This wall painting found in Pompeii is an example of a primary source about people in Pompeii in Roman times. Image from the Wikipedia article for "Primary source", which is itself an example of a tertiary source.
What are Reference Sources?
Reference materials (also called reference or background sources) offer quick specific facts or information or an overview of a subject. Some examples of reference sources are: dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, almanacs, directories, atlases, and handbooks. These can be online or in print.
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, definitions, associations
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
CREDO Topic Pages
Other Online Reference Sources
Access to over 420,000 primary source documents, complete books, and authentic images.