Types of Reference Sources

• bibliographies (lists of sources on specific topics)
• biographical sources (information on the lives of individuals)
• chronologies (dates and timelines for events)
• directories (address and phone number information)

There are (3) major citation styles used in academic writing:

• Modern Language Association (MLA)
• American Psychological Association (APA)
• Chicago, which supports two styles: Notes and Bibliography. Author-Date.

Use reference books (also called reference or background sources, or resources) to get quick specific facts or information or an overview of a subject. Some examples of reference sources are: dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, almanacs, directories, atlases, and handbooks. These can be online or in print.

The general reference collection comprises materials that serve one or more of the following purposes: factual information (e.g., dictionaries, atlases, statistical yearbooks, biographical dictionaries) overview of a topic (e.g., handbooks, encyclopedias)

There are many types of reference sources, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, directories, and almanacs. More broadly, reference sources can also include bibliographies, manuals, handbooks, atlases, and gazetteers. You can find these resources in print and online.

Two major categories of reference materials are general and subject. General reference sources include all subjects and present overviews of topics. Subjects specific reference sources provide in-depth coverage on specialized topics.

Reference List: Electronic Source References

• Online Journal Articles.
• Webpages.
• Institutional Report.
• Blog Post.

Types of Reference Resources

• Almanacs.
• Atlas & Maps.
• Bibliographies.
• Biographical Resources.
• Dictionaries.
• Directories.
• Encyclopedias.
• Handbooks.

Reference Materials

• Dictionaries (both language and topical)
• Encyclopedias.
• Bibliographies (lists of resources on a specific topic)
• Research handbooks and guides.
• Catalogs.
• Atlases and maps.
• Directories.

Some of the characteristics of reference books are:

• They are intended primarily for occasional consultation.
• They are consulted for definite items of information.
• The information included in them is collected from a vast number of sources.
• It is a miscellany of information and facts.

Reference materials are an important tool in realising a number of aspects of measurement quality and are used for method validation, calibration, estimation of measurement uncertainty, training and for internal QC and external QA (proficiency testing) purposes.

There are two types of citations.

• In-text citations appear throughout your paper at the end of a sentence you are citing.
• Works cited page (MLA) or reference list (APA) citations give all of the information your reader would need to find your source.

Citation Styles: APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, IEEE: Home. Need help with formatting citations? Use this brief guide to five major styles.

Harvard referencing Also known as ‘author-date’ style. In Harvard style the in-text citation can be in brackets in the body of the text or in footnotes, and uses the author’s surname and the date of publication, with the page number if it is a reference to a particular page.

A reference list is arranged alphabetically by author. If an item has no author, it is cited by title, and included in the alphabetical list using the first significant word of the title. A reference list is generally placed at the end of a work. Commas are used to separate each item of the reference/citation.

Typical job seekers should have three to four references, while those seeking more senior positions should consider listing five to seven, experts suggest. And be sure to list your strongest reference first.

Consider these eight people when making your reference list:

• Recent bosses.
• Co-workers.
• Professors.
• Friends… but only if they’re a professional reference.
• Group members.
• Any place you’ve volunteered.
• The person you babysat for or whose lawn you mowed every summer.
• High school teacher or coach you still talk to regularly.

On your reference sheet, you should list each reference with the following information:

1. Name.
2. Current Job/Position.
3. Company.
4. Phone Number.
5. Email Address.
6. Reference Description: Write one sentence explaining how you know or have worked with this person, where, when, and for how long.

Essentially, yes. While it’s true that not 100% of Human Resources (HR) departments will call your references during pre-employment screening, many do. The references you provide to employers may be contacted about your employment history, qualifications, and the skills that qualify you for the job.