How to Choose an excellent Reference Book

Although it might be hard to trust, not everything are available in Google and Wikipedia. Actually, some types of information are only obtainable in print. Which means that sometimes, and discover what you need, you must turn to a reference book.

Steps:

1. Head into a bookstore or library[1] with a particular ideal at heart. This ideal ought to be based around just how detailed you need the book to be. Would you like it general and simple (an over-all summary of globalization, a definition of some type of computer term etc.)? Or looking for a far more verbose manuscript (The Encyclopedia of Internal Medicine, Complete History of China, etc.)? Once you have decided on the amount of detail you are interested in, you may move ahead to another step.

2. Execute a keyword search of one's library's Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) and/or an internet site such as for example amazon.com to see when you can look for a resource that matches your preferences. Additionally, the web Computer Library Consortium's WorldCat[2] might help you seek out books at a library in your area (including reference sources).

3. Perform "foot patrol" of the reference shelves. Shop around and see when you can find what you would like. In libraries, it can help to truly have a general notion of the classification systems used (Library of Congress, Dewey Decimal etc.). If you cannot find what you would like throughout your "foot patrol", ask a librarian or bookstore employee.

4. Begin from the finish. Go to the index of a book that looks sufficient such as the topic you find attractive -- disregard the fancy cover and just how many pretty pictures it could have. What truly defines an excellent reference book is its rear.

5. Think up a few pre-determined questions that you know the solution to. Ask the book these questions. (Not literally or you'll receive some strange looks from some other clients and perhaps be asked to leave once you get angry as the book won't answer you directly.) Scan the index for the answers and abide by it through the book.

6. Browse the passages and choose for yourself whether it appears knowledgeable or whether it's too vague on this issue(s). Ideally, it’s likely that if it couldn't answer something you already knew, it will not have the ability to answer the other questions you'll eventually have.

Tips:

* If you opt to use the library to get reference materials, ask a librarian for help.
* Prior to starting with the index, you might go through the introduction for a reference book (when there is one). An introduction will most likely tell you the type of material covered for the reason that book. It is also a clue in regards to what the book's biases are-- items that you might not have the ability to tell from considering a couple of entries. For instance, the book may only cover things from the Western perspective.
* Benefit from bibliographies. An excellent reference book could have bibliographies because of its entries. Utilize the materials mentioned in the bibliography to help expand your quest.