Reference work

A reference work is a document, such as a paper, book, encyclopedia or periodical (or their electronic equivalents, usually available online), to which one can refer for information. The information is intended to be found quickly when needed. Such works are usually referred to for particular pieces of information, rather than being read in its entirety. The writing style used in these works is informative, with the authors avoiding opinions and the use of the first-person perspective, and emphasizing facts. Indices are a common navigation feature in many types of reference works. Many reference works are put together by a team of contributors whose work is coordinated by one or more editors, rather than by an individual author. Updated editions are usually published as needed, in some cases annually, such as Whitaker's Almanack, and Who's Who. Reference works include textbooks, almanacs, atlases, bibliographies, biographical sources, catalogs such as library catalogs and art catalogs, concordances, dictionaries, directories such as business directories and telephone directories, discographies, encyclopedias, filmographies, gazetteers, glossaries, handbooks, indices such as bibliographic indices and citation indices, manuals, research guides, thesauruses, and yearbooks. While traditionally printed, reference works are often available in electronic formats, including reference software, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and online access via the Internet. Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, is both the largest and the most-read reference work in history.