HIST 2110 - US Comprehensive Survey: Find Background Information

Most reference resources are considered "tertiary" source materials. These books and websites provide background information and overview of a subject or concept.

Tertiary sources have been compiled from secondary sources. Tertiary sources are not usually intended to be read in their entirety. Instead, they are most often used to clarify terms and concepts about a particular topic. Tertiary sources can include:

• Almanacs, Yearbooks, and Factbooks
• Bibliographies
• Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
• Indexes and Abstracts
• Manuals
• Textbooks

[Dorothea Lange. Downloads Destitute Pea Pickers in California. World Digital Library]

Subject-specific encyclopedias and dictionaries are more specialized than general ones. Coverage is limited to a specific subject or field of study and contain more developed entries written by scholars and experts within the field.

Discover Research Starters are short, citable summaries and authoritative overviews of popular topics. Often includes links to relevant articles, images, videos and audio clips. Simply search your topic in Discover. If a Research Starter is available, it will appear at the top of the results list as pictured below.