Reference or Tertiary Sources are a great place to start your research, but it's important to know what kind of information a reference source offers. Print or online encyclopedias may give you a broad overview of your topic and will help you identify search terms. This type of reference source will help you begin your research, but it should not be the foundation for a history research paper. We recommend starting with Credo and the other databases listed below. Credo Reference is a great start for finding background information, and U.S. History in Context is well-ogranized for your intital searches. Both have Topic Pages you can browse when looking for a topic.