Reference sources are available in general or subject specific contexts and in print or online formats. You need to evaluate each source and determine which are helpful to you and appropriate for you to use.
Examples:
Reference materials are good starting points for research projects because they can provide:
Below are selected reference books about Architecture and Architectural History. Be sure to browse the Library shelves on the lower level between call numbers N and NX to find more materials.
The Grove encyclopedia of Islamic art and architecture
The Penguin dictionary of architecture and landscape architectureSearch hundreds of reference sources - dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, quotations and atlases - for topic overviews and links to our other online resources. Includes mind map/concept map search feature.
Find biographies of people, searching by occupation, nationality, ethnicity, birth and death date, and of course by name.
The Encyclopedia of Ancient Egyptian Architecture by 
