Some examples of tertiary sources are encyclopedias, dictionaries, newspapers and Magazines. Encyclopedias are useful to gain a general overview of a subject. At best they are a starting point in doing research. They are useful to gain an immediate understanding of otherwise unfamiliar subjects. Encyclopedias, however, are not usually a reliable source for the details of a subject. As your research progresses they should be replaced with secondary or primary sources. Newspapers and magazines should be used with some caution. Some are reliable but many tend to misrepresent or oversimplify research reported in secondary sources. 