4: General Reference
The works listed here offer a starting point for writers, editors, and others involved in publishing who would like more information about topics covered in this manual. The list includes all the works cited in the text as further resources along with other useful references. Although some make recommendations that diverge from those of this manual, they reflect the specific demands of different disciplines and the evolving traditions of writing, editing, and publishing. As with all reference sources, readers should carefully evaluate their suitability for a given purpose.
4.1: Biography
American Men and Women of Science. 41st ed. K. Lee Lerner, adviser. Gale, 2023.
American National Biography. Oxford University Press, 2000–. https://www.anb.org/.
Burke’s Peerage and Baronetage. 107th ed. Multiple vols. Burke’s Peerage, 1826–. Also available, with additional related resources, at https://www.burkespeerage.com/.
Canadian Who’s Who. Grey House Publishing Canada, 1910–. https://canadianwhoswho.ca/.
Chambers Biographical Dictionary. 9th ed. Chambers, 2011.
Concise Dictionary of National Biography: From Earliest Times to 1985. 3 vols. Oxford University Press, 1992.
Dictionary of American Biography. 11 vols. Scribner’s, 1995. Supplements. Succeeded by American National Biography.
Dictionary of Canadian Biography. 14 vols. University of Toronto / Université Laval, 1966–. Supplements. Continued, with updates, at http://www.biographi.ca/.
A Dictionary of Scientists. Oxford University Press, 1999. Published online 2003. https://doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780192800862.001.0001.
Grove Music Online. See The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
The International Who’s Who. Europa/Routledge, 1935–. Published annually. Also available at https://www.worldwhoswho.com/.
Marquis Who’s Who. Marquis Who’s Who, 1898–. Continually updated. https://www.marquiswhoswho.com/.
Merriam-Webster’s Biographical Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, 1995. Continued by the biographical entries in Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Merriam-Webster Unabridged (bibliog. 3.1).
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 2nd ed. 29 vols. Edited by Stanley Sadie. Grove, 2001. Continued, as Grove Music Online, at https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/.
The New York Times. Obituaries. https://www.nytimes.com/section/obituaries/.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 60 vols. Prepared under various editors. Oxford University Press, 1885–2004. Continued at https://www.oxforddnb.com/.
Thomson, David. The New Biographical Dictionary of Film. 6th ed. Knopf, 2014.
Who’s Who. A&C Black, 1849–. Published annually. Also available at https://www.ukwhoswho.com/.
Who’s Who in America. Marquis Who’s Who, 1899–. Published biennially. See also Marquis Who’s Who.
4.2: Geography
Canadian Geographical Names. Geographical Names Board of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. Continually updated. https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/maps-tools-and-publications/maps/geographical-names-canada/10786.
Columbia Gazetteer of the World. 2nd ed. Edited by Saul B. Cohen. Columbia University Press, 2008. Also available at http://www.columbiagazetteer.org/.
Everett-Heath, John. Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names. 6th ed. Oxford, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780191905636.001.0001.
Geographic Names Server (GNS). National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Continually updated. https://geonames.nga.mil/geonames/GNSHome/.
Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names Online. Getty Research Institute. J. Paul Getty Trust. Continually updated. https://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabularies/tgn/.
Mayhew, Susan. A Dictionary of Geography. 5th ed. Oxford University Press, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780199680856.001.0001.
Merriam-Webster’s Geographical Dictionary. 3rd ed. Merriam-Webster, 1997. Continued by the geographic entries in Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Merriam-Webster Unabridged (bibliog. 3.1).
Oxford Atlas of the World. Oxford University Press, 1992–. Updated annually.
The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World. 15th ed. Times Books UK, 2018.
United States Board on Geographic Names. US Department of the Interior and US Geological Survey. Continually updated. https://www.usgs.gov/us-board-on-geographic-names.
The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency (US). Continually updated. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/.
4.3: Encyclopedias
The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/.
The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 15th ed. 32 vols. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2010. Final print version. Continued online, as Britannica, at https://www.britannica.com/.
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. https://www.wikipedia.org/.
4.4: Almanacs and Yearbooks
Canadian Almanac and Directory. Grey House Publishing Canada, 1847–. Published annually.
The Europa World of Learning. Europa/Routledge, 1947–. Published annually. Also available at https://www.worldoflearning.com/.
Europa World Year Book. Europa/Routledge, 1926–. Published annually. Also available at https://www.europaworld.com/.
The Statesman’s Yearbook. Palgrave Macmillan, 1864–. Published annually. Also available at https://link.springer.com/referencework/10.1057/978-1-349-95972-3.
Whitaker’s Almanack. J. Whitaker & Sons / Stationery Office / Bloomsbury / Rebellion, 1868–. Published annually.
World Almanac and Book of Facts. World Almanac Books, 1868–. Published annually.
4.5: Guides to Public Documents
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. Government Publishing Office. https://catalog.gpo.gov/.
Citing Records in the National Archives of the United States. General Information Leaflet 17. National Archives and Records Administration, 2010. https://www.archives.gov/publications/general-info-leaflets/17-citing-records.html.
Guide to the Contents of the Public Record Office (UK). 3 vols. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1963–68.
Guide to U.S. Government Publications. Edited by Donna Batten. Formerly known as Andriot. Gale. Updated annually.
Rodgers, Frank. A Guide to British Government Publications. H. W. Wilson, 1980.
4.6: Quotations and Trivia
Bartlett, John. Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations: A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature. 19th ed. Edited by Geoffrey O’Brien. Little, Brown, 2022.
The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. 8th ed. Edited by Elizabeth Knowles. Oxford University Press, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780199668700.001.0001.
Schott, Ben. Schott’s Original Miscellany. Bloomsbury, 2003.
Shapiro, Fred R., ed. The New Yale Book of Quotations. With a foreword by Louis Menand. Yale University Press, 2021.
4.7: Abbreviations
Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 Network. Continually updated. https://www.abbreviations.com/.
Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary: A Guide to Acronyms, Abbreviations, Contractions, Alphabetic Symbols, and Similar Condensed Appellations. 55th ed. 11 vols. Gale, 2021.
Davis, Neil M. Medical Abbreviations: 32,000 Conveniences at the Expense of Communication and Safety. 16th ed. Neil M. Davis Associates, 2019.
Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Joint Chiefs of Staff. Available at https://irp.fas.org/doddir/dod/dictionary.pdf.
Dorland’s Dictionary of Medical Acronyms and Abbreviations. 7th ed. Elsevier, 2015.
International Organization for Standardization. Information and Documentation—Rules for the Abbreviation of Title Words and Titles of Publications. ISO 4:1997.
Molloy, Mike, founder. Acronym Finder. Continually updated. https://www.acronymfinder.com/.
Vance, Burt. A Dictionary of Abbreviations. Oxford University Press, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780199698295.001.0001.
Webster’s Guide to Abbreviations. Merriam-Webster, 1985. Continued by the entries for abbreviations in Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Merriam-Webster Unabridged (bibliog. 3.1).