| Find Background Information
How can background information
help? Before you begin…
Look for the Big Picture:
An encyclopedia or other reference sources can be good starting
points for information which will introduce you to major concepts
on a broad topic. Lengthy articles can outline the subdivisions
of a topic, give different perspectives and report recent trends
or scholarship.
Get the facts:
Important names, dates, places etc… are
often mentioned in background sources.
Learn the lingo:
Look for key terms, terminology, definitions. Keep these terms in
mind when you begin searching for your topic in online databases
or the web. And if your need help with “Library Lingo,”
check out LIBRARY LINGO. Or use A
PRIMER ON DATABASES AND CATALOGS from Georgia State University's
tutorial, "Online Library Learning Center. This module has
clear definitions of basic concepts in database searching from types
of databases, to how they are structured, as well as basic searching
definitions and techniques.
Check the author:
Background sources are often written by experts;
you may want to look for other works by the same author for your
topic.
Locate additional sources:
Many sources will include a list of additional
readings or a bibliography. These references are often the most
important works on a topic.
Take Notes:
As you read and gather information, take down
notes and begin a list of your sources and references.
Where can I find background
information?
Encyclopedias are one
of the most common sources of background information.
There are both general and subject encyclopedias:
- Link to our subscription to Encyclopedia
Britannica for a general, overall encyclopedia.
- An example of a subject encyclopedia is the Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
- An example of an encyclopedia which gives different
perspectives is the Encyclopedia of Bioethics. Call number Ref
QH 332 E52 1995.
Handbooks and Manuals often
give background information on a topic. The Occupational
Outlook Handbook and its new companion O*Net
Online contain background information on careers and occupations.
The Civil Engineering Handbook Call number TA 151. C57 2003 contains
background information, key formulas and references on all facets
of this field of study.
Dictionaries can
be a good source for defining terminology. They can also be both
general and specific. A general, online source is the Oxford
English Dictionary. An example of a subject dictionary with
encyclopedic articles is the Dictionary of the Middle Ages. Call
number Ref D114 D5 1982
For “hot topics” in the
news, try CQ
(Congressional Quarterly) Researcher for background information.
Call number Ref H35 E35 1991
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