Wikipedia is a background source, but as a crowd-created website, be careful to verify that the information is accurate! The best way to do this is to visit and evaluate citations provided at the bottom of an entry.
Are they:
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Laura Hooper Kate Fox
Background sources (encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks) provide a broad overview of a topic to help you get started.
Where should I start? Use Credo Reference. It provides:
General Background Sources
Art
Modern Language
Health
History
International
Religion
Science