HIST 17B Hoyt

Reference sources provide definitions, key figures, dates, terms, references to learn more, etc. Using reference sources, which can include print and electronic encyclopedias, manuals, handbooks, dictionaries, etc., can help you learn context related to a topic before diving into more specific research. Many reference books will contain the text of historical documents, reproductions of maps, paintings, text of a speech, a screenshot of a social media post, statistics, etc. These are considered primary sources even though they have been collected into a book. 

• Example of electronic encyclopedia: Race and Racism in the United States : An Encyclopedia of the American Mosaic
  • Sample encyclopedia entry: overview of Mendéz vs. Westminster (1947)
    • overviews like this are considered tertiary sources
  • Sample primary source from the encyclopedia: excerpt from the decision of the U.S. Court
    of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit regarding Mendéz vs. Westminster (1954)
    • the introduction is not the primary source, but the text from the decision is what you would cite from as evidence from that time period

Watch the Video

Learn how reference sources can help you in the initial stages of a research project in the following video. 

"5 Reasons to Use Reference Sources" by U of G Library (2:41) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.