On this page are sources background information, with valuable suggestions for further reading.
Even if you start your search by reading a Wikipedia entry, you'll find these sources are a good way to confirm accuracy and discover more nuanced interpretations. Published reference sources go through a more rigorous editing process and are typically written by top scholars in the field.
Encyclopedias attempt to summarize the state of knowledge in a field of inquiry. A good encyclopedia can be a valuable starting point for your research.
Not finding anything on your topic? Try Credo Reference and Gale Virtual Reference Library, two giant collections of digitized reference works.
Bibliographies, handbooks, and guides can assist you in charting a path through the vast amount of research available on a topic. Specialized bibliographies can also help you identify difficult-to-find materials.
These are good, general online sources for biographical information:
Print Biographies: