Research and reference tools help students when it comes to spelling, writing, or general knowledge for classes. Types of research and reference tools include:

• Electronic Encyclopedias
• Electronic Atlases and Mapping Tools
• Electronic Dictionaries

These research and reference tools can help students research any topic. The tools can be used in any class for class projects or in general for classwork or homework. They are very useful tools, and teachers should make sure students are well aware that they exist and how to find these tools so that they can be used to their fullest potential.

Electronic Encyclopedias

An encyclopedia is a book or set of books that is filled with all kinds of information and is usually arranged alphabetically. When computers started started becoming more popular, encyclopedia publishers decided that it would be a good idea to use the technology to their advantage. Publishers began putting their encyclopedias into an electronic format to put online. This new format is cheaper and makes information easy to update when needed. It also allows for a huge storage capacity, as everything is online, and publishers are able to put in videos and sound recordings to add depth to the information provided.

Electronic Atlases and Mapping Tools

An atlas is a collection of maps, and though this typically means maps of the Earth, you can find maps for other things as well, such as the solar system or the human body. Before the use of electronic atlases, there were different types of atlases for different things. Desk atlases were usually hardback and were used for classrooms. A travel atlas can be used for traveling and is smaller with a spiral binding for a better look at the pages. Most atlases also had information about the maps, such as social, religious, and economic status. Now, atlases can be found easily online, without having to carry one around. You can download one on your phone for traveling or look one up in the classroom on the computer. It is easier to zoom in on an electronic atlas, and move the map around to look at different areas.

Electronic Dictionaries

Dictionaries are books used to help define unfamiliar words. Electronic dictionaries can be pulled out whenever you want to be able to look up words or definitions or words that you want to use. It's great when writing on a computer, because it can pulled up on your phone or on the computer without having to get up and search for a dictionary. There are also dictionaries that are in other languages so that traveling can be made easier when trying to get somewhere. This is a great tool for students to have on their phones before going out of the country on a field trip or to use in language classes to help with homework and projects.