An encyclopedia is reference material and a tertiary source. A tertiary source is a collection of primary and secondary sources. A tertiary source is good place to get an overview of a subject.
Other examples of tertiary sources:
- almanacs
- chronologies
- guidebooks
- manuals
Encyclopedias are considered scholarly sources if the content is written by an academic for an academic audience. Encyclopedia entries are reviewed by an editorial board but they are not peer-reviewed.
Learn more about primary and secondary sources.