Background and reference sources are best used when learning about a new topic. These resources will often include factual, undisputed, or historical information about your topic. Though you would not want to write a research paper using only background and reference sources, you might use them to give context or identify certain truths with a minimum of fuss. Examples of background and reference sources include encyclopedias, dictionaries, indexes, atlases, handbooks, and more.

Here are some background and reference resources which deal broadly with religion and which are physically available in our library.