A Guide to information sources (or a bibliographic guide, a literature guide, a guide to reference materials, a subject gateway, etc.) is a kind of metabibliography

Metabibliography

A metabibliography is a bibliography of bibliographies.Bibliographies serve the finding of relevant documents. Metabibliographies serve the finding of the relevant bibliographies in which the relevant documents may be found...

. Ideally it is not just a listing og bibliographies, reference work

Reference work

A reference work is a compendium of information, usually of a specific type, compiled in a book for ease of reference. That is, the information is intended to be quickly found when needed. Reference works are usually referred to for particular pieces of information, rather than read beginning to end...

s and other information source

Information source

"Source" means data that originates from either primary of secondary source. An information source is a source of information for somebody, i.e. anything that might inform a person about something or provide knowledge to somebody. Information sources may be observations, people, speeches,...

s, but more like a textbook

Textbook

A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...

 introducing users to the information sources in a given field (or in general).

Such guides may have many different forms: Comprehensive or highly selective, printed or electronic sources, annoteted listings or written chapters etc.

Functions

Often used as curriculum tools for bibliographic instruction, the guides help library users find materials or help those unfamiliar with a discipline understand the key sources.

Examples

Aby, Stephen H., Nalen, James & Fielding, Lori (2005). Sociology; a guide to reference and information sources. 3rd ed. Westport,Conn.: Libraries Unlimited.

Adams, Stephen R. (2005). Information Sources in Patents; 2nd ed. (Guides to Information Sources). München: K. G. Saur ISBN 3598244436

Blewett, Daniel K (2008). American military history; a guide to reference and information sources. 2nd ed. Westport, CT : Libraries Unlimited.

Jacoby, JoAnn & Kibbee, Josephine Z. (2007). Cultural anthropology; a guide to reference and information sources. 2nd ed. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited.

Schmidt, Diane & Bell, George H. (2003). Guide to reference and information sources in the zoological sciences. Westport, Conn. : Libraries Unlimited.

O'Hare, Christine (2007). Business Information Sources. London: Library Assn Pub Ltd

Ostwald, W (1919). Die chemische Literatur und die Organisation der Wissenschaft. Leipzig : W. Ostwald & C. Drucker. (This is considered the first "guide to information sources").

Stebbins, Leslie F. (2006). Student guide to research in the digital age; how to locate and evaluate information sources. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited.

Webb, W. H. et al. (Ed.). (1986). Sources of information in the social sciences. A Guide to the literature. 3. ed. Chicago : American Library Association.

Zell, Hans M. (ed.). (2003). The African studies companion; a guide to information sources. 3rd rev. and expanded ed. Glais Bheinn : Hans Zell.

See also

• Information literacy
  Information literacy
  The National Forum on Information Literacy defines information literacy as “...the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand.” This is the most common definition; however,...
  
  
• Information source
  Information source
  "Source" means data that originates from either primary of secondary source. An information source is a source of information for somebody, i.e. anything that might inform a person about something or provide knowledge to somebody. Information sources may be observations, people, speeches,...
  
  
• Metabibliography
  Metabibliography
  A metabibliography is a bibliography of bibliographies.Bibliographies serve the finding of relevant documents. Metabibliographies serve the finding of the relevant bibliographies in which the relevant documents may be found...
  
  
• Pathfinder (Library Science)
  Pathfinder (Library Science)
  A pathfinder is a bibliography created to help research a particular topic or subject area....
  
  

Literature

• Bottle, R. T. (1997). Information science. I: Feather, J. & Sturges, P. (Eds.). International encyclo­pedia of library and information science. London & New York : Routledge. (pp. 212­-214).
• Vileno, L. (2007). From paper to electronic, the evolution of pathfinders: a review of the literature. Reference Services Review. 35(3), 434-451. Også tilgængelig 2009-08-16 fra: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?contentType=Article&Filename=Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/2400350310.html