LibGuides: Research Process: Find Background Info

Read General Background Information

Read a general encyclopedia article on the top two or three topics you are considering.

Reading a broad summary enables you to get an overview of the topic and see how your idea relates to broader, narrower, and related issues. It also provides a great source for finding words commonly used to describe the topic. These keywords may be very useful to your later research.

If you can't find an article on your topic, try using broader terms and ask for help from a librarian.

The databases listed below are good places to find general information. The library's print reference collection can also be useful and is located on the third floor of the library.

Gale Ebooks This link opens in a new window
Database of many recent encyclopedias and dictionaries.
Encyclopedia Britannica Online This link opens in a new window
Authoritative coverage of thousands of topics in all areas of study.
Encyclopaedia Britannica's latest article database (including hundreds of articles not found in the print edition), Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, and the Britannica Book of the Year (1994-present), with thousands of web links selected by editors. Updated daily.
Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
A good place to find peer-reviewed scholarly research reviews of a topic. Research reviews give a summary of the path of research on a specific topic.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
More than 200 titles from Oxford Reference with results that range from short-entry, general reference to more in-depth articles on specialized subjects.
Fully indexed, cross-searchable database of over 400 dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press. Includes subject reference works in the humanities, social sciences, and science--both "Quick Reference" titles (concise dictionaries, etc.) and larger "Reference Library" titles (multi-volume encyclopedias, etc.).
SAGE Knowledge This link opens in a new window
A searchable collection of over 150 scholarly encyclopedias, handbooks, and reference books in the social sciences.
Covers anthropology, communication, education, geography, health, history, law, management, politics, psychology, and sociology.

Science Topics | ScienceDirect
These pages provide concept definitions and subject overviews for researchers who want to expand their knowledge about scholarly and technical terms. You will need to create a free account with Science Direct in order to download the Topic Overviews.
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Each synopsis provides a series of short, authoritative, excerpts from highly relevant book chapters written by subject matter experts in the field.

These topic summaries are derived from Elsevier encyclopedias, reference works and books.

Very Short Introductions This link opens in a new window
Concise introductions to a diverse range of subject areas in the sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities.

Research Process

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Read General Background Information