Stethoscopes, Thermometers, and Practice Exercises

Lesson 13: Reference Sources

If you were a character on House, M.D., you would need to know how to use reference materials to do your job. The characters on this show are always looking up things that save their patients' lives. For example, they may have noticed symptoms that can't be explained. Is it some new disease? If so, how can they treat it? In cases like this, the young doctors always turn to reference books to check their facts. Then, when it is time to make a diagnosis, they're ready. They've done their homework.

Stethoscopes, Thermometers, and Practice Exercises

You may never need your reference skills to identify a medical emergency. However, you may need them to deal with some of the questions on a reading test. (Stethoscopes and thermometers won't help, but a few practice exercises might.)

This lesson will help you develop skills that can be used with most kinds of reference materials. Learning reference skills is like learning to ride a bike. Once you know how to ride one kind, you pretty much know how to ride them all. If you can use a dictionary, you know most of what you need to know to use an encyclopedia, a thesaurus, and many other reference materials.

TIP 1: Encyclopedias give general information about almost any topic.

Encyclopedias contain basic information about a subject. They are not as up-to-date as newspapers and magazines. In other words, if you want information about your favorite new rock group, you won't find anything in the encyclopedia. If you want information on the history of rock and roll, you may find a lengthy article. On the other hand, since rap music is relatively new, this topic will probably receive less attention than other music forms in most encyclopedias.

Entries in encyclopedias are arranged alphabetically by key words. Sometimes there may seem to be several possibilities to look under. Try to narrow the focus of your search by beginning with the most specific key word. (For example, rock music will be listed under R, because the key word is rock.) If the word you choose is too specific, broaden your focus a little at a time. Look at the following example.

1. The man known as the "president of the Underground Railroad," Levi Coffin, helped more than 2,000 slaves escape to freedom. Choose the key word or phrase that would most help you to find more information about this famous abolitionist leader's life.

A. abolitionist leaders

B. Levi

C. Underground Railroad

D. Coffin

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Using an Index

The most reliable method of finding information in most reference works is to use the index. An index lists every subject covered in the entire encyclopedia—alphabetically, of course.

An encyclopedia index entry for rock may look something like this:

---see sample

2. Where will you most likely find a report on the use of guitars in rock music?

3. Which volume and page tell where to find out about rock's effect on country music?

A. 2:302

B. 3:273

C. 6:612

D. 15:1121

4. Which of these topics is most likely discussed in volume 3 on page 43?

A. the types of guitars used in rock music

B. the connection between rock and jazz

C. the names of popular rock and roll singers

D. the use of computer synthesizers in rock music

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Using Guide Words

Guide words are the words located at the top of the pages of an encyclopedia, as shown below.

5. Between which guide words would you most likely find the entry for "rally"?

A. rabbi and radiation

B. ragwort and railing

C. rajah and ramble

D. rascal and ratio

TIP 2: Dictionaries list words and their meanings.

Dictionaries contain specific information about words. You can use a dictionary to find out any of the following information about a word:

· correct spelling

· pronunciation

· syllables

· type of word (noun, verb, adjective, and so on)

· definition

· language or country of origin

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Dictionaries are organized in much the same way as encyclopedias. Consequently, using a dictionary requires many of the same skills you used for finding information in an encyclopedia.

For example, to find the entry for pizza in the dictionary, you would first use the guide words to find the right page. The next step is to scan the page until you come to the entry word you're looking for.

piz za (pēt'sə), a spicy Italian dish made by baking a large flat layer of bread dough covered with cheese, tomato sauce, herbs, etc. n., pl. piz zas.

The entry word is followed by a pronunciation and a definition. An abbreviation within the entry also tells if the word is a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, and so on.

TIP 3: Almanacs contain lists of facts.

If you've never actually thumbed through an almanac, it's a good idea to get acquainted with one. The main thing you'll need to know about an almanac is the kind of information you can find in it. Before we go any further, let's take a look at the definition of almanac.

al man ac (ôl'mən ak), 1 a booklike calendar published every year that also gives information about the weather, sun, stars, tides, church days, and other facts 2 a reference book published every year that has tables of facts and figures and summaries of information on many subjects. n.

Word Finders

A thesaurus is a book that contains synonyms for common words. It is very useful for writing a report or doing crossword puzzles Roget's Thesaurus is one of the best known. The following entry is an example of what a thesaurus contains.

rich, adjective: synonyms: affluent, moneyed, opulent, wealthy; antonyms: impoverished, poor

A glossary gives usually brief meanings of specialized words used in a certain book. Glossaries are arranged alphabetically and are often located near the end of a textbook. For example, a poetry reading textbook might contain the following terms and definitions in a glossary.

Connotation the suggested meaning of a word beyond its dictionary definition

Consonance the repetition of consonant sounds among several words

Couplet a poetic unit of two lines, usually rhymed

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Like an encyclopedia, an almanac contains information about a wide variety of subjects. Unlike most encyclopedias, this reference book is updated and reprinted every year. So, what else distinguishes an almanac from an encyclopedia? It may be most helpful to look at some examples of what both references contain.

Examples of Things You Might Look for in a Current ...

Almanac

· the number of satellites launched during the past year

· the time the Sun will set every night this year

· a list of the year's Nobel Prize winners

· win-loss records of every National Football League team for the past season

· population statistics for every county in your state

· heights of the world's tallest buildings

· a list of major exports of each country in Europe

· maps showing last year's boundary changes

· lists of facts, facts, and more facts

Encyclopedia

· general information about the history and uses of satellites

· a description of the movements of the planets around the Sun

· a general history of the Nobel Prize

· an overview of the history of professional football

· a broad range of information about the states

· the history of skyscrapers in the United States

· an explanation of the European free- market system

· maps with boundaries current as of the year of publication

· discussions, explanations, and overviews

We could go on (and on). Your main concern is simply to know when to use an almanac rather than another source of information. When in doubt, remember that an almanac usually contains lists, current statistics, and specific detailed information. An encyclopedia usually contains historical overviews and general information, along with some specifics.

6. Which information would most likely be found in a world almanac?

A. a biography of inventor Thomas Alva Edison

B. Zimbabwe's Gross Domestic Product last year

C. an explanation of the causes of the Russian Revolution of 1917

D. a discussion of the economic importance of the completion of the Ohio Turnpike in 1955

7. Which heading is least likely to be found in a world almanac?

A. Directory of International Labor Unions

B. Principal Languages of the Modern World

C. Human Nervous System, Structure and Function

D. Immigration into the United States by Country of Last Residence

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TIP 4: Atlases contain maps.

An atlas is a book of maps. Various kinds of atlases serve different purposes. For example, if you want to plan a car trip across the United States, a road atlas will be a helpful tool. To locate a foreign city you've heard about in the news, an international atlas is a good resource. To plan a backpacking trip into the mountains of the Northwest, an atlas showing geographical features of that area would be the logical choice.

Just as a dictionary is more than definitions, an atlas is more than maps.

What Else Is in an Atlas?

· latitude and longitude coordinates

· topography (type of land)

· population figures

· elevations

· settlement patterns

· agricultural patterns

· transportation routes

What you really need to know is when to use an atlas rather than another resource. Keep in mind the features of the various references as you answer the following questions.

8. An atlas would be the best choice of references for which of these tasks?

A. listing the main products of the coastal plain

B. learning about the formation of the Grand Canyon

C. writing a report about the United States government

D. planning a car trip from Tempe, Arizona, to Chicago, Illinois

9. Which of these would you least likely find in an international atlas?

A. the location of the Albermarle Sound

B. the elevation of Alaska's Mt. McKinley

C. the history of the Egyptian pyramids

D. the population of Munich, Germany

TIP 5: Periodicals contain current information on many topics.

Newspapers and magazines are called periodicals because they are printed on a regularly scheduled basis. Newspapers, for instance, are usually printed daily, though some are printed weekly. Magazines are more likely to appear once a month, with exceptions such as People, which shows up at the newsstand every week.

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The more frequently a periodical is printed, the more current the information is.

---see table

Periodicals are created for specific audiences. For example, a newspaper for a small town will usually tell a lot about things that happened to the people in that town. This is a big part of what the readers want to know.

Newsweek and Sports Illustrated are examples of national magazines with a wide circulation. The audience for Sports Illustrated wants to read about events and people making news in sports. What does the audience for Newsweek most likely want to read about? World and national news.

Most likely, questions about periodicals will ask you to identify what type of information will be found in a particular source.

10. Which piece of information is least likely to be included in a national weekly newsmagazine?

A. the death of a famous sports personality

B. a photograph of riots in a foreign country

C. arguments between city council members

D. recent consumer product safety bulletins

1 I. Which periodical is least likely to contain the most up-to-date information about current events?

A. town newspaper

B. county almanac

C. national newsmagazine

D. major city newspaper

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TIP 6: Note the difference between primary and secondary sources.

Nonfiction books and articles can often be divided into two types: primary sources and secondary sources. A primary source is written by a person who has directly observed or participated in the events being described. Letters, diaries, and autobiographies are primary sources.

Secondary sources are written by authors based on the information they have researched. Their knowledge of the topic is "secondhand." Authors of secondary sources may use primary sources and other secondary sources as the basis of their research.

12. Which of these book titles is most likely an example of a primary source?

A. Ancient Mesopotamia

B. The Paintings of Picasso

C. D-Day: An Eyewitness Account

D. Understanding Shakespeare's Works

TIP 7: The Internet is a vast source of information—and misinformation.

The Internet is a global computer network. You can find information on almost any subject by searching the World Wide Web, the graphical side of the Internet that is designed for easy navigation. Because there's so much material on the Web, you need a strategy for finding what you want. Before you start, check with your librarian for information on how to search effectively. You must also carefully evaluate the information you find. Just because it's on the Web doesn't mean it's fair, unbiased, or accurate. Your librarian can give you tips on evaluating a particular website.

One good way to determine whether a website is offering unbiased information is to decide whether the website is designed to sell you a product. Commercial websites (generally those ending in .com) may serve more as advertisements than as information sources.

More Electronic Information Sources

CD-ROMs are compact discs containing information that can be read by a computer. Encyclopedias and dictionaries are just two types of documents that can be purchased on CD-ROM.

An electronic database is a collection of information organized in such a way that you can easily find the data you need. Many schools use databases to store and retrieve information about students, such as their full names, ages, parents' names, addresses, and phone numbers.

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13. Which of these websites would be most likely to contain reliable information about the Old West?

A. www.oldwest-themovie.com/about/lifeinthewest.html

B. www.example.net/users/billjohnson/bills_old_west_pages

C. www.egbert.university.edu/depts/history/oldwest.htm

D. www.books4sale2u.com/subjects/oldwest.html

TIP 8: Use the table of contents in a book to locate specific information.

The table of contents is an outline of the sections in a book. It provides a quick overview of the organization of the entire book. You can tell at a glance which sections are organized alphabetically and which are organized by subject matter. Using a table of contents in a phone book is like using any other table of contents. Use the following table to answer Numbers 14 and 15.

---see sample

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14. On which page should you begin to look for the telephone number of the City Courthouse?

A. 21

B. 28

C. 33

D. 302

15. In which section will you find a map of the city?

A. Business

B. Residential

C. Government

D. General Information

TIP 9: Check out the end notes, footnotes, and bibliography in a book or article.