Reference Books
Ten Years Later
1996
The Challenger disaster appears in reference books, such as encyclopedias, as the event becomes part of an individuals's general knowledge.
| Reference Book Characteristics | |
| AUDIENCE: | Ranges from the general public (including schoolchildren) to scholars. |
| AUTHOR: | Either the writing staff of the encyclopedia or scholars specializing in the subject of the entry. |
| TIMELINESS: | At least a year or more behind events. | CONTENT: | Provide concise overviews and summaries of the event. Contain information that is often several years old. Can be either popular or scholarly; usually present information in an objective manner. | TYPE OF SOURCE: | Secondary |
Although reference books such as encyclopedias come late in the information flow timeline, they can be good starting places for research since they provide a concise overview of a topic.