A reference work may be either a book or periodical (or its electronic equivalent) that contains useful facts and information. The information is intended to be found quickly when needed. Reference works are used to find particular pieces of information, rather than read from beginning to end.
Research Starters: After entering your search terms/Keywords into Search All, the first result is often a Research Starter - a feature which gives quality, factual background information on a topic as well as providing links to authoritative and concise articles/information.