Different types of resources provide different types of information. While many students find it easier to use online articles and databases for their research, books are still an important type of resource.
Books can provide:
Look at the following chart to see the different types of information books provide:
| Source | What Kinds of Info? | Online Example | Printed Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almanac | Collection of facts, updated each year | Infoplease.com | World War I Almanac |
| Atlas | Collection of maps | Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection | The Atlas of Food: Who Eats What, Where, and Why |
| Biographical Dictionary | Birth dates, important accomplishments | Biography.com | Women in Psychology: A bio-bibliographic sourcebook |
| Dictionaries | Definitions | Merriam-Webster Online | The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians |
| Encyclopedias | Short background articles | Encyclopedia Britannica | Encyclopedia of Contemporary LGBTQ Literature of the United States |
| Handbooks | Everything an expert should know | FBI's Handbook of Forensic Services | The Oxford Handbook of Methodist Studies |
| Manuals | How it works, how to do something | Manuals Online | DSM Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders |
| Statistical Sources | Back up your research with numbers | Fedstats: Gateway to U.S. Statistics | A Statistical History of the American Electorate |
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