Skip to Main Content

Reference Section

Resources to help you start your research.

Understanding Sources in the Reference Section

The Catholic International Library's Reference Section contains three types of sources designed to support research and academic needs.

Source Types & Where to Find Them

TERTIARY

SECONDARY

PRIMARY

Tertiary sources are research resources that index, organize, or compile other sources.

Resources in the Reference Section are designed to provide users with definitions and broad overviews, and bibliographies that lead to additional resources.

Secondary sources are works that analyze, assess, or interpret a historical event, era, or phenomenon. Secondary sources often offer a review or critique of a Primary source. Secondary sources are generally written well after the advent of the Primary source.

Secondary sources do not offer new evidence.

 Primary sources are the artifacts that “provide direct evidence of human activity” (Guidelines for Primary Source Literacy, 2018). 
  • Catechism & Compendiums
  • Dictionaries
  • Encyclopedias
  • Bible Commentaries
  • Literature Commentaries
  • Ante-Nicene Fathers
  • Bibles
  • Canon Law
  • Writings of Saints

For more information on Primary, Secondary & Tertiary sources and how to use them in your research visit Identifying & Using Scholarly Sources or schedule a research appointment with the librarian via Calendly.