School of Education: Primary Sources

Background information can be found in reference sources, online or in print, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks.

• Dictionaries contain brief definitions, usually only a sentence or two in length.
• Encyclopedias provide a more in-depth description, usually a few paragraphs in length.
• Handbooks contain descriptions that can be multiple pages and describe the development and future of a subject.

NOTE: below are examples of resources the Library offers. Use the catalog to conduct additional searches.