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UNH Upward Bound Bridge - Summer 2023 (UNH Durham): Background Info

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Background Sources for Research

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Why Use Reference Sources?

Reference sources are good places to gather background information on a topic or get ideas when choosing a topic.

Background information:

  • definitions
  • specific factual information such as dates
  • overviews or summaries of topics
  • recommendations for additional sources
  • research vocabulary

Types of reference sources

  • specialized encyclopedias
  • dictionaries
  • directories
  • statistical compilations
  • handbooks
  • bibliographies