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Recreation and Leisure Studies: Reference

What are reference resources?

Reference resources are designed to provide quick access to specific information and factual data, and can be general or discipline-specific. They are useful to consult during the early stages of your research. 

They are useful to consult during the early stages of your research and can help you to:

  • learn the terminology appropriate for your topic
  • understand your topic's broad context
  • establish a coherent organizational structure for your work

 Examples include:

  • Encyclopedias
  • Dictionaries
  • Thesauri
  • Bibliographies
  • Companions
  • Guides
  • Handbooks
  • Manuals
  • Companions

They often contain foundational information, such as:

  • definitions of terms
  • verification of factual information
  • overviews on your topic
  • background information
  • annotations and abstract

UWaterloo Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and more

The Library has over 150 dictionaries and encyclopedias to choose from!

directional image from the university of waterloo Library's homepage, under the "find resources" tab in the top menu, the highlighted tab in the drop down menu for "Dictionaries, encyclopedias and more" web page

 

Visit the Library's Dictionary, encyclopedia and more page to explore