Example

Excerpt from a reference article on the business/environment topic: Ecotourism

Reference articles provide definitions and an intro to issues and terminology. 

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Reference articles provide overviews of history, issues, debates, and stakeholders.

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Reference sources often provide leads to further reading in key resources:

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Why start with reference? 

• To gather background information that provides context, history, and an oversight of issues related to your subject. 

• To find definitions, concepts, and specialized terminology.

• To gather keywords (or keywords) you can use to search for relevant source material on the subject.

• To help you identify areas on which to focus and narrow a research area.