Music 345a: Somali Music and Dance

Reference sources are tertiary sources, including dictionaries and encyclopedias.  They draw on primary and secondary sources to summarize the basic details of a topic.

Reference sources are a good place to start your research, especially if your topic is brand new to you.

• They provide introductions the topic and the major research points that other scholars have discussed.
• They provide quick definitions of important terms or concepts.
• They often include bibliographies of suggested sources that can help you build your own set of research sources.