doing background research helps you to quizlet

Background Research

What is background research, tyes of background information.

• General Sources
• Subject Specific Sources

Background research (or pre-research) is the research that you do before you start writing your paper or working on your project. Sometimes background research happens before you've even chosen a topic. The purpose of background research is to make the research that goes into your paper or project easier and more successful.

Some reasons to do background research include:

• Determining an appropriate scope for your research: Successful research starts with a topic or question that is appropriate to the scope of the assignment. A topic that is too broad means too much relevant information to review and distill. If your topic is too narrow, there won't be enough information to do meaningful research.
• Understanding how your research fits in with the broader conversation surrounding the topic: What are the major points of view or areas of interest in discussions of your research topic and how does your research fit in with these? Answering this question can help you define the parts of your topic that you need to explore.
• Establishing the value of your research : What is the impact of your research and why does it matter? How might your research clarify or change our understanding of the topic?
• Identifying experts and other important perspectives: Are there scholars whose work you need to understand for your research to be complete? Are there points of view that you need to include or address?

Doing background research helps you choose a topic that you'll be happy with and develop a sense of what research you'll need to do in order to successfully complete your assignment. It will also help you plan your research and understand how much time you'll need to dedicate to understanding and exploring your topic.

Some types of information sources can be particularly helpful when you're doing background research. These are often primarily tertiary sources meaning that, rather than conducting original research they often summarize existing research on the topic.

Current Events Briefs Databases like CQ Researcher are focused on understanding controversial topics in current events. They provide information about the background of the issue as well as explanations of the positions of those on either side of a controversy.

Encyclopedias  Encyclopedias are ideal sources for doing background research in order build your knowledge about a topic sufficiently to identify a topic and develop a research plan.

Dictionaries Dictionaries include both general dictionaries like the Oxford English Dictionary as well as more specialized dictionaries focused on a single area. Dictionary entries are usually shorter and less detailed than encyclopedia entries and generally do not include references. However, they can be helpful when your research introduces you to concepts with which you aren't familiar.

Textbooks Your textbook is a potential source of background information, providing an explanation of the topic that prepares you to focus and dig deeper. Textbooks give a general overview of lot of information.

Statistics While you may find that it's difficult to make sense of statistics related to your topic while you're still exploring, statistics can be a powerful tool for establishing the context and importance of your research.

• Next: General Sources >>
• Last Updated: Nov 13, 2023 3:40 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.odu.edu/background

Research Foundations: The Pre-Research Process

• Information Literacy
• The Information Timeline
• Popular, Scholarly, & Trade Publications
• Primary, Secondary, & Tertiary Materials
• Information Formats
• Evaluate Information
• Chapter 1 Self Quiz

The Pre-Research Process

• Decide on a Topic
• Find Background Information
• Refine Your Topic
• Develop a Thesis Statement
• Choose Keywords
• Create Search Statements
• Chapter 2 Self Quiz
• Search the Library Catalog
• Call Numbers
• Request Books
• Book Research Streamlined
• Viewing eBooks
• Access Media
• Chapter 3 Self Quiz
• About Library Databases
• Find Articles in Databases
• Modify Your Search
• Reading Scholarly Articles
• Chapter 4 Self Quiz
• Citation Styles
• Locate Citation Information
• Copyright & Fair Use
• Creative Commons
• Find & Attribute Images
• Chapter 5 Self Quiz

Research - Defined

Research, in simplest terms, is information seeking. However, research is not just finding a piece of information. Instead, we can see research as a thorough examination of a topic. This process includes locating information, but also reflecting on what you're learned, adapting your ideas, organizing thoughts into a logical order, and then using those sources and ideas to produce a project or come to a decision.

Research in college is required for many papers, projects, and speeches. This does not mean you will be responsible for primary, or original, research. Primary research refers to collecting original data through surveys, experiments, interviews, or observations. Instead, the research you will conduct includes using search tools, like the library catalog, library databases, and the Web, to find existing credible research on a topic.

This chapter covers the beginning stages of research, often referred to as "pre-research." While you might be tempted to begin searching before completing these steps, the pre-research process will save you valuable time and effort. The first step in the pre-research process is to choose an interesting topic and create a research question. Next, using your research question, you can perform some background research to learn more about your topic. The background research will enable you to refine your topic and write a strong, focused thesis statement. Your thesis statement is what you will ultimately use to choose keywords and create search statements.

All of these steps are in preparation for using search tools, creating targeted searches, and retrieving the best information to use in your paper, project, or speech.

• << Previous: 2. Begin Your Research
• Next: Decide on a Topic >>
• Last Updated: May 25, 2023 9:24 AM
• URL: https://libguides.seminolestate.edu/researchfoundations

Get Your Research Started: Find Background Info

• Your Research Question
• Find Background Info
• Find Sources
• Find Primary Sources This link opens in a new window
• Read and Evaluate
• Write and Cite

Why Background Research Helps

Background research (or pre-research) is the research that you do before you start writing your paper or working on your project. Sometimes background research happens before you've even chosen a topic. The purpose of background research is to make the research that goes into your paper or project easier and more successful. 

Some reasons to do background research include:

• Determining an appropriate scope for your research:  Successful research starts with a topic or question that is appropriate to the scope of the assignment. A topic that is too broad means too much relevant information to review and distill. If your topic is too narrow, there won't be enough information to do meaningful research.
• Understanding how your research fits in with the broader conversation surrounding the topic:  What are the major points of view or areas of interest in discussions of your research topic and how does your research fit in with these? Answering this question can help you define the parts of your topic that you need to explore.
• Establishing the value of your research : What is the impact of your research and why does it matter? How might your research clarify or change our understanding of the topic?
• Identifying experts and other important perspectives:  Are there scholars whose work you need to understand for your research to be complete? Are there points of view that you need to include or address?

Doing background research helps you choose a topic that you'll be happy with and develop a sense of what research you'll need to do in order to successfully complete your assignment. It will also help you plan your research and understand how much time you'll need to dedicate to understanding and exploring your topic.

Remember: we generally do not cite information from encyclopedias, dictionaries, or reference books in our papers. 

Information adapted from Old Dominion University.

Credo Reference

Credo is a library database containing digital versions of encyclopedias and other reference works. Think of it as an academic Wikipedia, only curated by librarians instead of the general public.

Oxford Reference

• Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window Includes digitized, continuously updated entries from Oxfords dictionaries, companions, and encyclopedias, spanning 25 different subject areas including archaeology, classical studies, linguistics, philosophy, and more.
• << Previous: Your Research Question
• Next: Find Sources >>
• Last Updated: Jan 23, 2024 1:09 PM
• URL: https://libguides.library.cofc.edu/libraryresearch

Get Started — Background Research

• Reading (and Understanding) Your Assignment
• Initial Searching
• Forming a Research Question
• Help & Other Resources
• Research Now Homepage

What's Happening When You Do Background Research?

When you do background research, you're exploring your general area of interest so that you can form a more focused topic. You will be making an entry into an ongoing conversation, and you have the opportunity to ask new questions and create new knowledge.

Why is this important?

Have you ever done a project that just never seemed to come together?

"I had a general idea but not a specific focus. As I was writing, I didn't know what my focus was. When I was finished, I didn't know what my focus was. My teacher says she doesn't know what my focus was. I don't think I ever acquired a focus. It was an impossible paper to write. I would just sit there and say, "I'm stuck." If I learned anything from that paper it is, you have to have a focus. You have to have something to center on. You can't just have a topic. You should have an idea when you start. I had a topic but I didn't know what I wanted to do with it. I figured that when I did my research it would focus in. But I didn't let it. I kept saying, 'this is interesting and this is interesting and I'll just smush it all together.' It didn't work out." -(Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century)

Can you relate?

Doing background research to explore your initial topic can help you to find create a focused research question . Another benefit to background searching - it's very hard to write about something if you don't know anything about it! At this point, collecting ideas to help you construct your focused topic will be very helpful. Not every idea you encounter will find its way into your final project, so don't worry about collecting very, very detailed information just yet. Wait until your project has found a focus.

While you're doing you're background research, don't be surprised if your topic changes in unexpected ways -  you're discovering more about your topic, and you're making choices based on on the new information you find. If your topic changes, that's OK!

• Research Log

What Interests You?

Identifying what interests you in the context of your assignment can help you get started on your research project.

Some questions to consider:

Why is your project interesting/important to you? To your community? To the world?

What about your project sparks your curiosity and creativity?

Some ideas from the Reference Librarians at Gustavus Adolphus

• Make a list of possible issues to research. Use class discussions, texts, personal interests, conversations with friends, and discussions with your teacher for ideas. Start writing them down - you'd be surprised how much faster they come once you start writing.
• Map out the topic by finding out what others have had to say about it. This is not the time for in-depth reading, but rather for a quick scan. Many students start with a Google search, but you can also browse the shelves where books on the topic are kept and see what controversies or issues have been receiving attention. Search a database for articles on your topic area and sort out the various approaches writers have taken. Look for overviews and surveys of the topic that put the various schools of thought or approaches in context. You may start out knowing virtually nothing about your topic, but after scanning what's out there you should have several ideas worth following up.
• Invent questions. Do two things you come across seem to offer interesting contrasts? Does one thing seem intriguingly connected to something else? Is there something about the topic that surprises you? Do you encounter anything that makes you wonder why? Do you run into something that makes you think, "no way! That can't be right." Chances are you've just uncovered a good research focus.
• Draft a proposal for research. Sometimes a teacher will ask you for a formal written proposal. Even if it isn’t required, it can be a useful exercise. Write down what you want to do, how you plan to do it, and why it's important. You may well change your topic entirely by the time its finished, but writing down where you plan to take your research at this stage can help you clarify your thoughts and plan your next steps.

-Source: The Reference Librarians at Gustavus Adolphus College

• The Reference Librarians at Gustavus Adolphus College

What am I looking for?

It can be very helpful to write out your thoughts as you work through the answers to these questions.

Think about what you need to know:

• What do you already know about your topic?
• What don't you know about your topic? What do you feel like you might need to know? 
• What are the fundamental facts and background on your topic? What do you need to know to write knowledgeably about your topic?
• What are the different viewpoints on your topic? You should expect to encounter diverse views on a topic.

And of course...

• What is your assignment asking of you? 

When you are doing your research, you are not looking for one perfect source with one right answer. You're collecting and thinking critically about ideas to form a focus for your own research.

If you're having trouble answering these questions, you might find the six journalist's questions helpful in focusing your thinking:

Don't feel like you need to get bogged down in the minutiae of every source at this point!

At this point in your research, you are browsing for ideas and information to help you fill in the gaps. You're looking to develop a more focused topic. When you focus your topic you'll be able to really engage with the sources that will help you with your sources.

Not quite sure how to get started? The KWHL Tool will help you visualize your thinking, and start organizing the information you find. It will help you sort out

• What you already know
• What you don’t yet know about your topic
• Where you’re looking ( how will you find it)
• What you’ve learned

All of which will help you focus your project! (and maybe save a little time & stress, too!)

• KWHL Chart Use this chart to help organize your project
• KWHL Chart PDF version of the KWHL Chart to help organize your project

Take Notes while You're Searching!

As you're doing your research, take some brief notes about the sources you've found. Noting interesting ideas and items will help you remember what you've read as you put your ideas together to form a research question. It will also help you to make note of parts of your sources that you want to quote later (and find it easily while you're putting your research project together!)

• Stop 'N Jot This tool will help you keep track of good ideas and questions as you do your preliminary research.
• << Previous: Reading (and Understanding) Your Assignment
• Next: Initial Searching >>
• Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024 3:43 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uconn.edu/getstarted

• Spartanburg Community College Library
• SCC Research Guides
• Choosing a Research Topic
• 2. Background Research

Background Research

Chances are the topic you chose for your research assignment isn't a topic that you know a lot about. That is okay and what makes research exciting! Before you dive into doing your research, especially if you are looking for academic sources in some of the library databases, you are going to want to do some background research on your topic.

Background research helps you learn more about a topic and gets you comfortable with key terms and ideas in your topic. Oftentimes, you will find that if you jump right into the academic sources, the academic sources will make the assumption that you already have some background knowledge about a topic, making the academic sources difficult to understand.

When doing background research, you want to answer six basic questions (5Ws + How) that will form your common knowledge about a subject.

Sticking with our example about the costs of college tuition:

• Who: "Who is impacted by the costs of college tuition?"
• What: "What is college tuition?"
• Where: "Where is college tuition used?"
• When: "When was did college tuition get so expensive?"
• How: "How does the cost of college tuition influence the college?"
• Why: "Why is college tuition so expensive?"

What sources are best for background research?

Reference sources are best for background research. Examples of reference sources include encyclopedias and dictionaries. Reference sources give an overview of an entire topic. They are usually written in a way that is understandable for someone without background knowledge on a topic.

The Library has several databases that are great places to search for background research. Keep in mind that depending on your research topic, some of these databases may be better to use than others. If you have any questions about which database is right for you, please Ask a Librarian !

• << Previous: 1. Concept Mapping
• Next: 3. Narrow Your Topic / Thesis Statements >>
• What Makes a Good Research Topic?
• 1. Concept Mapping
• 3. Narrow Your Topic / Thesis Statements

Questions? Ask a Librarian

• Last Updated: Jan 17, 2024 9:31 AM
• URL: https://libguides.sccsc.edu/chooseatopic

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Seven Steps - An IvyTILT Research Strategy

Ivy tech information literacy tutorial, seven steps - a research strategy: 2: context & background.

• 1: Your Topic
• 2: Context & Background
• 3: Books & Media
• 4: Articles
• 5: The Open Web
• 6: Evaluation
• 7: Citation

Context and Background

Read about and study your topic!

Before you begin a search for scholarly books or articles, consider checking reference sources, like encyclopedias, to provide the background and context information to help you understand your topic.  Doing so may help you determine the:

• SCOPE of your topic
• IMPORTANT ISSUES  related to the topic
• TERMINOLOGY  or language of the topic  used by experts

Consulting reference resources about your topic helps you know what to look for when searching for articles and books in research databases.

Select the tabs below to learn more about background resources.

• Reference Works>
• CQ Researcher>
• Self-Check!

Best Bet:  

• Credo Reference   provides articles from over 600 titles with particular emphasis on encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and reference handbooks.

• Britannica Online Academic is a complete encyclopedia with multimedia content .

Best Bet:   • Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context   offers differing viewpoints on social issues found in  magazine, newspaper, and scholarly journal articles as well as video, audio, maps, statistics, reference sources and more.

• CQ Researcher   articles on hot social issues; each article includes a pro/con section where experts present their viewpoint on the issue.

Now, try these self-check questions as an informal quiz of your understanding.  Context and Background

Return to ENGL 111 Lumen text resource: Seven Steps - A Research Strategy

Return to ENGL 111 Lumen text resource:  Table of Contents

• << Previous: 1: Your Topic
• Next: 3: Books & Media >>
• Last Updated: Jul 13, 2023 11:12 AM
• URL: https://library.ivytech.edu/seven-steps-research

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Basic Research Guide

• Finding/Focusing Topics

Background Sources

• Search Strategies
• Finding Books
• Finding Articles
• Evaluating Sources
• Citing Sources
• Quiz Yourself

Before you jump into looking for detailed sources on specific aspects of your topic, it can be very helpful to understand the  broader context  of your research. This allows you to discover what is generally known about a topic by doing some background reading. Reading an encyclopedia article or other reference source is a quick way to:

• familiarize yourself with the basics of the topic: concepts, controversies, time, and place
• find the names of people who are associated with the topic
• learn some of the jargon (words associated with the topic or profession that may be difficult for others to understand)
• possibly find additional sources using the bibliography of an article or chapter

Background sources are sources your professor does not want you to cite unless you quote or refer to their information directly in your assignment. They are helpful for foundational knowledge or discovering ways to narrow your topic. Reference sources are considered  tertiary sources,  and they can help lead you to the  primary  and  secondary sources  your professor will want you to cite in your paper.

• Online Reference Sources
• Reference Books

The following are sources that the library subscribes to and you can be sure that chapters and articles have  been edited by experts in the field:

CQ Researcher  is a complete source for in-depth, analytical reporting on the most current and controversial issues of the day. Focusing on one topic, each weekly CQ Researcher provides extensive background information and discussion of the pro’s and con’s.

Gale Virtual Reference Library  is a database of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. We have some of the same sources in print in either Ready Reference or Reference stacks on the main floor, in Ellis Library.  Just ask for assistance at the Reference Desk.

Oxford Reference is a searchable database of over 100 reference works covering history, literature, art, religion, philosophy, law, science and many other areas.

Wikipedia  is a multilingual, web-based, free content encyclopedia project based on an openly -editable model. Wikipedia's articles provide links to guide the user to related pages with additional information. Wikipedia is written collaboratively by largely anonymous Internet volunteers who write without pay. The Wikipedia community has developed many policies and guidelines to improve the encyclopedia, however, it is not a formal requirement to be familiar with them before contributing. Warning: Since most anyone can contribute/edit Wikipedia, some entries are of better quality than others.  Still it can be a quick and hence useful source for getting a general idea about a term or a topic.

MERLIN tip: to find specialized encyclopedias, do a keyword search in the UM LIBRARIES CATALOG and add your key word  AND encyclopedias

Ex.: religion AND encyclopedias

• << Previous: Finding/Focusing Topics
• Next: Search Strategies >>
• Last Updated: Apr 4, 2024 11:25 AM
• URL: https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/English1000

Research Tips and Tutorials

• How to Use OneSearch (the Library catalog)
• How to Find Background Information
• Database Tutorials and Tipsheets
• How to Find a Journal
• How to find and Use ebooks
• How to Use RefWorks
• How to Make an Interlibrary Loan Request
• How to do Research
• How to Get Help
• Library Instruction Evaluation

Finding Background Research

• Why Background Research?
• Databases for Background Research
• Case for Wikipedia

Background research is the research that you do before you start writing your paper or working on your project. Sometimes background research happens before you've even chosen a topic. 

Some reasons to do background research include:

• Determining an appropriate scope for your research: Successful research starts with a topic or question that is appropriate to the scope of the assignment. A topic that is too broad means too much relevant information to review and distill. If your topic is too narrow, there won't be enough information to do meaningful research.
• Understanding how your research fits in with the broader conversation surrounding the topic: What are the major points of view or areas of interest in discussions of your research topic and how does your research fit in with these? Answering this question can help you define the parts of your topic you should explore. 
• Establishing the value of your research: What is the impact of your research and why does it matter? How might your research clarify or change your understanding of the topic?
• Identifying experts and other important perspectives: Are there scholars whose work you need to understand for your research to be complete? Are there points of view that you need to include or address?

Doing background research helps you choose a topic that you'll be happy with and develop a sense of what research you'll need to do in order to successfully complete your assignment. It will also help you plan your research and understand how much time you'll need to dedicate to understanding and exploring your topic. 

Trying to learn about a new topic, or need help narrowing a research topic? These two reference databases are filled with encyclopedia-style entries to get you started. 

Credo Reference  

Credo contains over 3 million full-text entries alongside thousands of easily searchable images, audio files, and videos. In includes access to hundreds of in-depth titles covering every major subject from current Social Issues to Ancient History and Shakespeare to Einstein. 

Below is a mindmap Credo created from my search history. It points me to related topics, which may be useful for choosing a topic, or narrowing the focus of your research.

Oxford Reference 

Oxford Reference is the premier online reference product, spanning 25 different subject areas, bringing together 2 million digitized entries across Oxford University Press’s Dictionaries, Companions and Encyclopedias. As you browse through Oxford Reference, you may find results that range from short-entry, general reference to more in-depth articles on specialized subjects. For an overview of each subject on Oxford Reference use the links in the left-hand pane.

Need help choosing a topic for a debate or speech? These are a great place to start.

Opposing Viewpoints

Find overviews, news, and opinions on hundreds of today's important social issues. Great for exploring topics for a debate or speech. 

Issues and Controversies

Reports on hot topics in politics, business, government, law enforcement, energy, education, health, science, foreign policy, race, human rights, society, and culture are updated weekly. Another great resource for exploring topics for a debate or speech.

• Wikipedia and reference sources in general (e.g., encyclopedias, atlases, handbooks) are excellent sources of background information. This is especially helpful if you are assigned a topic you are not yet very familiar with.
• Though Wikipedia is not considered a scholarly or academic source , it can be a great starting point for your research, allowing you to gather general information on your area of interest, and giving you ideas for narrow areas of focus. 
• While the fear of inaccurate information being portrayed on Wikipedia is a legitimate concern, it is also true that Wikipedia is used by millions of people daily and errors are often corrected as soon as they are found. This is especially true on the pages that are used by many, like those for famous people, landmarks, or current events.
• Though most professors will not accept Wikipedia as a source cited in the research assignment you ultimately turn in, it can be a useful tool in the early stages of research when you are seeking background information.

Adapted from Butler, W. D., Sargent, A., Smith, K.(2021).Introduction to College Research.  https://introtocollegeresearch.pressbooks.com/

• << Previous: How to Use OneSearch (the Library catalog)
• Next: How to Find Scholarly Articles >>
• Last Updated: Jun 1, 2023 12:04 PM
• URL: https://libraryguides.lynchburg.edu/researchtipsandtutorials

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

1-Research Questions

Background Reading

It’s wise to do some more reading about that narrower topic once you have it. For one reason, you probably don’t know much about it yet. For another, such reading will help you learn the terms used by professionals and scholars who have studied your narrower topic. Those terms are certain to be helpful when you’re looking for sources later, so jot them down or otherwise remember them.

For instance, if you were going to do research about the treatment for humans with bird flu, this background reading would teach you that professionals and scholars usually use the term avian influenza instead of bird flu when they write about it. (Often, they also use H1N1 or H1N9 to identify the strain.) If you didn’t learn that, you would miss the kinds of sources you’ll eventually need for your assignment.

Most sources other than journal articles are good sources for this initial reading, including the New York Times or other mainline American news outlets, Wikipedia, encyclopedias for the discipline your topic is in (horticulture for the crabapple bud development topic, for instance), dictionaries for the discipline, and manuals, handbooks, blogs, and web pages that could be relevant.

This initial reading could cause you to narrow your topic further, which is fine because narrower topics lead to greater specificity for what you have to find out.After this upfront work, you’re ready to start developing the research question(s) you will try to answer for your assignment.

Tip: Keeping Track of Your Information

While you are in the background reading phase of your research you will come across a lot of sources and won’t know yet if they will prove useful in the long run. A handy type of software to help you keep track of all your findings is called citation management software. It will also be extremely valuable when it comes to using the resources you end up needing. Three of these tools are available for free to OSU students, staff and faculty. Learn more about these tools and how to access them.

Fuel Your Inspiration

It’s worth remembering that reading, scanning, looking at, and listening to information resources is very useful during any step of the process to develop research questions. Doing so can jog our memories, give us details that will help us focus, and help us connect disparate information–all of which will help us come up with research questions that we find interesting.

Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research by Teaching & Learning, Ohio State University Libraries is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Research Topics: How to Select & Develop: Refining a Research Topic

• Understanding the Assignment
• Choosing a Research Topic
• Refining a Research Topic
• Developing a Research Question
• Deciding What Types of Sources You Will Need
• Research Help

Ask a Librarian

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Book a Research Consultation Library Hours

Research is a dynamic process. Be prepared to modify or refine your topic. This is usually the sign of thoughtful and well-done research. Usually researchers start out with a broad topic before narrowing it down. These strategies can help with that process.

Brainstorm Concepts

Think of words or concepts that relate to that topic. For example, if your topic is "polar bears," associated words might include: ice, cubs, pollution, hunting, diet, and environmental icon.

Make a Concept Map

Create a visual map your topic that shows different aspects of the topic. Think about questions related to your topic. Consider the who, what, where, when, and why (the 5 W's).

For example, when researching the local food culture, you might consider:

• Why do people buy local?
• What specific food items are people more likely to buy local and why?
• What are the economic aspects of buying local? Is it cheaper?
• Do people in all socio-economic strata have access to local food?

This short video explains how to make a concept map:

Source: Douglas College Library

You can make a concept map by hand or digitally. Below is a link to a free online concept mapping tool:

• Bubbl.us Free tool for building concept maps.

Consider Your Approach or Angle

Your research could, for example, use a historical angle (focusing on a particular time period); a geographical angle (focusing on a particular part of the world); or a sociological angle (focusing on a particular group of people). The angle you choose will depend largely on the nature of your research question and often on the class or the academic discipline in which you are working.

Conduct Background Research

Finding background information on your topic can also help you to refine your topic. Background research serves many purposes.

• If you are unfamiliar with the topic, it provides a good overview of the subject matter.
• It helps you to identify important facts related to your topic: terminology, dates, events, history, and names or organizations.
• It can help you to refine your topic.
• It might lead you to bibliographies that you can use to find additional sources of information on your topic.

Reference sources  like the ones listed below can help you find an angle on your topic and identify an interesting research question. If you are focusing on a particular academic discipline, you might do background reading in subject-specific encyclopedias  and reference sources.  Background information can also be found in:

• dictionaries
• general encyclopedias
• subject-specific encyclopedias  
• article databases

These sources are often listed in our Library Research Guides . 

Here are some resources you may find helpful in finding a strong topic:

• I-Share Use I-Share to search for library materials at more than 80 libraries in Illinois and place requests.
• Wikipedia Get a quick overview of your topic. (Of course, evaluate these articles carefully, since anyone can change them). An entry's table of contents can help you identify possible research angles; the external links and references can help you locate other relevant sources. Usually you won't use Wikipedia in your final paper, because it's not an authoritative source.
• Gale Virtual Reference Library Reference eBooks on a variety of topics, including business, history, literature, medicine, social science, technology, and many more.
• Oxford Reference Reference eBooks on a handful of topics, including management, history, and religion.

Conduct Exploratory In-Depth Research

Start doing some exploratory, in-depth research. As you look for relevant sources, such as scholarly articles and books, refine your topic based on what you find. While examining sources, consider how others discuss the topic. How might the sources inform or challenge your approach to your research question?

• Choosing and Refining Topics Tutorial A detailed tutorial from Colorado State University
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• Next: Developing a Research Question >>
• Last Updated: Jan 4, 2024 9:55 AM
• URL: https://researchguides.ben.edu/topics

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Research Skills Tutorial: 2. Finding Background Sources

• 1.1 Developing a Research Question
• 1.2 Searching with Keywords
• 1.3 Activity: Brainstorm Keywords
• 2.1 Activity: Use an Encyclopedia
• 3. Finding Books
• 4. Finding Articles
• 5. Evaluating Sources
• 6. Using Sources
• 7. Citing Sources

Background information

After you've chosen a topic to research, you will need to find sources that introduce you to the topic. Background sources provide you with:

• Important dates or events
• Definitions
• Introduction to key issues or debates
• Keywords and the language used to talk about the topic
• Lists of sources that may provide a starting point in your research 

What are Encyclopedias?

Encyclopedias provide background information on a topic. Encyclopedias can be on a specific topic, or a wide range of topics. 

Our online and print encyclopedias are written by scholars and are great starting points for your research!

Check out our reference collection for subject-specific encyclopedias and dictionaries that provide facts on historical events, artistic movements, and social or scientific concepts. 

Or, use some of the online encyclopedias and databases on this page. 

Online Encyclopedias

• Britannica Online Academic This link opens in a new window Contains information about important people, places and events, news articles and summaries of topics written by experts.
• Canadian Points of View Reference Source This link opens in a new window Check to see if your topic is covered by the topic overviews in this database! The topic overviews provide historical information, definitions, and overviews of key debates.
• Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window Need information about an artwork or artist? This is the place to start your research!
• World Book Online This link opens in a new window World Book Online provides access to information on people, places, events and time periods.

Using Internet Sources

Websites, blogs and Wikipedia can help you get a sense of some of the big issues related to your topic, and can give you ideas for issues to research further.

While searching Google is easy, verifying the accuracy of information you find through Google is tricky. Many websites such as Wikipedia are not created to support academic research. While these sources are an OK starting point, your instructor will want you to rely on sources written by experts when it comes to supporting your arguments. 

Why Can't I Use Wikipedia?

Many instructors will tell you not to use Wikipedia at all for research. There are a few reasons why instructors are reluctant to allow you to use Wikipedia.

1. Anyone can edit Wikipedia 

One of the benefits and drawbacks of Wikipedia is that anyone can edit it. This means that information about an event or issue can be updated quickly as things happen, but it also means that Wikipedia is susceptible to vandalism.

Sometimes, entries can be biased depending on the author. Wikipedia usually flags these pages for problems.

2. Over-relying on Wikipedia is not research

Wikipedia provides mostly background information and will not give you in-depth information. Relying on Wikipedia will result in a boring paper, and you will not be able to support your arguments well. 

Anyone can read a Wikipedia page. If you rely on Wikipedia for most of your research, your paper will read like a Wikipedia entry. 

Research involves listening to the academic conversation that is occurring between experts on a topic. To understand major issues or debates, you have to read the sources written by experts. 

Tips for Using Wikipedia

Scroll down to the "Sources" section of a page. Some of these sources may be useful sources for your research.

Read Wikipedia pages to get ideas for keywords to use to find articles and books. Wikipedia can provide you with a sense of the language used to describe a topic.

Skim Wikipedia pages to identify key people associated with a topic. These may be important authors or people involved in an event or debate. Search for more information on these people in the library's databases.  

• << Previous: 1.3 Activity: Brainstorm Keywords
• Next: 2.1 Activity: Use an Encyclopedia >>
• Last Updated: Mar 11, 2024 8:33 AM
• URL: https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/research_skills