Source Types

Tertiary Sources

Tertiary sources are based off of secondary sources and give an overview of a topic or subject area. These include reference books and periodicals.

Examples are: 

• biographies
• encyclopedias
• dictionaries

Reference Sources

Encyclopedias and dictionaries are tertiary sources and are widely known as reference sources. Reference sources can provide a brief overview of a topic or subject area. 

Some examples of reference sources:

• almanacs
• anthologies
• bibliographies
• dictionaries
• encyclopedias
• handbooks
• manuals