Information Commons: Respiratory Therapy: Reference Sources

What is a Reference Source?

Reference Sources provide quick answers to research questions. They are not meant to be read in full but are referred to on an as-needed basis. Examples of physical reference sources are dictionaries and encyclopedias. There are many free reference sources available online. One popular source is Wikipedia. Contrary to popular belief, Wikipedia is an edited source, usually with quite reliable information. However, Wikipedia's greatest assess are the References and Further Reading sections at the bottom of each article. These sections provide a great opportunity to find more research sources. In addition, the below reference sources are of particular use for psychology research:

Bartleby.com: Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body
"The Bartleby.com edition of Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body features 1,247 vibrant engravings—many in color—from the classic 1918 publication, as well as a subject index with 13,000 entries ranging from the Antrum of Highmore to the Zonule of Zinn."
Biology Online: Dictionary
"Our Biology Dictionary is the largest dictionary of Biology terms and definitions in the world. Learn various topics, concepts, and principles in Biology by searching the definitions and essential details of 70,000+ Biology terms."
CDC Data & Statistics
Provided by the Center for Disease Control, CDC Data & Statistics allows users to search for statistics by topic.
CIA World Factbook
The World Factbook provides information on the history, people and society, government, economy, energy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. The Reference tab includes: a variety of world, regional, country, ocean, and time zone maps; Flags of the World; and a Country Comparison function that ranks the country information and data in more than 75 Factbook fields.
Credo Research Quick Tips (Research Videos)
Learn and develop lifelong skills to find, evaluate and use information effectively.
Empower your research process with these videos.