2. INDEX
SL NO CONTENT PG NO
1 Introduction 1
2 Reference material 2
3 Encyclopedia 3-4
4 Newsletters 5-6
5 Magazines 6-8
6 Journals 8-10
7 Conclusion 11
8 References 12
3. 1
INTRODUCTION
A reference material provides a kind of benchmark for a
measurement. It is therefore used in, for example, method development and
validation, calibration and quality assurance. Reference materials are various
sources that provide background information or quick facts on any given topic.
Reference materials are obviously those items most likely to be useful in
answering reference questions. For this reason, they are often held by libraries
as resources which are either non-circulating or circulated under strict
limitations. Reference sources are used to obtain a specific answer to a question
or to indicate other sources to use during the research process. Although there
are several types of reference sources, they all are categorized as either general
or specific in scope. General reference sources will contain a broad range of
subject areas whereas subject specific sources have content that is focused in
one particular area of study.
4. 2
REFERENCE MATERIAL
A reference material provides a kind of benchmark for a
measurement. It is therefore used in, for example, method development and
validation, calibration and quality assurance. Reference materials are various
sources that provide background information or quick facts on any given topic.
Reference materials like encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, thesaurus,
newsletter, magazine and journals help us find information. It would be hard to
find the information we need without these materials. The internet has all of
these reference materials. So, if you don’t have these things at your home you
will be able to find them on the computer.
TYPES OF REFERENCE MATERIALS
1. Encyclopedias
2. Newsletters
3. Magazines
4. Journals
5. 3
ENCYCLOPEDIAS
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work or
compendium holding a comprehensive summary of information from
either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of
knowledge.Encyclopedias is divided into articles or entries, which are
usually accessed alphabetically by article name. Encyclopedia entries are
longer and more detailed than those in most dictionaries. Generally
speaking, unlike dictionary entries, which focus on linguistic information
about words, encyclopedia articles focus on factual information to cover
the thing or concept for which the article name stands.
Encyclopedias have existed for around 2,000 years;
the oldest still in existence, Naturalis Historia, was written starting in AD
77 by Pliny the Elder. The modern encyclopedia evolved out of
dictionaries around the 17th century. Historically, some encyclopedias
were contained in one volume, whereas others, such as the Encyclopedia
Britannica, the Enciclopedia Italiana or the world's largest, Encyclopedia
universal ilustrada europeo-americana, became huge multi-volume works.
Some modern encyclopedias, such as Wikipedia, are electronic and
often freely available.
6. 4
Most students use both the internet and library
resources when conducting academic research. A common first step in
the research process is accessing encyclopedias. Reputable encyclopedias
give you the opportunity to add legitimate sources to research papers,
presentations and theses. It is important that encyclopedia sources are
credible, so it is essential to use online sources that are trustworthy and
respected.
People use encyclopedias to broaden their knowledge
on subjects of interest. There are many subject-specific encyclopedias
available on a variety of topics including medicine, law, pop culture,
history and wildlife. These encyclopedias give more in-depth information
than those with general information on thousands of topics. General
encyclopedias also meet the needs of people seeking basic research on
many topics before seeking detailed information elsewhere.
General encyclopedias offer a general overview of a
wide range of topics while subject-specific encyclopedias offer in-depth
information on specific topics. Any profession that requires its specialists
to perform ongoing research has a subject encyclopedia. Professionals use
them to check facts or to gain additional knowledge on a particular
subject area.
7. 5
NEWSLETTER
A newsletter is a Small, printed, or published through other
means, newspaper or digest aimed for a select audience on a narrow subject, or
for circulation within an organization. Newsletter is a regularly distributed
publication that is generally about one main topic of interest to its subscribers.
Newspapers and leaflets are types of newsletters. For example, newsletters are
distributed at schools to inform parents about things that happen in that school.
Newsletters are published by clubs, churches, societies, associations, and
businesses especially companies to provide information of interest to members,
customers, or employees. A newsletter may be considered "grey literature".
Newsletters delivered electronically via email (e-Newsletters) have gained rapid
acceptance for the same reasons email in general has gained popularity over
printed correspondence. Some newsletters are created as money-making
ventures and sold directly to subscribers. Sending newsletters to customers and
prospects is a common marketing strategy, which can have benefits and
drawbacks. Public organizations emit newsletters in order to improve or
maintain their reputation in the society. General attributes of newsletters include
news and upcoming events of the related organization, as well as contact
information.
Classroom newsletters are an excellent way to keep in touch
with parents and help them be a part of their child's education. Frequent and
8. 6
regular class newsletters enable parents to sense the feeling and momentum of
the class and gain insights into what their child is learning. Class newsletters
can include simple graphics, samples of student work, and parent education
information. The newsletter is a good way to let parents know what is being
studied in different curricular areas. It can give information about upcoming
events and areas to be studied, as well as recent accomplishments of individual
students and the class.
MAGAZINES
Magazines are publications, usually periodical publications
that are printed or published electronically. The online versions are called online
magazines. They are generally published on a regular schedule and contain a
variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase
price, by prepaid subscriptions, or a combination of the three. At its root, the
word "magazine" refers to a collection or storage location. In the case of written
publication, it is a collection of written articles. The earliest example of
magazines was Erbauliche Monaths Unterredungen which was launched in
1663 in Germany. It was a literary and philosophy magazine. The Gentleman's
Magazine, first published in 1731, in London, is considered to have been the
first general-interest magazine. Magazines can be distributed through the mail,
through sales by newsstands, bookstores, or other vendors, or through free
distribution at selected pick-up locations.
9. 7
We live in an informational age, and if we want our students
to have up-to-date information, then magazines are your best classroom
management resource. They provide short passages, use a variety of different
text structures, and they are an excellent way for students to practice reading
nonfiction. Magazines can be an effective way teaching strategy. For example,
instead of searching for the perfect nonfiction text to demonstrate a strategy, lift
a piece of text from a children’s magazine instead. Laminate magazines before
you give them to students. Then have students keep them in their desks so they
can use them for independent reading, for a demonstration of a teaching
strategy, or for guided reading. Magazines are an excellent way to teach
students publishing features such as captions, headers, sub headers, illustrations,
bold words, timelines, word boxes, footnotes, etc. Keep a variety of magazines
in your classroom library. This will give students the opportunity to choose a
magazine for leisure instead of a novel. When students choose a magazine to
read on their own time, they are being exposed to nonfiction and expository
writing. This helps to broaden their reading skills, and activate their proper
knowledge, which in turn will help them on state assessments.
Classroom magazines are a great source of high-interest
nonfiction. Students are exposed to up-to-date information on a daily, weekly or
monthly basis. Since textbooks can go years before revisions, magazines are
ultimately the best choice for the most-current information. They are also an
10. 8
effective way to teach strategies, and can also be used to prepare students for
state tests since many of the passages are very close in structure to the tests.
Even lower levels can do tasks describing pictures and finding pictures in a
magazine even if they are not yet proficient enough to read a real English
magazine.
JOURNALS
A journal has several related meanings, a daily record of
events or business; a private journal is usually referred to as a diary, a
newspaper or other periodical, in the literal sense of one published each day.
Many publications issued at stated intervals, such as academic journals, or the
record of the transactions of a society, are often called journals. In academic
use, a journal refers to a serious, scholarly publication that is peer-reviewed. An
academic or scholarly journal is a peer-reviewed or refereed periodical in which
scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published.
Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and
presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research.
Content typically takes the form of articles presenting original research, review
articles, and book reviews. The term academic journal applies to scholarly
publications in all fields; this article discusses the aspects common to all
academic field journals. Scientific journals and journals of the quantitative
social sciences vary in form and function from journals of the humanities and
11. 9
qualitative social sciences; their specific aspects are separately discussed. They
are mainly held in libraries or on subscription-based databases.
Journal writing is an incredibly flexible instructional tool,
useful across the entire curriculum. While often used as a class start-up activity,
it is used primarily to give students an opportunity to speculate on paper,
confident that their ideas, observations, emotions, and writing will be accepted
without criticism. Curriculum oriented journal entries have the advantage of
causing students to relate personally to the topic before instruction begins.
Asking for a summary of learning or for a question or two the student still has at
the end of the period causes the student to process and organize his or her
thoughts about the material covered.
Some teachers successfully use journals as an important tool
in their teaching methodology. Journals are often a good relationship building
and community building activity, usually low-stakes personal or reflective
writing, which helps students to develop confidence and supports critical
thinking. Journals can provide numerous writing opportunities for students.
Journals can be used as a part of homework that all students can complete
independently. Journals can get students focused and working when they come
into the classroom. Journals can help build a community of writers. Journals
have disadvantages also. Journal writing is often perceived as busy work.
12. 10
Journals take time. And when combined with silent reading etc., it becomes a
pretty big chunk of time without actual instruction.
13. 11
CONCLUSION
A reference material provides a kind of benchmark for a
measurement. Reference materials are various sources that provide background
information or quick facts on any given topic. Reference materials like
encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, thesaurus, newsletter, magazine and
journals help us find information. It would be hard to find the information we
need without these materials. The internet has all of these reference materials.
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work or compendium holding a
comprehensive summary of information from either all branches of knowledge
or a particular branch of knowledge. Newsletter is a regularly distributed
publication that is generally about one main topic of interest to its subscribers.
Magazines are publications, usually periodical publications that are printed or
published electronically. The online versions are called online magazines. A
journal has several related meanings, a daily record of events or business; a
private journal is usually referred to as a diary, a newspaper or other periodical,
in the literal sense of one published each day. Many publications issued at stated
intervals, such as academic journals, or the record of the transactions of a
society, are often called journals.