Why would you use a background source?
Use background sources, such as encyclopedias, textbooks, and Wikipedia, to:
- get an overview of a topic (what people are currently researching/thinking about in a subject area)
- find new key words to help you search more effectively.
- use their citations to find primary, scholarly literature on the topic area.
Background sources are generally not appropriate to cite in scholarly papers.
Background Resources
- Oxford Bibliographies Online. Anthropology This link opens in a new windowGuide to scholarly literature in the field of Anthropology. Subdivided into articles by established scholars covering major categories of research with corresponding bibliographies of recommended resources.
- Oxford Bibliographies: Biocultural AnthropologyGuide to scholarly literature in the field of biocultural anthropology, subdivided into articles by established scholars covering major categories of research with corresponding bibliographies of recommended resources.
- Credo Reference Unlimited This link opens in a new windowCredo Ready-Reference services feature full-text, aggregated content from hundreds of reference books covering every major subject.
