imPortant. Some encyclopedias provide cross-reference entries - see and see also references. Nevertheless, a detailed index is absolutely necessary in both the printed and electronic versions.

Format There are several relevant issues here, such as the organization and format of
the text, image and sound files, and the links within the text.

Cost
Prices do vary from set to set. Usually library discounts are available for hard copies: this may not be the case with CD-ROMs, but could perhaps be negotiated with the supplier. Replacement and updates are an imPortant issue here. Prices vary from single user to multi-user and site licences.