Historiographical and source study’s problems of basic reference book preparation are studied in the article. This reference book is devoted to the history of the Russian state institutions’ functioning in the period of XV century - February 1917, to the development of its administrative authorities at all levels of power, the evolution and order of rank’s promotion and to the history of origin, existence and development of all the types of records keeping documentation of higher, central and local institutions of Russia. A separate reference book covers the main kinds and versions of the Soviet period’s records.