Remember: Research is not about what you already know. It's the process of discovering and interpreting information from reliable sources.
Use reference sources (like encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, almanacs, atlases, handbooks, etc.) as a way to gain background information on a topic. Reference sources provide factual information that can supplement your research. You can also use reference sources to help find additional sources for your research.
Credo Reference and Oxford Reference are great alternatives to the basic Google search. The results are more reliable and are usually acceptable for university-level projects.
Primary sources are original documents or artifacts created during the time period being studied. They often include firsthand or eyewitness accounts or have an inside view of a particular event.
Original Documents include advertisements, artwork, autobiographies, diaries, government documents (bills, laws, congressional hearings, etc.), interviews, letters, newspaper articles, official records, oral histories, photographs, posters, raw research data, speeches, etc.
See Finding Primary Sources for locating primary sources in the library and on the internet.
