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Why Use Reference Sources?

Credible Reliable Sources:

  • Authoritative publishers
  • Articles are written by well respected scholars/experts in the field

Good Background Information:

  • Efficient method to identify key terms, dates, people, theories

More Effective Database Searching:

  • Provide you with key words to more efficiently search for articles in databases

Bibliographies:

  • Most reference articles provide bibliographies that can lead you to new sources in books and journals

Examples from the Winona Library

Shakespeare in the Winona Library Reference Collection