Geology

Reference works are an excellent first stop in your research and are incredibly useful for:

• Getting an overview of a topic
• Facts--Data, physical and chemical properties, formulae, procedures, definitions, etc.
• Getting ideas or narrowing your scope
• Identifying core works on the subject and expert authors

Encyclopedias and dictionaries, while useful, are not usually cited in your research. Ask your librarian or instructor about citing a reference work to be sure.

(Photomicrograph of gabbro, 2006. Siim Sepp.)