This guide provides an introduction to reference sources in the collections of UW-Madison Libraries.  

What are reference sources?  Reference sources are authoritative works to which you can refer for specific answers or information. There are many types of references such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories, and more.   They are good for finding facts and definitions, overviews of topics, and additional sources of information.

Use the resources on the Core Resources tab to help you identify reference sources and find articles within them.  Use the other tabs to see resources of a particular type.

This guide focuses on general and mostly online reference sources available through the UW-Madison Libraries. Use subject-specific research guides to find reference sources related to your subject.  See also More Reference Guides. 

For additional resources and in-depth assistance, see the following reference research guides: