What is a reference source?
A reference source summarizes and synthesizes secondary sources such as books and scholarly articles. Typically, a reference source does not contain original research. These sources provide important background and contextual information on your subject.
Why should I use a reference source?
You should use this type of source to help narrow your research topic, find data to support your thesis, and identify keywords and main ideas to use as search terms.
What are some examples of reference sources?
Reference sources generally include bibliographies, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks.