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Types of secondary sources: encyclopaedias, handbooks, dictionaries, glossaries and directories

Encyclopaedias

Entries are arranged in alphabetical order, are fairly brief and are usually at an introductory level, such as the New Encyclopaedia Britannica.1 There are also some encyclopaedias, such as the Encyclopedia of Business 2 that cover one specific subject area and are usually more detailed.
Many encyclopaedias are available online and these are more flexible to use as they can be browsed by subject or searched using keywords: see the Reference and Statistics area of Resources Online for more information.

Handbooks

Handbooks are arranged by topic, and not necessarily in alphabetical order. They usually contain tables, physical constants, charts and data formulae. Many handbooks are now available online.

Examples

Dictionaries and glossaries

Glossaries will provide one standard meaning for a term, whereas a dictionary will provide all known uses of a term. Both will provide extra information per definition, for example, variant spellings and pronunciation. At the back of these publications there is often useful data such as conversion charts and symbols. Many glossaries are available on the web, for example Biz/ed - business glossary.3 You should always be aware of the quality of web glossaries.

Hardcopy examples

  • The Penguin International Dictionary of Finance4
  • Concise Dictionary of Business Management5
  • Dictionary of Economics6
  • The dictionary of physical geography7
  • The Cambridge dictionary of sociology8

Directories

Directories contain lists of names and addresses, usually in alphabetical order. These can be commercial trade directories ('buyer's guides'), membership lists of professional associations or a subject grouping of universities or other organisations or companies. Be aware that directories become out of date very quickly.

Examples

  • The World of Learning9
  • World Directory of Business Information Websites10

References

1. The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th revised edition. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chicago, 2002.
2. Malonis, J. A. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd edition. Gale, Detroit, 2000.
3. Biz/ed - business glossary, [Online] Available from: http://www.bized.co.uk/glossary/glossary.htm [Accessed 8th May 2008].
4. Bannock, G. The Penguin International Dictionary of Finance, 4th edition. Penguin, London, 2003.
5. Statt, D.A. Concise Dictionary of Business Management, Routledge, London, 1999.
6. Bannock, G. et al. Dictionary of Economics, 7th edition. Penguin, London, 2003.
7. Thomas, David S.G and Andrew Goudie (eds.). The dictionary of physical geography  (3rd ed) Malden, MA : Blackwell Publishing, 2000.
8. Turner, Bryan S. (ed.) The Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology, New York : Cambridge University Press, 2006.
9. The World of Learning, 57th edition. Europa, London, 2007.
10. World directory of Business Information Websites, 6th edition. Euromonitor, London, 2003.